Maybe I should add some more things...

Goodvalley

Junior Member
Hi everyone, this is my second post in this Forum after introducing myself in the corresponding thread. I thought I also should introduce my gear, so let me tell you about it.

picture.php
picture.php


picture.php
picture.php


(If you want to see more pictures, there is an album ;) )

By the way, don't pay much attention to the tie and the suit... that was just kidding.

Right, this is a Pacific Drums & Percussion LX in natural color.

22" bass drum
14" snare drum
8", 10", 12", 14" and 16" toms and floor toms.

Everything is 8 maple plyes and a lacquared finish. I had a Pearl that was from 1976 (I think) and it was pretty rare. the snare (14") and all the toms (8", 10", 12" and 14") were all Rototom. I had never seen something like that, it was really cool. But unfortunately someone broke some parts and I decided to restore it, so no more rototoms. Now I wish I had changed my mind, but...

So after some years I decided to buy a new kit, as I wanted to take drumming seriously (ha!). I compared brands, series, types of wood and finishes, and I thought PDP was the best deal. But it was like jumping into the pool without checking if there is water: in Spain you have little chance to find a DW or PDP dealer, so I just decided to make a blind bet. Everyone was talking about that fantastic DW bass drum sound, and the PDP LX was the closest thing to it. I read a lot about DW and PDP at that time, and I thought they really cared about quality, aesthetics and sound. I had played on Pearl kits, Tama, Sonor, Yamaha... but I had never seated on a PDP drumkit. And I bought one. And after six years I am proud to say it was a really good decision. It has the right color, it's really beautifull and it has an astonishing sound.

These are my cymbals:

- Hi-hat Zildjian Avedis New Beat 14": it's been a best seller through decades, and sounds fantastic.
- Hi-hat Zildjian K/Z 13": Z on top, K on bottom. It sounds terrific. A must have.
- Hi-hat Zildjian K Custom Dark 13": this was a little mistake. I rather prefer the K 13".
- Ride Zildjian K 20": the most versatile ride I've ever seen. I love the bell sound.
- Crash Zildjian Avedis Custom Fast Crash 16": I like fast crashes. They are explosive and then they're gone.
- Crash Zildjian Avedis Custom Fast Crash 18": to me, not as good as the 16", but they make a good couple.
- Crash Zildjian K Custom Fast Crash 16": fabulous dry sound comparing the Avedis. A perfect contrast game.
- Crash Zildjian K Dark Thin 17": serious sound. Fits perfect with the other cymbals. The sound doesn't last for ages.
- China Zildjian Oriental Thrash 16": I know, it's not a China. I admit I have a "problem" with Chinas. They are too loud and have a never ending sound, sometimes disgusting. So this is my choice of a brilliant china, now I search for a darker one.
- Sabian Max Stax 10": what can I say, this has a dirty sound that I appreciate a lot: it's very usefull for certain things, from ostinatos to ethnic passages. It doesn't last long and it's not disgusting if played with common sense. If Mötorhead is the best worst band in the world, the Max Stax 10" is the cleanest dirty cymbal I know.
- Splash Zildjian Avedis Custom 6": it's Manu Katche's fault. I saw him and I knew I wanted a couple of these.
- Splash Zildjian Avedis Custom 8": a very used splash that sounds fantastic.
- Splash Zildjian Avedis Custom 10": what? I'm a big fan of Katché and Beauford!
- Splash Zildjian K Custom 10": THE splash. If you just can afford one, buy this.
- Zildjian Oriental thrash 11": this was another mistake. It just doesn't fit well on my kit.

