How about a 22x13" ?

evilg99

Platinum Member
So I had these two orphan Yamaha Recording Custom toms ...and I had a 22x18 Gretsch Renown '57 shell that had a crack in it. All black.
Brought to my drum guy, he put lugs on it (retro Pearl lugs from the 70s) and I found some Ludwig black oyster Inlaid hoops...then cut 5" off the depth to get rid of the crack. Ripped off the white chevron , plugged the mount holes, put those at bottom, new simple spurs ...voila!
It rocks !!

Not sure I like the white reso though...maybe black.
Evans blue hydraulic would look cool and sound like crap. I only like Fiberskins on sparkle kits...hmmm what else.
Black dot? Yeah. Black dot reso. Maybe.

Neal
 

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That's got be a lot punchier than an 18.Ginger Bakers Ludwig bass drums,while he was with Cream,were 20x11 amd 22x11,and they sound huge recorded live.

Steve B
 
Thanks Andy. I hadn't planned a 13" deep bass drum - it was just what made sense for eliminating the shell crack. Turns out to be super practical too.

Yes Steve, super punchy and still has the pleasing deep tone of a typical 22".
No volume loss or at least minimal.

Neal
 
I like the hoops you found for the bass drum. They look really good on there.
Seems like a good depth too.
 
Nice work!

Maybe a Remo Starfire chrome mirror head for your reso. That looks great on black drums with chrome hardware ;)

Yes , I was going to mention that too, yours looks great on the Reference kit. That will be a special order in these parts, never seen one in person. I just might try that.

I like the hoops you found for the bass drum. They look really good on there.
Seems like a good depth too.

Thanks - the hoops were ordered in for a customer at my local shop - he didn't want them or they were the wrong color or something - so I got them on clearance for $60 each. Those Ludwig hoops are normally $113.00 each so I got lucky there.

The shell cost $40 in its damaged condition - the 5" long crack but otherwise flawless.
My drum guy cut the shell, redid bearing edges, added the 20 retro Pearl lugs, added T-rods (I supplied claws , spurs and hoops), did extra drilling for lugs, plugged the original tom mount hole...all for $200. So I'm into it for about $360. I say worth it. The Gretsch Renown shells do sound very good in my experience, and this one is no exception.

Neal
 
I had my 20 cut down to 13 as well. It's not lacking anything.

You could have posted a better photo btw lol
 
I will always have love for a modified bass drum. Looks like your drum guy a very clean job. Both of my kits have had the bass drums sliced down from a modern depth to a much more manageable 14" depth. Great job, I'd also like to see a better picture. Maybe one of just the drum.
 
Thanks guys. I'll post a better picture when I get home.
I didn't mention, my drum restoration guy did this whole job in about 16 hours.
I needed it for a 2-nighter road gig that I just finished. I dropped it off Thursday afternoon , picked it up Friday morning and drive 5 hours to the gig. Rush job, and his work is still perfect.
Pic is in a dimly lit bar while setting up.
But then I'm famous for posting crAppy cell phone pictures.

Neal
 
Finally got around to taking a couple better pictures.
Added a tom mount too. Took my time, marked everything out. Turned out great.
The 13"x6" Mapex Black Panther maple /cherry snare is a really great match for this kit.
The bass drum sounds even better with the new Yamaha logo PS4.
I can wait to play these at a gig again, in a couple weeks!
 

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Looks cool.

Sound better?

Honestly mine didn't sound better, but it sounded okay.

The best part is it's easy to carry.
 
Looks cool.

Sound better?

Honestly mine didn't sound better, but it sounded okay.

The best part is it's easy to carry.

Well, I don't know if it sounds better.
I bought this bass drum as a bare shell for $40, with a 5~6" crack from the bearing edge to where the spur was. Shipping damage.

Brought it to my drum restoration guy, he cut down the shell, added hardware, etc…voila.
It does sound good…not much boom but a nice thump , and tone depends on how I tune the resonant head, kind of heads and how much muffling.

What I can say is that the 12x8 and 14x12 Recording Custom toms in this set are among the best sounding toms I've ever played - and nothing sounds out of place.

It is easy to carry for sure.

I've cut down a lot of drums - bass drums, toms and even a snare - and I've always been happy with the results. My favourite: a Yamaha MCAN 22x18 down to a 22x14.

Neal
 
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Not sure I like the white reso though...maybe black.
Evans blue hydraulic would look cool and sound like crap. I only like Fiberskins on sparkle kits...hmmm what else.
Black dot? Yeah. Black dot reso. Maybe.

Clear front head on the bass drum please.
 
Very nice Neal. The guy who does your modifications seems to be top-notch for sure.

He certainly is. Thank you again, Tim Black.

Clear front head on the bass drum please.

Yes, I think I will try that!
---------------------------------------------
To review the total costs of this project :

Bass drum : 22 x 13 (now)
$40 for the blank shell
$130 for the Ludwig Black Oyster hoops
$160 to my drum doc for cutting down and adding the lugs, claws and T-Rods.
I already had spurs, heads and the tom mount.

Floor Tom : 14 x 12
$100 Unbelievably, found it in mint condition at a pawn shop

Rack Tom : 12 x 8
$240 shipped, from eBay

Snare Drum : 13 x 6
$80 actually traded even for a cymbal I didn't want anymore, that I had paid $80 for.

$750 = Grand total

Now, yes you can find players' kits for a lot less money than this but I seriously doubt they sound as good. To me - it does't get any better than Recording Custom toms.

Neal
 
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Looks really nice. I love it when people give new life to old stuff. By the way, I rock a black/chrome kit too and I'm stealing this idea (just ordered it):
Maybe a Remo Starfire chrome mirror head for your reso. That looks great on black drums with chrome hardware ;)
 
Looks really nice. I love it when people give new life to old stuff. By the way, I rock a black/chrome kit too and I'm stealing this idea (just ordered it):

Excellent idea. Make sure you take a picture and post it here!

Neal
 
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