Ayotte Drums is a custom drum company based in Bedford, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1982 in Vancouver, British Columbia by Ray Ayotte, who was forced out of the company after losing majority control to his investors in the late '90s. Ayotte is especially well known for their resurrection and improvement of wooden drum hoops, developed as an aesthetic & acoustically pleasing alternative option in place of diecast zinc or flanged steel hoops, although Ayotte also still offers steel hoops. The company's tension mounts (a.k.a. "lugs") assembly is also unique unusual. Using a cut-away lug housing, the traditional tension rod intersects perpendicular to a cylindrical nut (similar to rack-and-pinion) with a nylon plug insert, which once tightened with an Allen wrench makes movement of the t