Mis-matched finishes anyone play live?

My band recently played a show with an awesome band thats on a major label, and we ended up sharing backline. Their drummer had a orange sparkle DW kick drum and blue sparkle Fibes toms (and a Black Beauty snare)...at first I thought it was strange but after playing the kit and watching the band that night, I really dug it!
 
My current main kit is mis-matched. Slingerland toms and Tama Superstar kick. The floor tom is all original so I tried staining the bass and 13 tom to match. Its close, but no cigar. No negative comments yet :)
I like mismatched kits. Check out the drummer for Vintage Trouble - he always mixes up his kit.

I don't have any issues with your kit. It looks fine. You and I are alike. I've done a fair amount of drum 'tweaking' and refinishing. I don't expect pro results, but its good enough for jazz, as they say.
 
How is mine for mis matched? Mine doesn't leave the house.
 

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Thanks for the open talk and idea's.

Opentune, I could hardly tell your kit was a mis-match kit! LOL Looks great, nice job.

I definitely don't want to try to refinish any of these shells but I have thought about picking up some shells to try. Mostlikely not, I'm just no good with finishing wood.

I love both finishes and want to complete both kits someday. Decisions....decisions!
 
I think on a professional gig, I'd stick with one finish for the kit. If it's subtle, like the Tama bass drum and the Slingerland toms, you could probably get away with that. If it's a personal project, be it live or recording, I say there are no rules. Do whatever you want. But ever since the dawn of television, we've been a people of appearance, don't you think?
 
I was rocking this Frankenstein for a couple years. Sounded unreal. The kick cracked like a snare.
 

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Swing by a vinyl shop and have them print you out a sheet to wrap the kick with. They should be able to knock out a fade like that in a few minutes. You would be able to take the wrap off without damaging the finish on the kick.
 
We are a people of appearance, and more so with drums than most other musical instruments. (Oddly, you have to pay extra for guitars that look thrashed.)

A lot has to do with how you do it. If your drums are high quality, the heads new and hardware pristine, cymbals also pristine if you are a clean cymbal person, then it looks more like your choice than your compromise.

If your stuff looks like junk (mismatched or not) IMO people have a bit of justification wondering how much you care about your craft.
 
I remember seeing a photograph of a swing/tin pan aley drummer who was using a floor lamp as a high hat stand. We've come a long way hardware-wise. A lot of the instances here; slightly different maple stains, red and black and the like, look good together. Why not show a little creativity? I used to play a Tama kit with a mix of blue and white hanging tomes and two dark blue floor toms. I got nothing but compliments. Of course, the sound that those Tamas put out was more responsible for that. We could get into the whole monogrammed bass drum head or not argument as well but the sound that you make will determine your response.
 
Sorry it took so long to post back with a few pics. Here are the two different finishes together.
Tell what you think!

Thanks Robert
 

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The pics below are of the "mis-matched" kit in question. What do you guys think?

This is not a kit I had set out to create, I just sort of ended up like this. I had just recently sold my yamaha kit and I do plan getting something again soon. Just waiting for something that really catches my eye.

This little setup would only be something temporary.
 
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I have a kit I call the "PdwP Crush"....it's all shades of blues..I wanted to try out some of the dw performance series and PDP platinum series and a Crush 13" tom....so I said what the hell, and bought them...added a PDP blue fade kick...it's a mish mash, but it looks "unique" and boy does it sound great!

So, my opinion, for what it is worth, of your mixed kit is "fine by me"; especially if there are good stories behind the acquisition or history of the individual drums....and of course you could have a lot of fun at a gig after a few beers and tell good stories..."why that 22" deep gretsch kick was on the titanic, son!" LOL

I think if you are asked to back up a solo artist or act in a sideman type of role, well, you probably won't be using that kit :)

thats my $0.07
 
Some mismatched kits are very cool looking. TBH, I don't care for that particular combination. I don't think it sucks, but I don't prefer it either. The finishes look so new, that it seems like you can afford a matching kit. How's that for a stupid reason? Lol. But it's what hits me at first. Mismatched kits need to look beat up IMO. Fades and solids don't sit well together either. Sorry but you asked!
 
Some mismatched kits are very cool looking. TBH, I don't care for that particular combination. I don't think it sucks, but I don't prefer it either. The finishes look so new, that it seems like you can afford a matching kit. How's that for a stupid reason? Lol. But it's what hits me at first. Mismatched kits need to look beat up IMO. Fades and solids don't sit well together either. Sorry but you asked!



Well, lol they are not new. Just well taken care of. The kick I bought used, stripped her down, buffed out and a coat of wax. I think it's about 6 yrs old.
The Reference toms in the pics were part of a new kit i had bought about 2-3 years ago. Sold the small 18"x14 kick and have planned on purchasing a 20" kick. I'm still undecided if I really want to order and wait 6 months for a special order from pearl.

I've only had the gretsch kit a few months. I didn't really plan on using it with these toms. I just kinda ended up in this mud puddle. After picking up the kick drum I really am enjoying it.
 
I have a kit I call the "PdwP Crush"....it's all shades of blues..I wanted to try out some of the dw performance series and PDP platinum series and a Crush 13" tom....so I said what the hell, and bought them...added a PDP blue fade kick...it's a mish mash, but it looks "unique" and boy does it sound great!

So, my opinion, for what it is worth, of your mixed kit is "fine by me"; especially if there are good stories behind the acquisition or history of the individual drums....and of course you could have a lot of fun at a gig after a few beers and tell good stories..."why that 22" deep gretsch kick was on the titanic, son!" LOL

I think if you are asked to back up a solo artist or act in a sideman type of role, well, you probably won't be using that kit :)

thats my $0.07


Thanks! I've used the kick about a dozen times now with a snare and couple of cymbals. Very minimal setup but very fun. No toms as of yet.
 
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