N&C is the oldest drum company in the US, founded 166 years ago in 1854. The company began at a kitchen table with Silas Noble making Toy Drums for Christmas presents. Once the Civil War broke out, he then partnered with James Cooley to make drums for the Civil War and the company grew massively from there.
Jay and Nick Jones are the the 6th and 7th generation to continue on the family business. They carry on the masterful drum building that has existed for almost two centuries, and they also still build toy drums to carry on the legacy. At one point, N&C was making 100,000+ toy drums a year and created most kids drums and drumsets in America through the 1900's. After a catastrophic logistics problem in 2001, they put the Toy Drums on the back burner and changed gears to become the powerhouse custom drum shop that we know today.
Enjoy this great episode!