Meet Dudley Dickson – The Pan Surgeon and Master Tuner.
Creator of the acoustic Voom Box, made of plywood and is somewhat like a speaker box since it amplifies the sound of the pan, in this case the seven-bass.
This diminutive pan innovator to date has already invented – the Collapsible Folding Stand that is now used by many bands around the world. Then there is the Sonia Sonic Bass, in addition to making modifications to the Diagonal Tuning Tenor Pan.
Little did the tuner know that when he migrated to the UK as a teenager from his native Grenada that the steelpan would have enabled him to be a leading steelband icon thanks to Trinidadian Roy Jacobs who invited him to join the Trinidad All Stars from Birmingham.
One thing then led to another that saw him moving from Tropical Harmony Steelband led by Victor Phillip. His next move was to Melody Makers under the stewardship of Ezekiel 'Biggs' Yearwood. His big transition, however, materialized when he became a facilitator at the Coventry training workshop where he was involved in pan fabricating – sinking, grooving, cutting and burning - with Victor Phillips as head supervisor
Dudley collecting his Master Tuner certificate from T&T High Commission, Garvin Nicholas.
The former limbo dancer then grasped the opportunity to move to the city of London in 1982 to train youngsters at the carnival industrial project. One year later he had completed the prototype for the “collapsible folding stand” which he had initially conceptualized while in Coventry.
This innovator continued his quest for new inventions when he created a ‘collapsible stage’ as a result of an incident with Ebony Steelband at the 2000 World Steelband Music Festival at the Jean Pierre Complex in Trinidad. The stage is so strong that it could accommodate a motor vehicle for display.
Dudley also invented three versions of the collapsible steelpan stands. The one original version was made from tubular steel, a second version also being made from tubular steel by specifically for players in wheel chairs and the final version is made of aluminium and collapses to half its size with the prototype being made for Billy Ocean.
Dudley also created the Pyramid pan with Essa Tavela, Grafton Yearwood and Egger Werner which they invented in Switzerland and was used at the the 2000 World Steelband Festival by Panch Steel Orchestra. He has also created the illuminated bass sticks and also the telescopic pan sticks.
Dudley Dickson, Yann Brabant and Augustus Peters
He has worked with his friend, Walter Chimant, from Switzerland to amplify the steelpan by using magnetic pick ups and also moving coil pickups with each pickup being placed under every note on the steelpan.
Dudley’s innovative mind does not rest as he continually looks for ways to improve the steelpan instrument and its music.
As a tuner, his workmanship has been felt in numerous steelbands and soloists around the world. He is a founder member of the UK Steelpan Tuners Guild.
Dudley Dickson
