Saari Drums from Finland

Saari drums have found their way to be the household tool for rapidly growing community of drummers and music professionals. Here you can find their thoughts about the instrument!

Stephen Hodges, USA - percussionist and composer.
(Mavis Staples, Tom Waits, Mike Watt, T Bone Burnett, Smashing Pumpkins and film director David Lynch)

"The most beautiful drums i have ever owned and played!
People always comment on their beauty and uniqueness.
And the great sound of course!
I love to grab the snare drum and hand it to them,
they always comment on how they thought it was going to be much heavier...
I think part of what folks feel, myself included is "the love" that has gone into the Hannu Saari drums.

Much love, Stephen"

Simo Laihonen.

In Saari drums, the sound vibration travels unobstructed from the impact giving drumhead to the shell itself. In this way they project the sound outward in an exceptional manner. They are highly sensitive instruments with characteristic fullness of tone. Beautiful craftsmanship in design and construction also! Thank you Hannu!

Alessandro D'Anna

From his arrival on the national scene in 2012 Alessandro made music that grew from an uncanny talent to hear the future and a headstrong desire to play it. In his young age, he already collect many important collaborations with international jazz musicians all around the world as David Kikoski, Benito Gonzalez, Mark Gross, Eve Cornelious, John Taylor, Avishai Cohen, Reinier Baas, Rotem Sivan, Janusz Muniak, Alexi Tuomarila, Maurizio Giammarco, Fabio Zeppetella, Ares Tavolazzi, Fabrizio Bosso, Markus Niittynen, Kari Antila, Karri Luhtala, Pekka Pylkkänen, Stelvio Cipriani, Charles Sammons, Doron Segal, Reiner Hess, Martin Jacobsen, Roberto Tarenzi, Domenico Sanna, Andy Davies, Achille Succi, Haggai Cohen Milo, Rodolfo Maltese and many others.

"Saari drums are the dream of every drummers, unique and beautiful sound, I love to see how the instruments can hold hight tuning and keep the warm feeling like vintage drums of the fifties and sixties. Straight out of the pack and already sing like a bird"

Andrea Belfi.

Early in 2016, when finnish lakes were still frozen and the snow covered scandinavian's forests, I drove up to Jumesniemi, near Tampere, where Hannu Saari makes his incredible Saari-rummut.

When I came back to Berlin I got two drum-kits, a few snares and an endorsement deal!

The story goes back to a facebook post from Stephen Hodges I read last year. Hodges is a great drummer I admire since many years for his work with Mike Watt and Tom Waits among others, where he said he got a Saari drum-kit and that it was "the most beautiful drums I have ever owned and played.....!!!!! ".

Saari drums have a unique warm sound, giving the fact that shells, lugs and rims are all made out of finnish birch wood, so every drum is extremely light and carry lots of bass frequencies. Every detail is made with love and passion by Hannu himself.

I've started exploring their sounds a few of months ago, and they sound incredible.

Siiri Partanen.        http://www.siiripartanen.com

I’m a drummer, composer, freelance musician and the Master of Music graduated from Sibelius Academy in 2017. Currently I’m working with several line-ups ranging a wide spectrum of styles. The most important tool for me is the drum kit: a vessel with whom I share the mutual journey from one project to the next one. Finding one’s own sound is a crucial part of building the artistic identity. This is why I feel that the instrument you’re using has to be a personal tool: a work mate with whom to become one with, stretch the boundaries and reach the various moods and achievements. Saari-drums have truly inspired me as a musician and composer. They ooze authenticity, naturalness, original expression and unique approach. And these are the aspects I also want to represent as a drummer, artist and a human being.

Ville Lehtovaara.

I have played with my Saari kit in practice and studio sessions and in various types of concerts. What i can say is that they excel in all these situations. The dynamic range of these drums is incredible. With Saari drums you can play with an extremely low volume level without the loss of sound, sustain or groove in your playing. And these drums are also capable to deliver the necessary rumble needed to cut through in a full packed club concerts, even without micing! Saari drums have character and style. They demand the player to get to know their instrument and in exchange they reward the drummer with all the nuances… With these drums i feel that the weakest link can be found sitting on a drum stool. I have looked for a sound like this for over a twenty years.

Juuso Nordlund, recording engineer at Studio JJ

As a recording engineer i’ve always been after the most natural drum sound as possible. The search is over with Saari drums. They have a sound that is resonant, vigorous and full.

Risto Skrikberg, percussion instructor & specialist in rudimental drumming.

Saari, a drum which flawlessly projects what is played on it.

Toni Hietala, teacher at Palmgren Conservatory, Pori, Finland.

To play a drum like this is a pure pleasure.

Percussion section at MALMÖ OPERA.

Using Saari-drums.

Lennart Gruvstedt. Independent drummer/percussionist.

Associate Professor at Malmö Academy of Music. University of Lund.

It was Toni Hietala who first introduced me to Hannus drums.He brought a drum to a festival in Denmark and the sound, response and looks of that drum really impressed me. The set Hannu has made for me is just as good, with a warm, firm sound. The drums are easy to tune and the craftmanship is superb. Thank you, Hannu!

Timo Lilja, teacher at Palmgren Conservatory, Pori, Finland

A beautifully handcrafted kit with a magnificent tone… Their sound is superb also when played on a low volume.

Aki Riihimäki, principal percussionist for Satakunta military band, Finland.

Saari marching snare drums are well suitable for the military band purposes. They project on all dynamic levels and especially the Saari bass drum fills our need for that extra low-end punch. These drums are also lightweight, an important feature when using the instruments on the long marches.

Karo Sampela.

Make Virtanen.

When you have over thirty years of experience in drumming, it is quite clear what it is that you wish from a set of drums. I have played with various types of kits over the years but the overall combination of playability, sound and looks that i’ve found in Hannu Saari’s drums is beyond comparison. He says that he makes these drums with a burning passion. To this i can only reply that you cannot help but to play them with a similar feeling! Playing these drums is something that i recommend for every drummer. The only danger lies in how to explain at home the arrival of a bunch of newcomers like this… This is what happened to me!

Slava Rymashevsky. Russia.

Teemu Vuorela. Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip.

Hannu’s drums have a wonderfully warm tone which opens up from a lightest touch. The overall experience of Saari drums is completed with the gorgeous looks which covers all the well-thought-out details. It is hard to imagine how could a drum be made better than this.

Timo Koskinen.

Anton Laurila.

I’m often privileged to play various styles of music and to shift between situations in studios and live concerts. All this have their demands on the drums i’m using. They have to be able to shift from the situation to another effortlessly and to have a character and sensitivity. Nature-friendly manufacturing and distinctive looks are also features that i’m looking for. All this can be found in Saari drums.