WELCOME!
I’m Kevin Watkins, (K Wat) builder of custom snare drums. I’ve played drums for most of my life, and have also spent a lot of years as an audio engineer and producer. The great opportunities I've had over the years to learn how drums should sound, from both a player's perspective and from being the guy responsible for the drums sounding good in the mix, is why I have such a passion today to create a snare drum that every drummer would want. But don't take it from me, see what other people are saying....then look around and enjoy!
“Kevin is crafting outstanding musical snare drums. I don’t ever bother with drums that I can’t use in multiple musical situations or can’t obtain a record quality tuning quickly. These drums do all that and they look dope! Engineers seem to really love these drums as well because they make them look good too! I’m excited to see what the future holds for KWAT Drums!”
- Dan Needham-Nashville Session Player
The Beast
6.5” x 14” lacquered machined aluminum shell, with integrated 5mm machined reinforcement rings. 8 streamline lugs, Dunnett throw off and butt, die cast hoops, 42 strand snare wires and Remo heads. (5.5” depth shell is also available "The “WannaBeast”)
A very simple drum, but it really is a beast and it's a blast to play!
The Brawn - Standard
6.5” x 14” 1.3mm black nickel plated brass shell with center bead. 8 chrome plate brass tube lugs, brass single flange hoops and collar hooks. Dunnett throw off and butt, 30 strand snare wires and Remo heads. Available options: Flat wall shell; 4.5mm steel no flange hoops; and plating options for the tube lugs.
This drum is an absolute workhorse.
The Brawn - Full Dress
10 lug version of The Brawn. 6.5” x 14” 1.3mm black nickel plated brass shell. However there is no center bead, giving the shell a slightly lower fundamental pitch than the beaded shell. 10 lug brass plated brass tube lugs, brass plated single flange hoops and collar hooks, gold plated Dunnett throw off and butt, 30 strand snare wires and Remo heads.
The beauty of this drum is not just its inherent visual appeal, but its absolute strength or, Brawn!
The Bronz'ville
It goes without saying that this drum is going to be heavy, physically. But the sonic attributes and inherent ability to carry its own weight musically, can be weighed objectively as well. This 7 x 14” cast bronze shell is machined to 3mm with integrated 5mm reinforcement rings. The total weight of this drum is a tad over 21lbs. Interior 45 degree bearing edge and hand filed snare beds. 10 chrome over brass tube lugs, die cast hoops, Dunnett R5 throw off and butt, 42 strand snare wires and Remo heads. Again, a longer build and delivery time on this one.
You can’t find it on a map, but I believe this will soon become your ultimate snare drum destination!
The Bronz'ville Deluxe
This is the same drum as The Bronz’ville but with a vintage, shiny nickel plating and with brass/gold hardware.The tonal characteristics of this drum are the same; we’ve just added a bit of bling! This cast bronze shell is machined to 3mm with integrated 5mm reinforcement rings. The total weight of this drum is a tad over 21lbs. Interior 45 degree bearing edge and hand filed snare beds. 10 brass over brass tube lugs, brass die cast hoops, Dunnett R4 gold plated throw off and butt, 42 strand snare wires and Remo heads. Again, a longer build and delivery time on this one.
Your ultimate “best of both worlds” snare drum destination!
The Kentucky Blue Brass
Like the name implies, this drum has undergone a patina process that leaves the shell with this beautiful turquoise blue finish. From the heavyweight class, it begins with the same 6.5 x 14”, 3mm cast brass shell as The King Brass and features 8 brass plated tube lugs, brass plated die cast hoops and gold plated Dunnett throw off and butt, 42 strand snare wires and Remo heads. The rough textured exterior finish stands out against the stunning plated hardware. Like all brass snares, the KBB snare is warm and punchy. Cranked up; it explodes. Tune it down a bit and you may never use another snare drum.
It's smooth like bourbon, and out of the gate like a thoroughbred!
The King Brass
This is a heavy, 6.5 x 14”, 3mm cast brass shell with an interior 45 degree bearing edge and hand filed snare beds. The shell alone weighs in at 13 lbs. But once we add 8 brass over brass tube lugs, brass plated die cast hoops, a gold plated Dunnett throw off and butt, 42 strand snare wires and Remo heads, the completed drum tips the scale at slightly over 17 lbs. Add to that, polished nickel-plating and custom K-WAT proprietary designed engraving by master engraver, John Christensen of John Christensen Designs (look for the diamond). Because of its uniqueness and specialized nature, this drum build and delivery time will take longer; yet so worth the wait.
