Downsizing in changing times
- Thread starter KenDoken
- Start date
PorkPieGuy
Platinum Member
God bless you guys who take public transportation or taxis/Ubers to your gigs with your drums.
I'm totally backwards. I bought my first house, my current house, and my cars to fit my drums. I've payed a crap-ton of money to do so, but it's been worth it to me.
Keep fighting the good fight!
I'm totally backwards. I bought my first house, my current house, and my cars to fit my drums. I've payed a crap-ton of money to do so, but it's been worth it to me.
Keep fighting the good fight!
Neal Pert
Silver Member
Post-pandemic I've been playing a lot more jazz and a lot more gigs in weird locations where load ins are ridiculous and stage space is at a premium (or is just the floor of an art gallery or whatever).
For the most part I still gig a four piece kit with 3-4 cymbals for basically everything but I've never been more tempted to have Indē make me a 12/14/16 Wafarer or similar.
For the most part I still gig a four piece kit with 3-4 cymbals for basically everything but I've never been more tempted to have Indē make me a 12/14/16 Wafarer or similar.
roncadillac
Platinum Member
I would love to see some pics of the full kit set up. Did you end up going with one of those gretsch nesting kits from your other thread?
KenDoken
Junior Member
Yep it's a Catalina Club Street MkI. It looks nice and shiny in silver glitter if a bit toy-like. I would get a pic but have no macro lense on my phone
I'll be playing out tomorrow so will get a sense of how it sounds behind a band. Its a sedate gig so could do with a noisy event to stretch it
wildbill
Platinum Member
Push pull stroke
Platinum Member
Real estate is a little cheaper in your part of western NC lol. Especially prior to like 2020 or so, when did you buy your house?
KenDoken
Junior Member
I set up today and took some wide angle pics
Drivers seat
The toms tuned up well. Distinct difference between rack and floor in a good way. The snare is going to take a bit of getting to know and needed a gel. I'll be using seating from venues to keep the size and weight down
Birds eye
I'll be using an 18" ride as it fits in the cases (18x18x16). The cases were an extra. The footprint with throne is 4'6” x 4’6"
FOH
The bass drum sounded good in a tiny room. Quite tom-like which suits me. The spurs do need retracting to pack away. The tom tree was all the way in and has plenty spare to go higher.The floor tom legs are short. At full extension, the top head was 27" high
Drivers seat bass drum
It's nice and easy to set up with the bass drum splitting easily to get to the rack tom and reassembling with not trouble. The join can be seen with a bit of lipping between the 2 halves. The finish is nice and shiny
I think it should do for now. I'll be borrowing kits for recording and bigger gigs
roncadillac
Platinum Member
Very cool, thanks for sharing!
KenDoken
Junior Member
Just played a 3 hour gig with the kit. That was a nice surprise. Maybe its just a new toys thing but I really enjoyed playing the kit.
The bass drum worked well for upright bass, guitar and trumpet at low volume. The lack of bloom helped with definition and. I could punch out features in the bass figures without overwhelming them. There was something about the quick attack and shorter note that really worked
The snare needs a bit of attention. There's some unevenness to the sound that needs ironing out. What surprised me was the reduced real estate did not make brushwork any harder. The x-stick window was a lot narrower but sounded good when hit right. The tighter straddle was also a bonus for improved ergonomics and smaller footprint
Setup and teardown was quicker and easier as the drums are lighter and less cumbersome. I was parked 100 metres from the exit. I walked with the whole kit in one
The bass drum worked well for upright bass, guitar and trumpet at low volume. The lack of bloom helped with definition and. I could punch out features in the bass figures without overwhelming them. There was something about the quick attack and shorter note that really worked
The snare needs a bit of attention. There's some unevenness to the sound that needs ironing out. What surprised me was the reduced real estate did not make brushwork any harder. The x-stick window was a lot narrower but sounded good when hit right. The tighter straddle was also a bonus for improved ergonomics and smaller footprint
Setup and teardown was quicker and easier as the drums are lighter and less cumbersome. I was parked 100 metres from the exit. I walked with the whole kit in one
Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX
Local Boob
same...and if I took public transpo and walked to 98% of my gigs, I would be dead, and without drums, maybe not in that order....
sometimes, just clearing the 10 feet to get from truck to stage door is an "interesting experience"
roncadillac
Platinum Member
This thread reminded me of the old Tama metro jam kit, I totally forgot about that thing. I'm pretty sure that was Tama's first dip into the world of "micro kits"
www.sweetwater.com
Tama Silverstar Metro Jam Kit - Indigo Sparkle
3-piece All-birch Shell Kit with 14" x 16" Bass Drum, 6.5" x 10" Mounted Tom, and 11" x 13" Floor Tom - Indigo Sparkle
www.sweetwater.com
jda
Diamond Member
I been up and down and over and round and I know one thing.
I've tried the 16" bass thing even the 18" bass
gotta work too hard
or not low enough
So 20/12/14 or 20/12/16
just like 1974
around 2046
I was expecting to see the drums on an E-Bike.
I've tried the 16" bass thing even the 18" bass
gotta work too hard
or not low enough
So 20/12/14 or 20/12/16
just like 1974
and that too will remain till I'm outta here
around 2046
I was expecting to see the drums on an E-Bike.
KenDoken
Junior Member
I do agree with both these statements. I miss the sound of a 22. The way you can feel the noise. I have given up the notion of having a dream kit, it's just about what gets me playing out now. Il just have to look forward to playing and enjoying other people's kits
I also love driving. I can see a big reduction in car use coming so have decided to embrace this and hopefully not let it reduce my playing
I have been pleasantly surprised by the little kit and am enjoying the convenience and new sounds
GetAgrippa
Diamond Member
I love my 24 in kick with 10/13/16 toms but my practice kit is my lil Safari 16/14/10 because it doesn’t carry over my neighborhood as loud. But my 16x15 Pearl Rhyhm POD kick projects and reached as deep a tone as my 24 in kick- I measured it. Freaks me out. The little concert toms suck on kit but that kick is a cannon. It really is a tom because it has tom rims and takes tom heads.
KenDoken
Junior Member
Sounds like you no longer have it. Why did you move on?This thread reminded me of the old Tama metro jam kit, I totally forgot about that thing. I'm pretty sure that was Tama's first dip into the world of "micro kits"
Tama Silverstar Metro Jam Kit - Indigo Sparkle
3-piece All-birch Shell Kit with 14" x 16" Bass Drum, 6.5" x 10" Mounted Tom, and 11" x 13" Floor Tom - Indigo Sparkle