Drum Workshop’s new Oxnard showroom puts Neil Peart’s final drum kit on public view. The space debuted Saturday during DW Factory Day, a free event presented by Guitar Center that brought drummers from across Southern California to the factory off Lunar Court. Visitors could try drums on display and buy equipment at factory pricing, according to News Channel 3-12.
According to News Channel 3-12, special guests at this year's event included Thomas Lang, Trevor Lawrence Jr., Colin Brittain and Chad Wackerman. Drum Workshop is led by Don Lombardi, Chris Lombardi and John Good, and the station describes the company as now operating as a subsidiary of Roland.
The showroom includes the last drum kit played by the late Neil Peart of Rush, offering fans a close-up look at an instrument associated with the legendary drummer. News Channel 3-12 reported that the kit was part of the new space’s debut.
A Showroom Months in the Making
Customer Service Supervisor Brent Wetli told the station the showroom had been in preparation for months. Visitors to the event could tour the factory and attend clinics. News Channel 3-12 reported that public factory tours, which Drum Workshop runs on Thursday afternoons, take guests through the manufacturing process, from raw wood to finished product.
Other Peart Kits and DW’s Place in Roland
MusicRadar reported that a different Peart instrument—his chrome Slingerland kit from Rush’s first era—was listed for a Bonhams online auction in Los Angeles between November 23 and December 7. That auctioned kit is distinct from the final kit now displayed in Oxnard.
Roland Corporation’s September 12, 2022 notice said its subsidiary would acquire all outstanding shares of Drum Workshop, making DW a wholly owned Roland subsidiary. Drum Workshop said in its announcement that it would operate as a standalone unit, with its founders retaining leadership positions. The Oxnard factory’s tours take visitors through DW’s manufacturing process, from raw wood to finished product.
Guitar Center's own event page had promised exactly that kind of hands-on access, advertising one-day-only factory pricing, a facility tour, prizes and live performances from professional drummers, according to Guitar Center. Drum Workshop's own support page notes that its standard factory tour is free, lasts about an hour and walks visitors through the company's full 50,000-square-foot factory, though regular Thursday tours are capped at ten people and typically require two days' advance notice, per Drum Workshop.
Shoppers Came Ready to Buy
Among those in the crowd was Stephen Lauver of Northridge, who walked away with a REMO drumhead and a cymbal stand. Lauver said the pricing was good and that he had come to the event intending to buy, according to the station's report.
Drum Workshop holds its annual DW Day just once a year, making Saturday's event a rarer opportunity than the company's weekly Thursday tours. A previous iteration of the annual Factory Day, held in Oxnard on August 23 in an earlier year, offered similarly exclusive once-a-year pricing on DW, Roland and PDP drum sets, according to a report from Modern Drummer.
That earlier event opened with a drum-off hosted by Guitar Center drum buyer Glenn Noyes and Roland sales executive Jim DeStefano, followed by a workshop from Chad Wackerman and a demonstration featuring DW co-founder John Good and then-Primus drummer John Hoffman, Modern Drummer reported. It also included a Slingerland unveiling with co-founder Don Lombardi and drummer John JR Robinson, and closed with a clinic and signing from Marilyn Manson drummer Gil Sharone. A 2022 post cited by California Rock News showed drummer Matt Garstka performing at a past Factory Day, underscoring how the event has long served as a draw for touring musicians as well as local shoppers.
