Just for fun: Your dream drum kit

Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2003 8:36 pm

This is the first time I've posted a new topic to this forum, so take it easy on me, please.

So, what is you dream kit? Right now, I have a basic Tama RockStar five piece that I'm not very happy with.

Here's what I plan to do...

http://www.adonisdrums.com/rawdrums.htm

From this site, you can buy kits of pre-drilled and bearing-edged raw Keller maple shells and lugs that Adonis make themselves (the navigation menu is at the bottom - check out the lugs, they look like a great design). Then you can finish the drums yourself with whatever finish you want. Here's my idea:

Toms, all mounted, 6-ply (Depth x Diameter):
- 8" x 10"
- 10" x 12"
- 12" x 14"

Bass drum, 8-ply (Depth x Diameter): 18" x 20"

Snare, 10-ply (Depth x Diameter): 5.5" x 14"

I was going to do the outside with a cherry-red rub finish and satin overcoat, and oil the inside with something like tung oil, which a lot of drum makers recommend. In fact, some use tung oil as the finish on the outside, too.

Anyway, call me crazy (because I certainly am) but I like the idea of being able to finish my own drum kit exactly the way I want it. This whole crazy scheme would cost me just over $1000 to do, plus shipping and finish materials.

If you could get anything, what would it be?

Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2003 9:24 pm

I've had Pearl....something in the 80's. Then Premier which gave me headache from day 1, especially the hardware, hoops, it never held the tuning properly. Few years back I saw a guy at a consert and was blown away with his snare sound, I knew he had a Signia 14x7" so I bought it from him when I could. Well that snare sounded like f****** crap, thin and unimpressive so I asked him about that consert and he had a Tama 14x6.1/2" maple, well I bought that one and love it. Never had good experience with Premier.
And since 1996 I've had a Yamaha maple custom set. Consisting of 10x8, 12x8, 14x12, 16x14 toms, and 22x18BD+ 14x5.1/2" Manu Katce snare besides the Tama snare.
This set is a dream to play and work with it has Die-cast hoops and rock solid Yamaha hardware but I use DW pedals wich are the best for my feet.
Of course i drool sometimes over other sets like the Gretch's or Slingerland's but I thing I would'nt be improoving to much with them, given the extra expence.
So I just love my Yamaha set and many of their products.

Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2003 10:03 pm

I got to beat a little bit on a Yamaha Oak Custom kit. I didn't really hear too much of a difference between that and the good maple ones. I guess it's impressive to tell people you have a kit with oak shells.

I would still love to custom-finish my own kit, though. I think that would impress people more than oak shells. Very Happy

Respected Past Moderator Joined: Mar 13, 2001 Posts: 1256

An old, good, gretch kit pour moi please. :tu:

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2003 7:18 pm

The last time i was ready to make a purchase - i wound up caught between DW and the Mapex Mars Pro.

This is the kit they put out 6 years ago - full through lugs........

Well i ended up with the Mapex....... 7 piece - threw away all of their hardware - went with Pearl Double Braced - hated the snare - so it's either my Pearl 13 x 5 1/2 or my Piccolo ( I set up both when i play - but the 13 is my main) - this with 7 rotos (i know i know - but i just love their sound on certain songs) that are 8" to 20" - am now ordering 4 timbales to finish out the drums in the kit.

I do love the sound of the Mapex Toms and Bass...... so for me it was worth it.

99% of my brass is Zildgian..... Custom "A" - 14"H.H. and 12" recording high hats (depending on where we play), 10" splash, 12" splash, 16" crash, 18 ride crash, 20" ride - along with a 22" sizzle ride (love it for soft jazz) made in 1972 and one paiste 14" light crash.

Double bass pedal is DW - i love the feel...... and i just went to the Pearl remote high hat - which i will tuck in over the center of my bass - right above my knee .......(tis how i am opening up enough room for the timbales).

That's about it - i can't possible reach any more (unless this idea i have of overhead cymbals can be made to work) sort of the kit i always dreamed about - just a bear i had to get this old before i could put it together.

