Inside a Lancaster Drum Shop: Adam Stec of Drums Etc on the Tone Tailors Podcast
We’re surrounded by guitars at Tone Tailors, so it’s not every week a drum takes over the podcast. But when Adam Stec, owner of Drums Etc., brought one into the shop, we were happy to let it. Adam runs Lancaster’s drum shop and the Pennsylvania Drum Show, and he gets about as nerdy about drums as our guests get about guitars.
We covered everything from garage bands to bearing edges, why a smaller shop beats a giant showroom, and what’s happening at this year’s drum show in Lititz.
From Garage Band to Drum Shop Owner
Adam didn’t start drumming until high school, and he didn’t learn in a classroom. A band needed a drummer, his uncle had a drum set, and that was enough to say yes. Their big goal was one song at the talent show.
Today Drums Etc. runs a lesson program with eight teachers, and Adam says younger players are coming back to the garage band mindset. After years of students who weren’t sure what music they even liked, he’s seeing a generation that wants in-person, analog experiences again: touching the instrument, building calluses, playing with friends.
Drums Etc: A Lancaster Drum Shop Built as a Support System
Drums Etc. has been in Lancaster since 1985, when Rick Hamilton founded it. Adam was a customer first, then an employee, and he’s now been the owner for more than five years.
His philosophy is simple. Learning an instrument is intimidating, so the shop exists as a support system for drummers. That means lessons, community nights, repairs, advice on a first kit, help prepping for an audition, or getting someone a drum set after a house fire. His teachers will tell you some weeks a lesson turns into something closer to a counseling session, and Adam thinks that’s part of the job.
Why This Drum Shop Gave Its Guitars to Tone Tailors
Back in the day, Drums Etc. on New Holland Avenue had a huge guitar section and rooms full of cymbals. Over time, Adam realized the shop wasn’t obsessed with guitars anymore, and Tone Tailors wasn’t obsessed with drums. So he walked into our shop with a box of guitar strings and called it.
That kind of focus is what Adam sees separating the shops that survive from the ones that close. The big showroom full of drum sets is what put a lot of small shops under. Customers today come in for the people, the expertise and the honest advice, like being told the cheaper kit is the better deal.
How a Drum Is Actually Built
Adam’s first disclaimer: for about 95% of drummers, none of this matters. New heads and learning to tune will make almost any kit sound good.
For the curious, here’s the short version:
- Shell construction: Older drums were often steam bent from a single piece of wood. Most modern drums are plywood, layers of wood glued and hot pressed into a cylinder.
- Wood species: Harder woods like maple reflect more sound and project louder. Softer woods like mahogany and poplar absorb more, giving a warmer, tubbier tone. Plenty of sound engineers actually prefer poplar in a small room.
- Tuning: The top head sets the pitch, the bottom head controls resonance.
- Bearing edges: The cut at the top of the shell where the head sits. Drummers love to argue about it, so Adam ran a blind test at a community night to find out how much it really matters.
He also covered a few traditions that stuck around, like traditional grip (from marching drummers carrying drums on their hip) and coated snare heads (made for brushes, even though most drummers never use them).
Vintage Restoration and Custom Drum Work
Drums Etc. does wrapping, refinishing, shell cutting and custom bearing edges. Adam recently cut down a vintage Gretsch floor tom into a matching snare for a customer’s kit. Once those videos went out, rare collector shells started showing up, and the stakes went way up.
Used Gear, Marketplace and Guitar Center
Adam doesn’t trash Guitar Center. He says the market decides, and every purchase is a vote. His bigger competitor is actually the used market, so he leaned into it. When customers said they wanted used hardware, he offered a flat price on stands with no haggling and took in over 150 in a week.
The 2026 Pennsylvania Drum Show
The Pennsylvania Drum Show is the second longest running drum show in the country, started by Jack Lawton in 1995. Drums Etc. took it over in 2023.
When: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 12 to 7:30 PM (VIP early access noon to 1)
Where: Mickey’s Black Box, 101 Rock Lititz Blvd, Lititz, PA
What’s happening:
- A marketplace of new, used and vintage gear from vendors across the country
- Industry Alley with reps from Ludwig, Gretsch, Zildjian and Gator
- Clinics from Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band), Rob Mitzner (author of Stuff You Can Use) and Fr. Hyacinth Cordell
- An outdoor consignment market to sell your own gear
- A drum circle, student showcase, meet and greet lounge and a raffle for every attendee
Only buy tickets through the Drums Etc. drum show page. Scam ticket sites have popped up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Drums Etc. located?
Drums Etc. is a Lancaster drum shop at 2503 Lititz Pike, offering new and used drums, lessons, repairs and custom shell work.
How long has Drums Etc. been open?
Since 1985. Adam Stec took over from founder Rick Hamilton in 2021.
When is the 2026 Pennsylvania Drum Show?
Sunday, October 25, 2026 at Mickey’s Black Box in Lititz, from noon to 7:30 PM.
Can I sell my own drums at the Pennsylvania Drum Show?
Yes. The consignment market runs out front, with tags sold at the event. Event admission isn’t required to sell.
Does drum shell wood really change the sound?
Yes, but less than most people think. Harder woods project more and softer woods absorb more, but tuning, heads and the room usually matter more.
Support Your Local Shops
Adam’s closing message was about community over gear. Support the people behind the music, whether that’s your local drum shop, guitar shop or the artists you love.
Need repairs, lessons, used gear, pedals, guitars or amps? Shop Tone Tailors 24/7 at shop.tonetailors.com or stop in seven days a week in Lancaster.
