It is always terrible to report on the closure of a drum brand, and one which so many drummers have been exposed to, but sadly now is the time we must do this.

Drum manufacturer Sakae Rhythm, known for making drums under the Sakae brand name, and previously supplier of professional ranges to Yamaha from 1974/75 to 2013, has suspended its business with debts of ¥772 million ($6.96 million).

The company was established in 1925, and as well as making drums was also known in Japan for making the mechanical drum-playing doll Kuidaore Taro, who is a mascot in Osaka, where they were based.

Sakae saw its sales reach ¥1.46 billion in the year to September 1988. But as orders began falling from major customers and sales of its own brand drums were also faltering, sales dropped to ¥313 million in the year to September 2016.

We would like to say thank you to Eizo Nakata and his family who have owned and run Sakae since 1925 for all the tens of thousands of hand crafted drums they have made over the last 93 years.

Sakae Rhythm will be sadly missed.