Our story begins in 1860s Georgia. Young Charles Edward Wilder joined the renowned Georgia 17th Infantry Regiment, fighting as a Private for the Confederacy in the US Civil War. The 17th Regiment was famous for fighting in many of the Civil War’s most important battles, including the Seven Days’ Battle, the Battle of Second Manassas, and the Battle of Gettysburg.

After the war, Charles received a 10 acre plot of land, along with two mules, outside of Albany Georgia, as payment for his service. The land was covered with virgin long leaf pine trees that had sprouted and then been allowed to grow untouched on the property for more than 200 years. These trees served as timber for the house Wilder built in the early 1880s, and for over a century, this house was called a home.

By the turn of the next century, the wear and tear became too much and the house was torn down in 2006. As luck would have it, on the day the house was disassembled, Michael Outlaw, a custom furniture builder and avid drummer, was driving through town.  Always on the lookout for interesting building materials, Outlaw asked the landowner if he could save some from the landfill.  The landowner obliged and Outlaw loaded his truck up with as much as he could. When he returned to his shop, the beauty and the aroma of the rare wood, now over 300 years old, inspired him. He wanted to build a snare drum that was unmatched by others, and this heart pinewood was the perfect fit.

Since that day, Outlaw has continued to search for more opportunities to reclaim wood from barns, houses and mills built before 1900 to make his unique Outlaw Drums. He gives this American wood a new lease on life, so when you purchase an Outlaw snare drum, you know you are not just getting a superior instrument, but a piece of history.