Happy Hunting

Rod

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2003 9:30 pm

I'd love to get ahold of a Sonor maple Hi-Lite kit. Those things sounded incredible anytime you heard someone play them. They have them on eBay every once in awhile, but they always go for top dollar.

As voiced above, I, too, like the Yamaha Maple Customs. I think they're one of the best sounding drums that are currently in production. But, it's amazing how "different" (and by "different," I mean BAD), the Maple Custom Absolutes sound!

Rod- At least you didn't buy the DWs! I bought a Collectors kit in 1997, and hated every minute of it. It was so cool to own a set of DWs, but after a billion different head combinations, I realized I was never going to get a good sound out of those things. Listening to other drummers playing DW, I can tell they weren't doing much better than me! From what I can tell, the only good sound from DW drums are what Mick Fleetwood and Joey Kramer are doing (...which is using black-dot heads on everything.) I sold that kit to a friend, and he ended up selling them 2 months later!

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2003 6:18 am

I believe i spent at least 2 weeks playing both kits (I also checked out Tama and Pearl on the onset) ......... experimenting with some different heads - and at the end there were 2 factors that turned the corner for me - the 1st was the sound - The Mapex just had a sweeter sound (i use Pinstrips for my heads - and love em) the second was the overall design....... the DW's have 2 lugs - the Mapex are through lugs - and i have always prefered the latter - the put all of the head tension on the heads - and do not put a twisting tension on the body.

Besides which - the Mapex were a grand less money (although ultimately the sound and design were my only real factors - i would have paid the extra grand to have what i really wanted - but hell- to get what i want and save a grand?)

Happy Hunting

Rod

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2003 7:48 am

I can't think of one single kit that would be my "dream kit." My dream kit would actually be several kits that serve a variety of applications. That being said, I always wanted one of the Sonor kits in African Bubinga that was popular some years ago. It was extremely expensive due to the wood being so rare but to me it was the greatest looking stuff I've ever seen! Still makes me lust and drool whenever I see them! Wink

drbam

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2003 7:53 pm

Hrm, I never really thought about the full-length vs. individual lugs issue. Now that I looked, my Tama is full-length lugs, but the kit I would build would be individual lugs (one hole per lug, as it works out). Does this really make a difference in the longevity of the drums?

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 5:36 am

Quote:

Originally posted by Consul:
Does this really make a difference in the longevity of the drums?

One of the things i do in my "real life" is engineering - so i look at everything with that mindset.

The answer to the question is that i truly do not know - the only thing that i do know for sure is that single lugs put a stress into the side of a drum - and thru lugs do not........ and for some weird reason - my mind refuses to accept that this does not make a difference in the sound that comes out the other end...... seeing as the body of the drum adds tone to it.

This may (or may not) have anything to do with reality (after all - we're musicians and deal more with creativity than reality) but it affects my thoughts to the point that it (at the very least) changes my PERCEPTIONS of what a kit brings to me - and that (in the end) is enough.....

Happy Hunting

Rod

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:29 am

Thank you for the answer, Mr. Gervais. I'll have to look into this further.

:p:

Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 12:19 pm

I would have to say a Pearl Masterworks is it for me. I've had an Export long enough. It's time to upgrade. (Now I have to convince my wife?!!!)

Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 2:16 pm

Hey Gang, check out donohodrums.com I truly believe that his kits are the best value ever.

Truly custom drums, keller shells (that DW uses)
and super cheap. I do not have a set just yet, but they sound awesome. Recording and live.

I love the fact that you can call up the guy who made your drums anytime. Try that with DW, Tama Pearl, etc.
If you are in the Nashville area, I'm sure you heard of them. If not, call him up! He's a good old boy and loves to talk drums his building techniques.

Sorry to sound like a commercial... but these arethe real deal. Cheers!

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 7:07 am

Dave,

great site - those are some nice looking cans..... :c:

I love the fact that they have a thru lug system available........

Happy Hunting

Rod-

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:32 am

Yes! But unfortunately Donoho is no longer doing that because the customers like the "looks" of the traditional style lug system. Oh well.
His site is pretty outdated, he mentioned to us last time we were in his shop that he needs to revamp it, good thing.

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