I love this configuration. It started life as a 65 Gretsch 4 piece kit and evolved into this monster 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 22 and 5x14. The 13 is mounted under the hi hat. I like the idea pf playing a kit that has the heartbeat of a vintage kit with the auxilliary sounds that weren't being put to use in the vintage years. This kit is never moved if that's the first thought that came to mind.
Regards,
Gary
My mix and match set and one of my favorites!
I always wanted a Cocktail Kit I could sit at and play, I found an odd 20 X 20 Slingerland Be-Bop combo with a single flange top hoop with clips and nine lugs (all my catalogues show non clip double flange 8 lugs hoops).
The old owner had tried to create custom lugs… instead he made a mess, lots of extra holes..That’s where I came in, removed the ruined wrap, plugged the holes, and covered it with an African Maple Veneer and about 20 coats of clear Varathane. I found a 12” North Tom cheap; it had extra holes for floor tom mounts for which I found compatible ones. I then painted the flames. The side Tom is a 15” Cloud Badge era Slingerland Field snare in maple which had also been abused, the bearing edges hacked badly and all the hardware and the badge long gone…a lot of sweat later and the drum was stained and finished to match the stand up bass. A bulk purchase of Japanese slingerland style lugs and hardware with the correct spacing (no more extra holes for me!) I used a new metal Pearl Firecracker 5X10” snare on a Yamaha stand ( this combined with the small size of the snare raises it up to the level of the other drums ) A trashy Canadian Thunderhead Crash cymbal from the 70’s, a cut down Paiste rude bottom hat ( from a 14” to a 10” it had a crack) makes for a tinky crash with a rapid decay, some Wuhan hats, a 18" Izmar crash ride and a 20” Sabian B8 ride and more cowbell coupled with some old Pearl stands and High Hat finish the cymbals.
Ebay purchases, supplies and trading brought it in at $500-550.. Not counting my labour.
A small footprint on a stage, and a set like no other in the world!
I love the north tom! I'd like to see more pics because I don't understand how it's played from the angle you provided. I don't know if this is a front or side view and don't know where the snare goes or is it a snare bas drum (which would be tough on ghost notes). Post some more angles. From behind standing on the throne is one of my favorites and usually conveys the most info on how a kit is played.
regards,
Gary
I love the north tom! I'd like to see more pics because I don't understand how it's played from the angle you provided. I don't know if this is a front or side view and don't know where the snare goes or is it a snare bass drum (which would be tough on ghost notes)? Post some more angles. From behind standing on the throne is one of my favorites and usually conveys the most info on how a kit is played.
regards,
Gary
The old pic is from the front here is one from the left side and another from the right rear.
I took the snare off the the Floor tom/Bass I really don't like the sound of Coctail Snares..worse than some of my turn of the century Lyon & Healy snare drums ( kind of like a fat F arty sound .. imagine a F art with no crack!!)
heres some additional pics.. and no the wife is not happy about drums in the DR, LR, FR and BR!!
Do you play it with band?
Yes it's been gigged and I have changed the set up some what, I usually leave the side tom at home, and bring one less cymbal and stand... Imp getting to old to carry a double bass setup. And the venues and stages seem to have really shrunk over the past 35 years! Of course I have gained weight. It's a really fast setup and tear down, but I just finished it and I have only gigged it a few times. My regular gig set up is a maple shell pearl set I got in 1982, with whatever snare I feel will fit the situation. It's a black wrap with a lot of gig rash. My vintage stuff stays at home except for the Mix & match, set any collectability was gone long before I played with them.
