Big Bang Distribution

What Big Bang Distribution does

Big Bang Distribution, founded in July 1992 by Bob Kasha and headquartered in Northridge, California, is a privately held, family-run wholesale distributor of drum and percussion equipment to local drum shops and musical instrument retailers across the continental United States. The company distributes over 50 brands — including its own proprietary AHEAD line, Rogers Drums, Latin Percussion, Wincent, Los Cabos, Aquarian Drumheads, Kasza Cymbals, and X-Percussion — with pricing on individual items visible on bigbangdist.com (e.g., AHEAD Tommy Lee sticks at $36.99, AHEAD Light Rock sticks at $34.99, armor cases from $59.99 to $392.99). Big Bang does not sell directly to consumers; consumer orders placed on the website are routed through the Quivers platform to the nearest drum shop within the Quivers network for fulfillment, preserving the local retail channel.

The company's core proprietary technology sits in the AHEAD brand, which was developed with Easton Sporting Company starting in 1990 and acquired outright by Big Bang in 1997. AHEAD drumsticks pair a high-tech aluminum core with replaceable nylon sleeves and tips, delivering roughly 50% less shock, 6–10x the lifespan, and 5% more rebound versus wood sticks, with under 1% weight variance between pairs. The Vibration Reduction System (VRS) further dampens hand-transmitted shock, and the AHEAD Armor Cases line (launched 2012) extends the proprietary stack with DX-Core material and TruForm teardrop padding. Beyond hardware, Big Bang operates artist endorsements (over 50 touring drummers including Lars Ulrich, Tommy Lee, and Mick Fleetwood), runs community events like Big Bang Drum Day, exhibits at NAMM, and supports dealers with exclusive pricing, training, and co-branded marketing — a B2B distribution model whose revenue derives from wholesale margin on the catalog sold to local drum shops.

Name

Big Bang Distribution

Legal name

Big Bang Distribution

Website

https://bigbangdist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Bang Distribution, founded in 1992 and based in Northridge, California, is a privately held wholesale distributor of over 50 drum and percussion brands — including its own proprietary AHEAD line — to local drum shops across the United States, routing consumer orders through the Quivers platform rather than selling directly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Percussion and Drum Equipment Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Pro Audio & Recording Equipment Retail (MI-adjacent) (CRALAEAC)

Keywords

• Wholesale percussion distribution
• Drum equipment distribution
• Musical instrument wholesale
• Percussion accessories supply
• B2B drum distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Northridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution: Big Bang Distribution operates as a wholesale distributor of percussion equipment, earning revenue through margin on products sold to local drum shops and retailers. The company distributes over 50 renowned brands of drums, drumming equipment, and accessories to the drumming community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Big Bang Distribution is a B2B wholesale distributor of drum and percussion equipment, offering over 50 brands including its proprietary AHEAD line of aluminum-core drumsticks and AHEAD Armor Cases, plus distributed brands such as Rogers Drums, Latin Percussion, X-Percussion, Wincent, Los Cabos, Aquarian Drumheads, Kasza Cymbals, and Big Fat Snare Drum. The company does not sell directly to consumers; instead, consumer orders placed on its website are routed through the Quivers platform and fulfilled by local drum shops in the Quivers network.

Product overview

Big Bang Distribution is a wholesale distributor of drum and percussion equipment, offering over 50 brands of products. The company operates primarily as a B2B distributor, not selling directly to consumers, instead routing orders through local drum shops via the Quivers platform. Their core brands include AHEAD Drumsticks (aluminum-core sticks with replaceable tips) and AHEAD Armor Cases. The portfolio spans drumsticks (AHEAD, Wincent, Los Cabos), complete drum kits (Rogers Drums), cymbals (Kasza Cymbals), Latin percussion (Latin Percussion), sound modifiers (X-Percussion, Big Fat Snare Drum), hardware, replacement parts, and accessories (practice pads, drum keys, cases). The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Northridge, California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AHEAD: AHEAD Drumsticks and percussion products featuring aluminum core drumsticks with replaceable nylon sleeves, cases, thrones, and hearing protection.
• AHEAD Armor Cases

Products and services

• AHEAD Drumsticks Proprietary flagship brand of aluminum-core drumsticks with replaceable nylon sleeves and tips, featuring Vibration Reduction System (VRS) for reduced shock, ergonomic tuning, and signature artist models for Tommy Lee, Lars Ulrich, Phil Rudd, and others. Sold wholesale to drum shops and distributed under the AHEAD name.
• AHEAD Armor Cases Proprietary line of protective drum and hardware cases featuring teardrop shape, TruForm padding, and DX-Core material technology for professional gear protection during touring and transport. Sold wholesale to drum shops.
• Rogers Drums Distributed line of complete drum kits and snare drums featuring the M.I.L. (Multi-Independent-Locating) suspension mount system, classic finishes, and PowerTone series shells. Includes recreated parts that fit vintage Rogers Drums. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• Latin Percussion (LP) Distributed line of congas, bongos, timbales, and Latin percussion instruments featuring artist signature models and diverse finish options, including LP New Arrivals collections. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• X-Percussion Distributed line of USA-made cross-stick enhancers, drum triggers, timbale shell emulators, and cymbal sizzlers including the X-Click Cross-Stick Enhancer, X-ARC Trigger Pad, X-Mundo Timbale Shell Emulator, and X-MAG Cymbal Sizzle. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• Wincent Drumsticks Distributed line of Swedish-made drumsticks featuring Unique Wax Protection (UWP) coating, weight-matched pairs, and signature models for various drumming styles. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• Los Cabos Drumsticks Distributed line of Canadian-made drumsticks crafted from select hardwoods with various tip shapes and signature artist models. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• Aquarian Drumheads Distributed line of drumheads featuring patented technology including hydraulic oil-filled heads and eco-friendly sustainable options. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• Spinal-G Throne Distributed line of ergonomic drum thrones featuring saddle-style design for improved comfort and posture during extended playing sessions. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• Kasza Cymbals Distributed line of handmade cymbals cast from pure B20 bronze, individually tested for sound quality with unique tonal characteristics. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• Big Fat Snare Drum Distributed line of drum sound modifiers designed to change the tone and timbre of snare drums and other drums. Distributed wholesale to drum shops.
• Concert Percussion Collection Distributed collection of instruments for orchestras, concert bands, and pit percussionists, including mallets, concert sticks, and accessories. Distributed wholesale to drum shops and educational institutions.
• Marching Products Collection Distributed collection of drumline essentials including marching sticks, mallets, practice pads, and cases for school and university marching ensembles. Distributed wholesale to drum shops and educational institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• AHEAD drumsticks last 6 to 10 times longer than wood drumsticks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, strategic and historical.

• QuiverscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Quivers is a technology platform that connects brands that don't sell directly to consumers with consumers and local dealers. Big Bang Distribution partnered with Quivers in 2022 to help support local drum shops and musical instrument retailers. When customers place orders on Big Bang's website, the transaction is managed by Quivers and fulfilled by the nearest drum shop that uses the Quivers system. This partnership allows customers to enjoy online shopping convenience while still supporting local retailers.
• AHEAD Drumsticks (Owned Brand)coreOthersAHEAD Drumsticks is the flagship proprietary brand of Big Bang Distribution, acquired from Easton Sporting Company in 1997. The brand features aluminum-core drumsticks with replaceable nylon sleeves and tips, representing the company's core innovation. Big Bang Distribution controls all product development and marketing for the AHEAD brand.
• Local Drum ShopscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal drum shops are the primary fulfillment partners for Big Bang Distribution. The company explicitly does not sell directly to consumers in order to support these retailers. All consumer orders are routed through the Quivers system to nearby drum shops for fulfillment. Big Bang offers dealer access portals and has programs to support local retailers including exclusive dealer discounts, product training, and co-branded marketing initiatives.
• Rogers DrumsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRogers Drums is a prominent brand in Big Bang Distribution's portfolio. The company offers free shipping on all Rogers kits and features extensive Rogers Drums product listings including snare drums, shell packs, and replacement parts. Rogers Drums products are recreated to original specs for replacing old, broken, or missing parts on vintage Rogers Drums.
• Latin Percussion (LP)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLatin Percussion is a key brand in Big Bang's distribution lineup. The company features LP New Arrivals collections showcasing new congas, bongos, signature pieces, and colorful new finishes from Latin Percussion.
• X-PercussionstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorX-Percussion is a USA-made brand founded in 2020 by Russ Miller (multi-Grammy-winning drummer) and Bill Detamore (founder of Pork Pie Drums). The brand offers innovative percussion accessories including the X-Click Cross-Stick Enhancer, X-ARC Trigger Pad, X-Mundo Timbale Shell Emulator, and X-MAG Cymbal Sizzle.
• Easton Sporting CompanyhistoricalTechnology or IntegrationHistorical partnership with Easton Sporting Company for the development of AHEAD drumsticks. The collaboration with Rick Grossman and Easton in 1990 led to the creation of the innovative aluminum-core drumstick. Big Bang acquired full ownership of the AHEAD brand from Easton in 1997.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cascio Interstate Music: Wisconsin-based musical instrument retailer and distributor serving schools, individuals, and dealers nationwide. Comparable B2B and B2C distribution model across percussion and band instruments.
• inMusic Brands: Parent of multiple music technology and instrument brands (Akai, Alesis, Numark, etc.), operating as both manufacturer and distributor of music equipment. Comparable to Big Bang's mix of proprietary (AHEAD) and third-party distributed brands.
• Hal Leonard Corporation: Largest US music print publisher and B2B distributor, also distributing instruments, accessories, and gear to music retailers. Comparable as a multi-brand distribution platform serving music stores across categories.
• Sweetwater Sound: Fort Wayne, Indiana-based musical instrument retailer and B2B distributor operating one of the largest US music gear catalogs with deep dealer-style customer relationships and direct distribution of leading brands, closely comparable to Big Bang's distribution-first B2B model.
• D'Addario & Company: Leading manufacturer and distributor of musical instrument accessories including drumsticks (Promark), drumheads (Evans), and percussion items. Comparable as both a producer of percussion gear and a brand distributing through music retailers.
• Steve Weiss Music: Pennsylvania-based percussion specialty retailer and distributor focused exclusively on drums, mallets, and percussion accessories. Highly comparable niche focus and B2B distribution model to Big Bang Distribution.

Regional players

• West Music: Iowa-based regional musical instrument retailer and educator with strong percussion and school music focus. Comparable in percussion specialty and educational segment focus, but primarily serves the Midwest US.
• JAM Industries: Canadian-based musical instrument and pro audio distributor serving retailers across North America. Comparable B2B distribution model and brand-portfolio approach, but primarily serves Canadian geography rather than the US continental market.

Broad incumbents

• Sam Ash Music: Multi-store US musical instrument retailer with strong percussion offering. Larger and broader than Big Bang, serving musicians across categories through retail and online channels.
• Guitar Center: Largest US musical instrument retailer with hundreds of stores and significant distribution scale. Overlaps with Big Bang across percussion but operates as a much broader multi-category incumbent rather than a niche percussion specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigbangdist10

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Bang Distribution