George Way

George Way

Also known as: George H. Way, George H Way Drums, George Way Drum Company, Geo. H. Way, GHW

Unclaimed

The George H. Way Drum Company traces its roots to 1955, when drum industry veteran George Harrison Way founded the original company in the former Leedy & Ludwig building in Elkhart, Indiana. Way was one of the most prolific innovators in American drum history, having previously worked with the Stone Drum Factory, Leedy, and Rogers, where he helped develop the Floating-Head hoop, pearl drum cov...

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The George H. Way Drum Company traces its roots to 1955, when drum industry veteran George Harrison Way founded the original company in the former Leedy & Ludwig building in Elkhart, Indiana. Way was one of the most prolific innovators in American drum history, having previously worked with the Stone Drum Factory, Leedy, and Rogers, where he helped develop the Floating-Head hoop, pearl drum covering, and the parallel snare strainer. The original company went dormant after Way's death in 1969.

In 2006, Canadian drum builder Ronn Dunnett of Dunnett Classic Drums acquired the rights to the brand and revived it, reissuing designs rooted in Way's mid-century work while applying modern manufacturing. The lineup centers on two series: the Aristocrat, which features the single-ended art deco-style lug Way originally designed in 1953, and the Tuxedo. Both lines are produced in limited runs as snare drums and complete drum sets, with shell options including maple ply, solid wood, seamless spun aluminum, and chrome-plated brass.

Notable snare models include the Studio (4-ply reinforced maple), the Aero (spun aluminum), and the Hollywood (heavy chrome-plated brass). The drums are known for pairing vintage aesthetics — art deco hardware, classic wraps, and period-correct badges — with contemporary build quality, and are carried by specialty retailers such as Memphis Drum Shop and Drum Center of Portsmouth.

George Way has 4 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Snare Drums.

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