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Drums. Acoustic Drums.


Doctor J
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Hey! 
 

yep, drummer over here! 
 

I play a Yamaha Oak Custom X kit and I love it! Sadly I haven’t really been able to play since the whole global pandemic thing… and then I moved house… and there’s another baby on the way… but, you know, soon! 
 

How about you? What drums are you favouring at the moment?

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*waves*

 

I'm a drummer who fell into playing bass by accident, but love playing both now.

 

I'm quite lucky in that I've had the opportunity to pick up my dream gear over the years I've been playing. My 'home/studio' kit is a 1980's USA Gretsch in 8/10/12/14/15/20 - it's in natural maple finish so pretty classic. It sounds amazing, and until recently was my gigging kit too, but it's seen a hard life and I don't want to take it out any more! 

 

I've recently fallen for Yamaha drums - or, rather, I've loved them for years (have a couple of Yamaha snares etc) so during lockdown I shelled out for one of the new Recording Custom kits - it's an absolute beauty. It's 8/10/12/13/14/16/22 in their Classic Walnut finish - slightly darker than the original cherry finish, but absolutely stunning. I realised I'm a proper Yamaha fanboy when my main bass is a TRB1005 and I also have Yamaha PA too! 

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I came at it the other way, I started on bass. I started playing guitar because none of my guitar playing mates were writing music and I wanted to do original music. A few years later I accidentally drifted into drums because we were trying to do some very low-tempo stuff and couldn't find any drummers who wanted to play slow 😂  I started in the mid 90's and played until maybe 10 years ago, when I sold my drum gear and thought I would use programmed drums for music. I don't have the patience to make programmed drums not sound like programmed drums anymore, so I picked up an old Pearl Export a couple of years ago and enjoyed it so much, I splashed out on an old Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute this year. I am also a Yamaha convert. I have Oak Custom X and old Brass snares. The oak sounds better in the room but the brass records really well. I narrowly missed out on an old 80's Recording Custom due to not being able to travel inter-county during the lockdown earlier this year, but I'm delighted with the one I have, which I picked up the day lockdown ended 😁

 

 

drmbs.jpg

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It's my first venture above a 5-piece 😂 The guy was selling the 8/10/12/14/16/20 as a lot and, once I got them home, I just set it all up to see what it was like. Once it's there, looking at you, you tend to use it, I find 😁 I could probably do without the 8 but I'm enjoying it. It's making me try harder, just to make use of them, which is good. It's my first 20" bass drum, too. I was a little unsure about it, having always had a 22", but it's got more than enough depth and works even with the doomy stuff I sometimes record.

 

The side snare is just so I have somewhere to put whichever one I'm not using. They just swap position depending on what I'm up to. I don't quite have the skill to keep two snares on the go together but, again, it's new and interesting to have it there.

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Here’s my Yamaha kit! Not the best pic - finish is a sparkly white kinda thing.
 

I too had Gretsch before this… I’ve owned various brands but always loved Yamaha stuff so in the end I just sold everything else and went Yamaha. I too have/have had Yamaha PA stuff, basses, guitars etc. you can’t go wrong with Yamaha! 
 

one weird side effect from COVID/lockdowns was I joined a group on Facebook called ‘snares’ and decided to start a collection of Yamaha snares (I got a little sidetracked and picked up some Premier ones too!). 

C3A59358-8096-404B-AAFF-48443F7FB4A1.jpeg

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Maybe this should be called 'Yamaholics' instead! 

 

Quote

The side snare is just so I have somewhere to put whichever one I'm not using. They just swap position depending on what I'm up to. I don't quite have the skill to keep two snares on the go together but, again, it's new and interesting to have it there.

 

The big thing ATM seems to be to have a deeper tuned side snare - that fat 70's sound. I've been playing around with it and have an old Maple Custom snare tuned right down - interval between the 12" and 14" toms - and it's great, adds some real interest if you play backbeats between the two. 

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2 hours ago, kingforaday said:

one weird side effect from COVID/lockdowns was I joined a group on Facebook called ‘snares’ and decided to start a collection of Yamaha snares (I got a little sidetracked and picked up some Premier ones too!). 