Again, you must do some research. Let's be clear, it's just difficult to choose cymbals. Everybody feels uncomfortable going to a musical store, grabbing a stick and start hitting some cymbals while the shop's attendant is looking at you, staring at you with his cryptic face. You are embarrassed, and all that you want is to find some sound that you even don't know how it is.
I knew I had to start from scratch and expand my view according to my needs and sound preferences. After years of borrowed, broken, cheap, and crappy cymbals, it was time to make a set acccording to my taste. The problem, as always, is that with such a large range of models and sizes, you can easily go wrong. Questions and more questions...
I was going to spend a lot of money, so I was going to be very carefull. I looked at it as a race in stages. The first purchase was crucial: the basic set. I wanted to be absolutely sure that I really liked the Hi-hat, the ride cymbal and the first crash. I would have to like them over any other models, and of course they had to sound good as a team. Now I think this was key to my success.
I was worried about the crash cymbal, because I was quite obsessed with it being too loud. I wanted the sound not to last for three days. I preferred it to be shiny and clear like daylight. Blame the drummer, I hit cymbals quite hard...
And I discovered the relatively new Ziljian Fast Crash series in a music store. I didn't even know that they existed, and there were very few known artists that used those cymbals. Kind of risky purchase, but I just felt in love with the 16" Fast Crash cymbal. In the next three or four years, many Zildjian endorsers started to incorporate them on their drumkits, so I felt happy for taking that bet.

Sorry if this is a long post, but I feel it could be usefull for young people that is often confused and need some guide on what to buy. I mean, we all have idols -I had mine and still have-, and this can drive you blind. When I was 16 (around 1987-88) somebody let me play a Zildjian 14" K/Z hi-hat, the best cymbal I had ever come across until that day. That was the same hi-hat that Lars Ulrich was playing, and those were the glory days of "...And justice for all". I kept those memories, so when I was buying my new set of cymbals including the Avedis New Beat hi-hat (which I like a lot), I just waited for five months. The music store was going to bring one from Zildjian and I wanted to be sure. Well, after checking it I could say that the New Beat is simply much, much better and cheaper. I could have it five months before, but I think you have to trust yourself and your instincts.
Speaking of idols, I also tried every cymbal that is in Neil Peart's drumkit, all of them. At that time (2006), the Professor had been with Zildjian's Avedis for decades. So I had to test them one by one. Well, just try them yourself. Go to you favourite music store and pick up that cymbal with the "Zildjian A Rock Crash 16" legend on it. Give it just one stroke. But be sure to go away from it immediately, because the sound wave will throw you to the ground. Man, Neil Peart must be deaf!
What you hear on records and live concerts goes through a mix table, filters, effects and production mechanisms that simply arrange everything, you simply cannot trust your ears and go buy your favourite drummer's cymbals. You must check them out first and be sure they match your own taste and your ears.

Percussion department:

- LP timbalitos (Mini-timbales, great sounding little drums).
- 2 LP Cyclops tambourines (perfect, good sound when hitting with sticks. Don't buy the red ones, they are pink, just buy them in black).
- Chimes LP Studio 25 bars (very good sound, maybe they could be louder, I should have picked the Concert ones).
- Jamblock LP in red.
- Cow bell LP Rock (I have these two in the same place as Carter Beauford does with great sound results. They match each other perfectcly).
- Jamblock LP in yellow.
- Mini-Blocks LP (they are for songo style, very acute and funny sound for special occasions, like trying to kill the guitar player, for example).

Pedals:

- Pearl Eliminator double pedal, the one with four chambers and the stripes.
- Pearl Hi-hat stands.
- Pearl Remote Hi-hat (fabulous, I think it's the best one).

Drum Hardware:

I tend to use Pearl hardware for several reasons. First, I think they give the best result in the ecquation quality-steadiness-hardiness-price-availability-assortiment in the overall market. But I'm not a millionaire, so I also have some elements by Gibraltar (sorry guys, bad quality, I just don't get your point), LP (really crappy and useless) and Basix (you guys rule).

But mainly I own what I think is the best drum rack of them all, the Pearl DR-503C (although it is not shown in any picture) and six or seven Pearl CH-1000 cymbal arms, one closed hi-hat arm, 4 Pearl CH-70 cymbal booms plus all the PDP hardware that came with the LX drumkit, which has good quality. Oh, and I also decided to go bankrupt and buy the Airlift DW throne.

That's it. I forgot to also hire some drummer that deserves such drum gear, so that job goes on me. But believe me, when I sit behind my kit, I am the happiest of all the crappy drummers in this world!!!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top