He has a good left hand already!!!

Regarding the post, check out one of the best drummers ever...Earl Palmer..I swear he could play on trash can lids and get a killer sound. He seems to be on a different kit in every vid I see him in and it still sounds like Earl Palmer.

I think you're on the right track - when I think rockabilly, I think of a BIG bass drum, usually with some hepcat stickers on the shell and/or front head! I've seen guys use some pretty big marching band bass drums coverted to use with a rockabilly kit, and I think it looks and sounds great. I think part of the practical appeal of a big bass drum is that rockabilly bands typically play with a stand up bass, and especially in a bar situation like you describe the bottom end sometimes gets lost, so a big bass drum really helps fill out the sound.

It was fun watching the Buddy Holly clip posted elsewhere in this thread - I haven't seen that in years. Nothing especially rockabilly oriented about the drum kit, BUT - it sounds like the snare was tuned considerably lower than drummers like to tune their snares today, a fact made more obvious by the fact he plays the whole song with the snares off. It almost sounds more like a tom than a snare. A very cool sound, and another factor that would have helped fill out the bottom end of the band's sound, even with the snares on. And by the way, listen how nice the mix is - and that clip was almost certainly shot with a single overhead mic just out of sight over Buddy. Talk about band dynamics - just great stuff!

Scott

Thanks for all of the feedback fellas! What do you guys think about a heads selection for a '50s set like the three I mentioned? The only vintage style heads I've ever used are the Remo Vintage A. Do the Remo Fiberskyn-3s sound as cool as they look?

Thanks agan,

Greg

Fiberskyns are ok....Aquarian American Vintage heads are closer to actual calfskin than anything I've else I've heard.....

Why not use calf like they did in the 50's?

I've been doing an Elvis gig lately and love the calf heads I've been using, I wouldn't consider anything else.

To me, using vintage drums with plastic heads is bizarre.

MastroSnare, where are you buying those heads and what brand? Do you use them on the resonant side on your whole set, snare too? That would get extremely expensive if you're using the Earthtone calf heads I just priced.

So far I'm using all calf except for my kick front which I haven't gotten around to changing to calf and the snare batter which is an Earthtone.

Earthtones are goat and are better than plastic but I will never buy them again - the company isn't knowledgable, they use metal hoops, you can't retuck them and goat sucks. That pretty much sums it up!

I get used ones off of eBay and have used the Columbia ones that everybody says are for display only and they sound great.

I tried calf batters with plastic bottoms and absolutely hated it - doesn't work at all for me, the sound bounces off of the plastic bottom head and the plastic harmonic piggybacks on the calf sound wave, just like radio waves. I don't like metal hoops on calf either.

Calf floor tom heads new cost me about $20 each and Remo's cost near double that. My kick head is from the 40's... so the whole thing about calf being expensive is b.s. #4001 about calf.

My conclusion after using calf for the last few years is pretty much everything I heard and read about them was a lie.

Damn...so I'm guessing that the durability of calf far exceeds heads made today...

I used to use a Remo Ambassador on my snare and I thought it sounded good for about 4 hours. Then it developed a shiny spot in the center and the tone changed and I didn't like it. I used to change it once a week.

I remember Jeff Porcaro saying in Downbeat that he had to change all his heads after a few takes (songs) in the studio, and I can see that.

Calf isn't for everybody, but everyone should at least try brushes on calf once. I don't mind messing with my heads and did with plastic. It's about the same as a guitar player messing with his tuning at gigs. I never got my floor toms to sound right with plastic.

For me it's more of a "leaving the Plastic Era" thing and I want everything on stage to be organic as possible.

Where are you finding NEW calf heads for $20???? Fill me in please! I'd love to find calf heads for that price!