I realised the other day I have literally run out of space for my snares! Yamaha probably predominate in terms of brand, but I've got Ludwig, Slingerland, Gretsch, Dunnett, Ahead and so on! 

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56 minutes ago, Jakester said:

I realised the other day I have literally run out of space for my snares! Yamaha probably predominate in terms of brand, but I've got Ludwig, Slingerland, Gretsch, Dunnett, Ahead and so on! 


nice! There are worse problems to have for sure! 
 

I have to set limitations on my collecting nature or it just gets out of hand. I’m only allowing myself Yamaha MIJ stuff (which is killing me the newer stuff I want to try) or premier if they’re really cheap. 

Here’s pics of some of the collection! 

 

steel 14x6.5 & 10x5.5 
211FF007-CE51-47CB-A99D-4602EF02359C.thumb.jpeg.761dea6fb5cfdc247122a2c2009881c6.jpeg

 

little 14x4 birch custom piccolo

29E86F94-6EE2-4E38-B9A8-D0AF45FA451A.thumb.jpeg.44a1e33ee23b072a0dd3dc37e9f2b7cc.jpeg
 

FRP - fibreglass reinforced plastic snare, 2 pics to show how I can illuminate it!

D74D1BFF-036C-4CC3-87D5-39EDC8800D59.thumb.jpeg.66fc86f505b2902c7d984a4f502ad145.jpeg10B0A993-B7B1-4E9E-AA58-D8A5413185C2.thumb.jpeg.d42256a632820154db2f9649f4fb5cfc.jpeg
 

the sad thing is I’ve barely been able to play any of them yet… one day soon, I hope 

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Nice! I think those FRP snares are fairly rare/sought after. 

 

My Yamahas are:

 

Akira Jimbo Sig 13x7

Peter Erskine Soprano 12x4

Maple Custom 14x6

Brass Custom Absolute (or whatever it was called - it has Absolute lugs anyway!) 14x4

 

I really want one of the old Yamaha Bamboos but they're hen's teeth.

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10 minutes ago, Jakester said:

Nice! I think those FRP snares are fairly rare/sought after. 

 

My Yamahas are:

 

Akira Jimbo Sig 13x7

Peter Erskine Soprano 12x4

Maple Custom 14x6

Brass Custom Absolute (or whatever it was called - it has Absolute lugs anyway!) 14x4

 

I really want one of the old Yamaha Bamboos but they're hen's teeth.

Yeah I saw the bamboo ones and was like “add that to the shopping list…” then I saw the price! Maybe not! 
 

sounds like a very cool collection, I’m trying to steer clear of the signature drums for the sake of the bank balance. 
 

I think I know the brass custom absolute you speak of… I’m trying to also limit myself to one of each material (so I can compare etc)… but I couldn’t resist getting the bigger steel like the mini one I have… maybe that’ll have to be one of each size, in each material! 


Brass next hopefully, then maybe aluminium. It’s an expensive interest! 

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I started out as a percussionist then got into drum kit a little later. Have owned dozens of kits ranging from 1950s round badge Gretsch, 60s and 70s Ludwigs, old 60s Slingerland and Rogers kits, vintage Premiers, etc, but also had a Yamaha 9000 kit at one point. 
 

The last nice set I owned was 1979/80 set of Tama Superstars (22-12-16) they were beautiful sounding drums and really solidly built. I had another set of 80s Superstars in jazz sizes for a while too but the bigger set was really special.

 

55ACCC1A-8227-4CAF-AF80-9C74BC1F8955.jpeg.02212b1776a62122891d2a753770337e.jpeg


When we downsized and I stopped doing drum gigs I sold them to a local kid who wanted a decent set to learn on. Now I  just have a ridiculously tiny kit that I put together from stray 1980s Pearl toms, that has a 15” kick drum. I use a 1971 Ludwig Acrolite snare with it and usually vintage 70s Paiste Formula 602 cymbals. It records well but I still might get another larger kit again someday though.

