


Samuel de Broize-Ward founded the company in early 2016 following the passing of his late grandfather, Ken de Broize; an inspiring character and wood-working enthusiast. In memory of his passing, Samuel decided to build his first truly custom stave snare drum; using his grandfathers tools and parts from his family home.
This only resulted in a new addiction and drive to hone a new craft, further taking floorboards and old beams of wood, new construction methods and skills were developed. This sparked the reclamation of many items to build out of: from 60's Mahogany school tables, 70's Beech cabinets, early 1900's Oak furniture and Sapele bar tops. Saving items from being scrapped and given them a new lease of life ultimately resulting in a truly unique instrument.
The UK produces around 4 million tonnes of timber waste a year, with roughly half of this being recycled. With a focus on sustainability and recycling, this project is a green initiative by using and making the most out of reclaimed and repurposed materials.






"Playing drums is all I’ve ever wanted to do," says Samuel de Broize. "But I never thought I’d be a drum builder." He also never thought he’d be chosen as the winner of our Flying Start competition for Starling business customers. "That was the biggest shock."
At De Broize Custom Drums, we take pride in building one of a kind drums from the most interesting sources. The snare drum is the most expressive part of the kit, you can convey many different feelings and emotions; it is how drummers can share their unique sound. It is only fair that the drums are as unique as the drummer using them.
Stave drums are considered one of the holy grail of snare drums. They are built up of solid segments instead of thin layers of ply's & glue. The vertical grain structure and increased mass provides more sustain and body to the overall sound. It results in more sensitivity, volume and tone.