This drum makes a statement in so many ways!
“This snare took every tuning range I put it through. I recorded 6 songs and didn’t change the snare. The engineer kept asking . . . Is that the same snare? Man, it sounds good. Everyone just kept asking . . . what snare is that?”
- Evan Hutchings-Nashville Session Player
Watkins Woods
I offer several versions of a 6 ply shell. There are no reinforcement rings on these drums, making the shell’s fundamental pitch lower than those with re-rings. These drums have 45 degree edges with a slight roundover, done by hand. Available in Maple, Maple with Ash Burl outer ply (making it a total of 7 plies), Cherry and Walnut. Many finish options, as shown in the pictures. 8 or 10 lugs, Dunnett throw off and butt, 30 strand snare wires and Remo heads. Hoop options include die cast, 4.5mm steel-no flange, brass single flange with collar hooks or lacquered brass or chrome over brass triple flange hoops.
A utilitarian snare drum that covers all the bases.
“I have more snare drums than I know what to do with and I HAD to have this drum. It's a 6ply maple shell with the top ply of figured Burl Ash-- it's beautiful, superior quality, and has a wide range of tuning for any style of drumming.”
- Harry McCarthy, Drum Tech & Owner of Drum Paradise Nashville
“OMG! Fabulous...So, the drum is the stuff dreams are made of. I’m in total heaven with the sonics of it.”
- Scott Williamson - Nashville Session Player
The Tin Man
A 5” x 14” spun aluminum shell drum. I’ve taken a staple in the drumming industry and offered a few changes: 10 chrome over brass tube lugs and die cast hoops. Add to that a Dunnett throw off and butt, Remo heads and 25 strand snare wires.
A very “girthy” take on the sonic subtleties that have been around for a long time!
Stave Shell
In addition to the ply shell drums, I offer a stave wood shell. They run approx. ½” thick and are higher in fundamental pitch than a ply shell. Great attack and boosted hi-mid’s. Pictured is a Leopard Wood 6.5” x 14” 10 lug with Satin chrome hardware. These drums are a special order and will take longer for delivery. Options include: wood types, finishes, 8 or 10 lugs, and hoop choice. Always fitted with Dunnett throw off and butts and Remo heads.
Specialized sonic characteristics!
Steam Bent Single Ply
To round out the wood offerings, a steam bent single ply drum is available. Because of their re-rings, these drums also lean towards a higher fundamental pitch. They cut and favor higher tunings, but can growl at lower tunings as well. Pictured is a 6” x 13” Walnut shell. Like the stave shells, these shells are a special order and require extra lead time. As with all the wood offerings, size, wood type, finish and hardware choices are available.
There’s something about a single ply shell!
“I love Kevin’s snare drums. They have an extremely focused sound that makes them easy to record and provides a greater punch in the track while mixing. Kevin’s attention to detail in design, production, and materials is clearly paying off! Currently I use the Black Chrome over brass 6.5 (The Brawn), and a Stave 6.5. Can’t wait to add more to my collection.”
Randy Poole - Nashville studio owner, The Poole Room
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Cory Simon, Real Life Church Music
“The Brawn is without hesitation one of the best snares I’ve ever played. I’ve used it for both recording and live environments and it does not disappoint. I love how full the sound is as well as the breadth that comes out of it with the 8 lugs. If you’re looking for a snare that can do it all, I highly recommend this one. This thing smacks!”
Chris Knight, Session Drummer
“I cannot say enough about these drums. The one on the left has gotten quite the workout since I got it several weeks ago. I’ve used it on a ton of tracks. Tuning range is huge; it’s warm, has crack, and is super chesty. I got the one on the right last week. Deeper. Different hoops. I keep it super low and gushy. Drummers, engineers/studios: y’all need to check out K-WAT Drumco immediately. You won’t regret it.”
Johnathan Presnell, Session Drummer
“The Brawn Full Dress in action. Man how I love this drum. Low and open… mid and dry… doesn’t matter .. it does it’s job‼️”