Are bop kits worth it?

Darth Vater's dream kit...

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If I die, get to the afterlife and I'm issued one of these, I'll know I didn't go to heaven. I mean c'mon there's only 6 lugs on that fakey bass drum!
 

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They are worth it if you need one, and the space available requires one. Most are as the same quality as other kits of that brand.
 
I think there some confusion about what bop kits are. People like Kenny Washington, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade, and Ari Hoenig don't play bop kits because they take up less space or they're lazy and don't want to carry a bigger kit around. It's a different instrument. Sure for some people a smaller kit might work but it's never going to be comparable to something built around a 22". And a 22" is never going to be comparable to an 18" for certain things.
 
Shallow 20s are fun, you get a fast response, sound great and can pitch several ways...I'd like to get one.
 
it's the cymbal stands that use the real estate. Small drums are just as cool as big ones just don't cheap out on them just coz they are small..
 
I have 20”, 22”, and 24” basses. I converted a 16” tom to a bass just for funsies, to try it out, and honestly I found I loved it so much that I hardly ever play the others anymore. I wasn’t trying to make a bop kit, wasn’t trying to save space or weight, wasn’t consciously trying to sound like a famous jazz guy. It just sounds great, it nails one of the ideal bass sounds (for jazz, funk, Afro) in my head. If I played more mainstream rock or metal I’d probably pick one of the bigger basses.
 
This bop kit sounds great and is played very well:

 
You could cut a notch in the bass hoop, or buy a bass pedal that won't hit the rim (specifically the Tama Speed Cobra.) The Speed Cobra's plate is recessed toward the player by about 3/4" and won't hit the rim.

Simply moving the pedal away from the rim is not the best solution. The problem is, it messes up the balance and timing of the beater. The beater will hit later, and at a downward angle, making it feel weird because the pedal has to be depressed further into the floor.
"You could cut a notch in the bass hoop"???
 
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The only kit I've used that kinda shrunk the footprint of my kit was one of those Tama Club-JAM kits. It was nice-sounding but I just always want a full-sized kit. I'd rather lose the second cymbal and/or the floor tom, tbh. But I've had a lot of bop kits specifically because I'm a jazz player. I'd never want to play most rock or pop or whatever with an 18.

I guess what I'm saying is that the reason to buy a bop kit-- or any kit-- is that the sound is right for the music you're playing.

BTW, I kinda like the Dixson bass drum riser that Evans makes if you really want to use a riser. It's worked well for me so far. It's too expensive for what it is and it's probably best to start using it when you're doing a new set up, but it works well with different pedals and now that I'm used to it I like what it does.
 
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