When I was in high school band (late 70s/early 80s), I had a fantastic band teacher. Unfortunately he was a trumpet player, not a good percussion instructor, but he was fantastic in that he would encourage us to keep trying new things. Still, I learned bad habits that I persist in to this day (such as the aggressive angle of my toms.)
My set grew from a basic 5 piece into a double bass monster, but I had 20" bass drums. Everybody else played 22" bass drums, but to me the 22" bass drums seemed too low and deep. High school jazz bands played without amplified drums, and a 22" bass overpowered the toms. I played music from Chicago, Blues Brothers, Eagles as well as high school jazz band staples.
Jump forward a "few" decades (sigh.) I have two vintage sets, but both have 22" bass drums. I've picked up a DW Performance 12/16/22 set last week and I've been playing it some. But I still prefer the 20" bass drum from my other set.
To me the 20" bass, especially with a 16" depth, seems to be more flexible in tuning than a 22", and can accommodate a wider range of music. And when it comes to the ride toms, I certainly spend far more time on the 13" than the others. So it seems that to me, the perfect 4 piece would be a 13/16/20. And a perfect 5 piece might have a 10" or a 12" high tom.
So... group opinion... am I crazy? Or just poisoned by growing up in the late 1970s? ;)
..Joe
