In late October of last year, Alex Simpson, owner of independent drum retailer Rupp’s Drums, closed on the purchase of 2045 S Holly St. in Denver, the property the MI retailer had been leasing for nearly 30 years.
At the time, Simpson observed, “The modest 2,300 sq. ft building that our customers know and love sits on a lot four times that size (9,200 sq. ft), providing ample opportunity to meaningfully expand our operations and services. This investment also secures the company’s convenient and familiar location in the heart of Denver, allowing us to continue serving Denver-area drummers for decades to come.”
The acquisition of the property – and, indeed, ownership of Rupp’s Drums – represents something of a “full circle” development for the young owner, who had been a patron since the age of 13 and later worked at the store. Serving drummers in Northwest and across the U.S. since 1984, the business provides new, used, and vintage drums, as well as rentals and repairs. Rupp’s Drums was named a Top 100 Dealer by NAMM in 2019 and 2021 and was recognized by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce as a Small Business Awards Finalist in 2022. In 2023, the store has hosted masterclasses with Todd Sucherman and Greyson Nekrutman.
MMR recently chatted with Simpson about the evolution of Rupp’s Drums, his own background as a musician and the events that led to his stewardship of the beloved local dealer in 2018, and plans for the future.
Let’s talk about the origins of Rupp’s Drums. What led Bob Rupp to open the store in 1984?
Rupp’s Drums was born in 1984 when Bob Rupp, already a familiar face in the Colorado drumming scene at the time, began selling used drums out of his living room just down the street from the store’s present day location on South Holly St. Thirty eight years later, many of his original customers remain loyal to the store and entertain the present day staff with outrageous stories about shopping in Bob’s living room back when it all began.
If the business has moved in the subsequent 39 years, where was it first located and how large was that original store?
The first true brick and mortar location for Rupp’s Drums was located just across the street from our present day location. In order to become a dealer for new brands like SABIAN Cymbals, Bob moved the company out of his living room and into a 2,500 square-foot building which he shared with local guitar retailer, Cadillac Guitars.
How many employees were on staff at the very beginning?
Rupp’s Drums was a one-man show at the beginning, but Bob brought on two or three more employees when he moved into the first location.
Bringing things to the present day, is Rupp’s Drums still in the same location? How many current employees?
Rupp’s Drums moved into its current location in the early ‘90s and has occupied the same 3,000 square-foot building at 2045 S Holly St. ever since. I currently employ seven amazing drummers, several of whom shoulder their own unique responsibilities on top of daily customer service. We have an innovative marketing manager who handles our social media channels, an operations manager who handles systems/inventory management, a shipping/receiving specialist, an e-commerce specialist, and three dedicated sales representatives. Additionally, we have a thriving drum lesson program with faculty members spread out across the greater Denver area serving over 100 young drummers every week!
What led to you purchasing the store in 2018, Alex? Had you previously been an employee? Customer?
My history with Rupp’s Drums began when I visited the store for the first time at 13 years of age. Early in his career, my dad was a Denver-area musician and a salesman for a wholesale drum company that sold products to Bob Rupp. Being a huge fan of the store, he made it a point to bring me there as often as possible. After patronizing the store for many years, I set my sights on becoming a professional drummer and eventually landed a sales position at Rupp’s Drums to pay my bills while I pursued that goal. Over the next few years, I worked my way up to sales manager before moving to New York City to continue pursuing my dream. In October 2017, I was driving across the U.S. to continue my drumming career in Los Angeles when I received a text message from a former colleague informing me that the store had been put up for sale. I decided to stop in Denver briefly to explore the opportunity and just six months later, in April 2018, I became the third owner of Rupp’s Drums.
What are the major lines of new gear currently carried by Rupp’s?
We carry just about every major drum brand (DW, Tama, Noble & Cooley, Yamaha, Mapex, Sonor, Gretsch, Ludwig, PDP, Zildjian, SABIAN, Meinl, Paiste, Dream, Roland, LP, et cetera), as well as many smaller, innovative drum brands like Welch Tuning Systems, Doc Sweeney, A&F, Barton, and more! We pride ourselves on our ability to offer our customers a massive range of products across nearly every significant drum brand. We also carry a substantial world percussion inventory, including healing instruments like hand pans, gongs, and tongue drums.
In terms of volume, what’s Rupp’s biggest-selling type of drum set and/or gear?
Our biggest product category by volume is accessories – sticks, mallets, heads, bags, books, dampening products, et cetera.
Does Rupp’s also sell used and vintage gear?
Yes, used and vintage gear represents just over 19 percent of our annual gross revenue. It’s an area we are particularly passionate about.
Does the store offer repairs?
Yes, we offer a variety of services including repairs, rentals, lessons, backline services, photography, and vintage instrument appraisals.
Can you talk a little about lesson programs offered at Rupp’s Drums?
Rupp’s Drums has offered private drum instruction for decades, but over the last two years we have rebuilt our lesson program from the ground up. Our new lesson program, UpBeat Drum School, offers private lessons from six professional drum instructors spread out across the greater Denver area and Colorado Springs. Our students are currently 95 percent in-person and five percent remote. While most of our students are beginning drummers, we teach all ages/skill levels and we custom-tailor our lesson plans to meet the student’s needs. We are particularly proud of the fact that over 50 percent of our students are female. Encouraging diverse representation in the drum community is a fundamental part of our company culture.
How does the business handle promotion – email list, social media, mailing list, other?
We have a large email list that we utilize, as well as over 35,000 followers across our social media channels where we put a great deal of effort into customer engagement. We also host a formidable number of live events throughout the year, with the goal of energizing the Denver drum community and growing our customer base. These events include drum clinics and masterclasses, drum competitions, drum trivia nights and more. Additionally, we provide drums for the state’s largest annual music festivals like the Underground Music Showcase and the Westword Music Showcase. This puts our company directly in front of tens of thousands of Denver musicians and music lovers every year.
Does Rupp’s Drums send reps to the NAMM Show or any other industry gatherings?
Attending the NAMM Show is very important to me. It’s always a great opportunity to strengthen relationships face-to-face, establish new friendships, share ideas with industry peers, and make it clear that we, Rupp’s Drums, are a company that intends to continue growing and contributing to the success of the industry as a whole. I make it a point to attend nearly every year and I always bring key staff with me so they can attend NAMM U sessions and gain inspiration from the incredible companies, products, and people they encounter.
Any recent or upcoming developments or events of note?
2022 was a banner year for the company. In April, we were named a finalist for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce “Small Business of the Year” award. In October, I purchased the building that Rupp’s Drums has occupied since 1993, securing our Denver location for decades to come. Most recently, we were featured in the popular travel book series 111 Places in Denver You Must Not Miss by Philip D. Armour alongside other Denver institutions like Twist & Shout Records, Casa Bonita, The Grizzly Rose, and Meow Wolf. We also hosted drum clinics with several phenomenal drummers including Mike Johnston, Nate Smith, and Stanton Moore.
