Milltown man trades briefcase for drums

Custom drum-maker considers
products to be works of art
BY TARA PETERSEN
Staff Writer

MILLTOWN — Dennis Nelson left a well-paying corporate job to build custom drum sets from his mother’s basement, and he’s loving every minute of it.

Nelson, 31, sold his first drum under the name BIB Drums on eBay in October, and he said he has since averaged two or three orders a month.

The borough resident starts with unfinished wooden maple drum shells of various diameters and turns them into one of many custom-made drum sets for professional and hobbyist drummers alike.

"It’s incredible. I love it," Nelson said. "I’ve been doing wood-working all my life, and I’ve been playing drums for 15 years."

It was around June 2002 when some life-altering events prompted Nelson to do some "serious soul searching."

Nelson’s mother was in the midst of being diagnosed with cancer when his father passed away following a heart attack.

"It was probably from the stress of finding out about the tumor," Nelson said.

Nelson left his job in human resources to care for his mother while she commuted to New York City to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Meanwhile, his wife, Crystal, soon became pregnant with their now-infant son, Jake.

"I did a lot of reflecting during that time," Nelson said.

Nelson said that as his mother recovered, he began to research how to form a small business and to learn about crafting drums.

"When I started out in the corporate world, I thought that was what you were supposed to do — get a good job and support the family. Then I realized, you really need to live your life the way you want to," he said. "Luckily, my wife is very supportive. She said, ‘You found something you love. Go for it.’ "

Crystal works in advertising at Fortune Magazine and commutes to Manhattan by bus each weekday.

Jake, now 4 months old, was the inspiration for the company name before he was even born.

"BIB stands for ‘baby in belly,’ " Nelson said. "I wanted to name the company after my son, but we didn’t know he was a boy yet."

Nelson now takes Jake to his mother’s house in Helmetta, where he works on his drum sets in between spending time with his son. He also works many evenings and weekends when he needs to.

A given drum set takes about eight to 12 weeks to make because the lacquer finish takes about eight weeks to cure.

Nelson works with shells anywhere from 8 to 26 inches in diameter, with the largest drum being the kick drum. The shells range in thickness from 5 to 30 plies, he said.

"The thicker shell gives the higher pitch; it’s used to make the snare drum," Nelson said.

Nelson mixes custom colors and makes sets with "as many drums as the customer wants."

PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Dennis Nelson, of Milltown, uses an electric sander to smooth out a drum shell, sprays on a clear lacquer on it, then buffs out some imperfections, in the Helmetta basement where he has begun operating his custom drum business.

"That’s the beauty of custom drums. Usually most companies offer certain colors and certain sizes," Nelson said. "I can make them with any color, finish, hardware and size the customer wants. [The customers] design it, I build it."

Nelson, who sells drums on www.eBay.com, is currently building a set for a customer in France.

He also sponsors area bands including Long Shot and Agents of Man by giving them a discounted or complimentary set to be played at their shows.

"I’m just trying to get the name recognition right now," Nelson said.

His most famous client to date is the road manager for pop singer Jessica Simpson, who ordered a seven-piece purple set that Nelson features on his Web site.

"I was told it was his personal drum set," Nelson said.

Nelson said he plans to expand the business "once I work out all the bugs."

"I consider them pieces of art," he said of his finished products. "When I’m done, I stand back and say, ‘Wow.’