It's been a while since I've seen a discussion on our cocktail drum sets. Notice...I assiduously avoid using the term "kit" for a drum set. Several years ago, I acquired a two-piece Gretsch Sky Blue Pearl cocktail drum set. Aside from the appeal of the drums, I was attracted by the logo of the drum shop attached to the drum shells. Brockstein's Music in Houston was owned by Herb Brochstein. Herb changed the spelling of his last name to help people pronounce the name correctly. Herb sold his personal Gretsch set complete with unshaved calf skin head to D.J. Fontana for playing in Elvis Presley's band. Herb also started a little drumstick factory in his store--Promark. But, let's get to the cocktail drum set.
The drums are probably from the early to mid 1950s. The large single-headed drum had several extra holes in the shell. So, I felt no guilt in adding the necessary holes to mount a bottom head. The bottom of the drum had a wooden hoop for finish trim. That hoop works perfectly for the bottom head hoop. The 8" bongo tom was in perfect condition. The half-strand fan of snares under the top head sounds lame for snare drum use. I left it there but don't use the snare function. I bought a cheap no-name popcorn snare online. A drum forum friend said that he had just stripped matching wrap off of an old bass drum. He sent a large scrap of it to me. There was enough wrap to cover the little snare drum. It is a perfect match. I mounted the little snare drum, a cow bell, and two cymbals to the cocktail drum shell for a very compact and very complete little drum set.
I have a few vintage bass drum peddles with reversible cams for cocktail drum application. But i didn't have a mounting bracket for any of the older Gretsch, Slingerland, Leedy, or Camco pedals. Then, i saw a listing online for a new Gibralter pedal with the bracket for $99. Bingo! It works beautifully. The bracket will accommodate any pedal. But the Gibralter pedal works just fine. Did I mention that the large drum measures 24" in height? That drum size on legs with the pedal under it are a great height for me to play the drums seated on my favorite drum throne--a custom-made Jim Petty canister throne wrapped in Bermuda Sand. I can use a hi-hat with the drums when sitting down.
What about your cocktail drum sets?
