Legendary Hand Drums traces back to a single borrowed djembe from a dear friend, Ashley Robinson Davis. What started as an instrument shared between friends opened a door no one knew was there. That small moment sparked years of experimentation, late nights in the studio, unexpected breakthroughs, difficult setbacks, and ultimately an idea that grew into a company.

In those early days, there was no business plan. There was only curiosity. The founder was a drummer, Ryan Wells, searching for a way to bring drum-set vocabulary into a hand-played format. The question was simple: Is it possible to play bass, snare, and hi-hat textures with nothing but your hands? Could rhythm be made portable, accessible, and intuitive for anyone—without sticks, stands, or a full kit?

That question began a journey of trial and discovery. Scraps of wood turned into prototypes. Makeshift tapas, foam layers, tape, and hand-cut components took shape on days that felt hopeful and others that felt uncertain. Nothing was polished, and it didn’t need to be. Through listening, sanding, gluing, shaping, and refining, the first versions of what would eventually become the Cajona were born. These same early explorations also planted the seeds for what would later become the DreamSet.

As the experiments evolved, a new language of rhythm emerged. Bass, snare, and tap could truly live inside a single compact instrument. A person no longer needed sticks or a full drum set; they only needed their hands and the desire to play. The Trinity of Modern Rhythm found its home.

What began as one hand snare evolved into an entire system. The DreamSet emerged as a fully realized, studio-grade instrument unlike anything else in the world. It was not simply a drum, it became a complete percussion environment. It delivered depth, tone, texture, nuance, and expressive range that rivaled the feel of a full drum set, yet could be played quietly, intimately, or with powerful energy.

While the DreamSet formed the soul of the project, another vision developed: rhythm that travels. From that vision came the Jam Series—lightweight, compact, durable instruments made for everyday rhythm. These drums belong in living rooms, around bonfires, on porches, in parks, and on the edge of a lake at sunset. The JamBox, the Ultimate JamBox, and later the JamSet 10, 12, and 14 became the instruments that go wherever life goes.

As the instruments evolved, so did the playing technique behind them. Collaborating with local artists such as Sean Kelley, Marielle Macintosh,  Biff Johnson, and many others, the new technique of Legendary drumming expanded. Every inch of this process has been hands-on. No outsourcing. No shortcuts. Every instrument has been shaped by human hands, through thousands of hours of work and the belief that craft still matters.

Over time, the purpose became clear: We exist to make modern drumming accessible to everyone.

We design instruments that fit into real life—quiet enough for apartments, expressive enough for studios, powerful enough for performance, and intuitive enough for anyone to play.

The Dream Series represents the peak of that mission: fully custom, handcrafted, studio-level percussion systems built slowly and intentionally. Each one will remain a special-order creation made with the same care that defined the earliest experiments.

The Jam Series represents the doorway into that world: portable, modern, beautifully simple instruments that let people groove wherever they are.

Today, Legendary Hand Drums stands at the beginning of its next chapter. The foundation is built. The product lines are taking shape. The Jam Series is ready for the world. The Dream Series continues to evolve. The Legendary HiHat is coming. And the future of the Dream Set, rafted one piece at a time ,will define the next era of modern drumming.

Legendary Hand Drums is more than a set of instruments.

It is a belief in possibility.

A belief in rhythm without limitation.

A belief that music should be expressive, portable, personal, and accessible.

This is how it began.

This is where we stand now.

This is where we’re going next.