2112 Percussion expands into a new space

The first dedicated drum and percussion shop in the Carolinas, 2112 Percussion, expands into a new space with an impressive selection of new and pre-owned gear.

By Darin Soll

Last weekend, I was in Raleigh, North Carolina, and had the opportunity to visit 2112 Percussion, the first dedicated drum and percussion shop in the Carolinas.  2112 Percussion has been in business since 1986, founded by the late Steve Johnson, and appears on many drummer's lists of the best independent drum shops in the U.S.  Like all independent drum shops, 2112 Percussion can resell gear from any manufacturer, but they choose "to focus only on those that we feel offer the best quality and value," according to their website.

2112 Percussion stocks a wide variety of new shell packs
2112 Percussion stocks a wide variety of new shell packs
At the beginning of 2022, 2112 Percussion moved to a new, larger space after 28 years at their prior location.  Walking into the new store, it's obvious that the 2112 team put in many long hours to relocate, organize, and display their impressive inventory of new and used percussion gear.

The first thing that jumped out at me was the large selection of new shell packs.  Dozens of new kits by DW, Gretsch, Ludwig, Mapex, NATAL, PDP, Pearl, Pork Pie, Sonor, and Tama line the back wall at the center of the store and occupy a significant amount of floor space as well.  In addition to a wide variety of shell finishes and wraps, I noticed a nice selection of shell sizes--for example, kick drums ranging from 14x13 to 24x18.

Impressive pre-owned inventory at 2112 Percussion
Impressive pre-owned inventory at 2112 Percussion
To the left of the new kits, I counted at least two dozen stacks of pre-owned shell packs, all in very good to excellent condition, from brands including DW, Gretsch, Ludwig, Mapex, PDP, Pearl, Pork Pie, Sonor, Spaun, and Tama.  Just beyond the shell packs, I found a nice selection of individual pre-owned drums, including a couple of vintage Slingerlands.  

The back left corner of the store features a pre-owned snare wall with dozens of brand-name and vintage snares, as well as their pre-owned cymbal wall.  Browsing through the stacks of pre-owned hi-hats, crashes, and rides, I noticed many quality Istanbul, Meinl, Paiste, Sabian, and Zildjian cymbals in good condition.

Between the pre-owned snares and cymbals, I came across dozens of used pedals, stands, thrones, and other hardware.  A drummer on a budget could easily assemble a complete, quality drumset from 2112 Percussion's used inventory.

New snare wall at 2112 Percussion is a sight to see
New snare wall at 2112 Percussion is a sight to see 
Wandering to the right side of the store brought me to the new snare wall.  I don't recall ever seeing this many new, top-quality snares in one place.  Ludwig snares fill the top three rows of the wall, Tama and Rogers in the fourth row, DW, Mapex, and Gretsch in the fifth row, and PDPs and Pork Pies in the bottom row.  The Pearls were mostly in the left wing rack, and more Ludwigs, Tamas, and British Drum Co.'s could be found in the right wing rack.

Moving to the right of the new snare wall, I browsed a large inventory of accessories and percussion instruments, including hand drums and cajons.

Beginner drumsets and new hardware at 2112 Percussion
Beginner drumsets and new hardware
at 2112 Percussion
The right wall of the store featured separate cymbal walls for Meinl, Sabian, Zildjian, and Paiste, all with solid assortments of quality cymbals from those makers.  The storefront is lined with an impressive assortment of new pedals, stands, and thrones, and additional accessories and beginner kits are positioned between the storefront and the new snare wall.

Back in April, 2112 Percussion hosted a masterclass session led by Todd Sucherman, long-time drummer for Styx.  Todd is a friend of the shop and visits from time to time.  Twenty lucky drummers spent three hours learning how to hone their craft as Todd shared lessons learned from his session, recording, and performing experience.

Nick at 2112 Percussion was kind enough to show me around, share stories about their recent move, and nerd out with me on various gearhead topics.  Thanks, Nick, for being such an awesome host!

--Darin

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