Dowco-Triumph Street completes Premier endorsement

Following the band’s adoption of new Premier snare drums just before last year’s World Pipe Band Championships, the Grade 1 Dowco-Triumph Street Pipe Band of Vancouver has completed a full changeover to the manufacturer’s equipment to include Premier’s Professional Series bass and tenor drums.

According to Leading-Drummer Andre Tessier the new bass-section instruments replace Mojo tenor drums and a Premier / Hosbilt carbon fibre hoop combination bass drum. Before that the band had been playing Andante instruments.

“Our bass drum has always had a Premier shell, but we experimented with different hardware and hoop configurations,” Tessier said.  “Late last  year, we outfitted the shell with a new set of Premier hoops and couldn’t be happier with the sound. As for our tenor drums, we had tried several different manufacturers over the past five years, including having a custom set made two years ago, but we always struggled to achieve a sound that  combines tonal warmth with  accurate pitch.  Since switching to Premier Professional Series,  we have achieved both.”

He added that the band is “not yet  at  a point in our  partnership where we are getting our equipment for free, but we are able to purchase  Premier products at a significant discount. It’s true that running a Grade 1 band is an expensive undertaking and the opportunity to save a few pennies is  most welcome, but we wouldn’t be doing this if we thought we were getting anything less than the best.”

Tessier said that his band decided originally to go with Premier HTS800 snares to obtain better projection than what they were able to achieve with Andante snares.

Premier also recently announced an endorsement deal specifically with City of Chicago Pipe Band bass drummer Mike Cole, who will be using a Premier Professional Series bass drum in his workshops.