 

65AC2B51-DBD4-4810-9E64-5A0671C3BC3A.thumb.jpeg.eebede7c24743c55fd6d2bfd4a25f6db.jpeg
 

8CE2DC72-AF11-4532-9D40-045B40383645.thumb.jpeg.e2f30798c4c6ad5e7024eeaa65f96ac5.jpeg

 

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, kingforaday said:

That’s very cool, I’ve been thinking lately of trying to build a tiny version of my kit for when my kids want to jam along with me… this makes me even more convinced it’s a good idea!

Oh that’s a great idea, and your neighbours will love it! 😂
 

I needed a small, portable kit for acoustic gigs and also something that wouldn’t take up much room as I’ve got loads of other instruments and gear cluttering up the house already. I’d seen some of the little kits available (Sonor, Ludwig, Pearl, Tama, etc) and they all looked great but I thought I could probably put something together that sounded a bit better, and under budget too. For around £120 it was definitely worth doing 👍

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  • 4 weeks later...

I always wanted to be a drummer, but lack of funds or suitable place to practice never materialized.  Got given a bass at 14yrs old so that was that.

Onwards to music college, had to choose a second instrument - drums it was.  Had an awesome teacher called Martyn Webber.

Had a kit every now and again when practical, even gigged as a drummer for two or three gigs!

Flash forward again, my eldest takes up the drums, gets kit, gets alright, chucks it in.

Now, I have a partially built garden room and a Premier Olympic kit waiting to go in!

12/14/20 mahogany shells, a Super Zyn ride and some Tosco hats - all of it older than me, and sounds great!

E0CE616E-FCAB-4A1C-9941-CBE29D127DB5.jpeg

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2 hours ago, Pea Turgh said:

I always wanted to be a drummer, but lack of funds or suitable place to practice never materialized.  Got given a bass at 14yrs old so that was that.

Onwards to music college, had to choose a second instrument - drums it was.  Had an awesome teacher called Martyn Webber.

Had a kit every now and again when practical, even gigged as a drummer for two or three gigs!

Flash forward again, my eldest takes up the drums, gets kit, gets alright, chucks it in.

Now, I have a partially built garden room and a Premier Olympic kit waiting to go in!

12/14/20 mahogany shells, a Super Zyn ride and some Tosco hats - all of it older than me, and sounds great!

E0CE616E-FCAB-4A1C-9941-CBE29D127DB5.jpeg


love it, great looking kit for sure! I have an old premier kit my Dad learned on, he gave it to me to learn on when I was a teenager… I’ll hang on to it in the hope one of my kids likes the idea of drumming and I can pass it down to them 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I had a sad day over the Christmas break- took my 60s UK Rogers kit back to the friend who sold it to me 20 odd years ago. I replaced it with a small Gretsch Renown, but have kept hold of the snare until I can afford to replace it, the Renown drums do sound great, but the snares don't seem to crop up 2nd hand... 😞received_605808024080552.thumb.jpeg.476bdd3663551c236b6c4d76188eb948.jpeg

 

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The Renowns are great kits. I had one of the first into the UK - it was my first kit I'd bought myself (thanks student loan!) and sounded amazing. Only downside then was a lack of 'add-on' toms - I ended up getting some made for me to match out of Keller shells. 

 

A couple of pics of my old kit, and one of it being used in the studio:

 

SA401056.thumb.jpeg.94ee8e6d911ae72ac75444b627bf77f6.jpeg

 

SA401058.thumb.jpeg.8b76f8889d556e85b731325b483b9227.jpeg

 

 

SA400339.thumb.jpeg.8bca9b0a1779833a264a179a36ea3b07.jpeg

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On 10/01/2022 at 12:34, Jakester said:

The Renowns are great kits. I had one of the first into the UK - it was my first kit I'd bought myself (thanks student loan!) and sounded amazing. Only downside then was a lack of 'add-on' toms - I ended up getting some made for me to match out of Keller shells. 

 

A couple of pics of my old kit, and one of it being used in the studio:

 

SA401056.thumb.jpeg.94ee8e6d911ae72ac75444b627bf77f6.jpeg

 

SA401058.thumb.jpeg.8b76f8889d556e85b731325b483b9227.jpeg

 

 

SA400339.thumb.jpeg.8bca9b0a1779833a264a179a36ea3b07.jpeg

Did you try the Renown snares? I'd really like one to match 

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