Topic: Zickos Drums bid a fond farewell

[Bart Elliott]

Since the late 1960s, we've been putting our hearts, our minds and what often seemed like our very souls into manufacturing some of the finest sounding drums available anywhere.

But now, due largely to continuing family obligations, we've made the decision to cease making our beloved drums. While it wasn't easy coming to that conclusion, it was one that needed to be done.

In recent years, we have been approached occasionally by various manufacturers or individuals who wanted to purchase the company and continue the Zickos brand. We were definitely flattered, but frankly, both Bill Zickos and myself were never really confident that they would be able to continue making the drums they way we felt they should be made.

So, instead, we preferred winding down our operations and doing the equivalent of riding off into the sunset with our heads held high.

Effective immediately, we will not be accepting orders for new drums.

To those countless drummers out there who have been almost like family to us, we express our deep-felt thanks for letting us into their lives. And to all of you we say, live in peace, always try to do the right thing and, if you're going to do something, do it well.

John Brazelton
President
Zickos Drum Company

For those who are not familiar with Zickos...

Zickos Drums, makers of the original acrylic drums are closing its doors.

Bill Zickos developed his first prototype acrylic drums back in the late 1950s.  The company started making custom made drums in 1969, and in 1970 Bill secured a patent (U.S. patent # 3,626,458) for the drums. At that point, Zicko wasn't into full production and, before long, Zickos drums were followed by a long list of imitations from other drum companies.

The very first Zicko drumset was made in 1969 for Iron Butterfly.  In the months that followed, roughly several dozen sets were custom-made for groups like The Who, ThreeDog Night, Jefferson Airplane, local Kansas City bands, and a host of others. Production was handled strictly by Bill Zickos, his stepson and a few of his "senior" drum students. 

In 1970, with the help of investors, Bill Zicko opened his first manufacturing plant in a Kansas City suburb and began turning out his first production model: the Zickos "400" set.  Before the decade was out, Bill left the company due to differences with the investors, and the company closed its doors. 

Sometime in 1994, Bill Zicko learned that the majority f the Zickos tooling and molds had been in Indiana and were being brought back to Kansas City for storage purposes. He negotiated the purchase of the equipment and regained possession shortly thereafter. By the latter part of the 1990s, Bill Zickos and his beloved drum company were again back in full production making drums of incomparable resonance and quality ... which leads us to 2011, and the permanent closure of the company.

[Ralph DeLorso Jr]

The First Acyrlic Drums I owned were Zickos which I purchased  from a Dealer in Mass,I remember because they were jazz sizes and!8x17 BD and 9x8 10x10, 12x11, 13x12,15x15 and I never bought a Snare I was using my Rogers Dynasonic back then with Paiste Cyblas they were Loud but full and thunderous , .I sold them to one of my Drum teachers back then Joe Rowand and he swaped me a Camco  with a 20,12,13,14,16 and $300.00 But I had the pleasure of owning them for 2 years and the first around my Ct area I know of that owned them . They were great Drums , Heavy but solid ,Its Sad that an Legend in Drums has gone I wish you all well and Thank You for letting me enjoy your drums God Bless