Made it myself - Keller Maple kit, Big Bass

[iamtak]

Ok guys, here's my first drumset, worked all summer to finance it. I made sure to take your advice and got products that I feel I wont 'grow out of' any time soon.

I got all the parts (except for the stain) from www.precisiondrum.com. Gary and all the people there are very helpful and kind. They provide the kind of customer service you can only get with a small buisness.

All the drums but the snare are keller maple. I did the finish myself, so its not too good looking but as long as it sounds killer (and it does) thats all that matters.

Specs:

Bass- 8 ply 18" x 26"
Power stroke 3 batter with falam patch and ported ambassador reso

Rack Tom - 6 ply 9" x 13"
Coated Emperor with Clear Diplomat

Floor Tom - 14" x 16"
Coated Emperor with Evans Resonant

Snare - Pork Pie "Big Black Brass Snare Drum" 6.5" x 14" Brass
Emperor X with stock side head

Crash - 20" A Custom Crash
Crash - 18" A Custom Projection Crash
Hats - 14" AAX Xcellerator hats
Ride - 24" 2002 Ride

all the hard ware is PDP stuff, alot of people here seem to have problems with it, but I hit pretty hard and with fairly large cymbals and it seems to be okay.

The pictures dont show it but the wood grain is far more noticible in person.

This isnt exactly how I have it set up, but close, I'm packing up for school so I thought I'd take some pics before I go off with it.

[Tuxido]

Woah ! thats a massive bass drum , how does it sound, any sound clips ?

[Ian Ballard]

Very nice!!

My next kit will be custom made. Big $$$ saver, if you know what you're doing.

[iamtak]

Woah ! thats a massive bass drum , how does it sound, any sound clips ?
i wish i could make some clips of it but i lack the means to do so. It sounds really good, I need to find a slightly smaller pillow to use, the one ive got now is a little big and touches more of both heads than I'd like, so its pretty punchy sounding but i imagine with a bit more resonance it'll sound even more impressive.

[gringo998]

could i ask how much total, not including cymbals and that stuff, just the drums and hw

nice by the way, it looks amazing!

[Ytsejammer]

dude, I wish I had your drums, and out of curiosity, how much did those run you? I would love a set with a huge bass......ah

[iamtak]

these are rough estimates USD

bass- 500
tom -200
floor -220
snare -200

plus heads

[gringo998]

thats such a great deal man, congrats on your beastly nice kit!

[Ozzy Biz]

I like it. It really reminds me of Joey Castillo's kit, especially because it's about the same colour, the same set-up and you're rocking a jam block and tamborine too.

[Audun_D]

Wow, niiiiiice. Very nice finish.

[iamtak]

I like it. It really reminds me of Joey Castillo's kit, especially because it's about the same colour, the same set-up and you're rocking a jam block and tamborine too.
yeah, he was a big inspiration on this one, but the jam block is hardly ever used. The more i play the more i want a bonham setup, or at least another floor tom. I think when i get some more money blue sparkle wraps are next.

[kickit100]

wow great job thats a great kit, i luv that bass drum

[stianr]

i wish i could make some clips of it but i lack the means to do so. It sounds really good, I need to find a slightly smaller pillow to use, the one ive got now is a little big and touches more of both heads than I'd like, so its pretty punchy sounding but i imagine with a bit more resonance it'll sound even more impressive.

Pillows are meant to be used in the BED! After a couple of hours with tuning, you could throw that pillow back to where it belongs!

But anyway, damn, that kit seems to ROCK! Nice work. I'll bet that bassdrum kicks out your windows some day. :D

[Drifter in the Dark]

Pillows are meant to be used in the BED! After a couple of hours with tuning, you could throw that pillow back to where it belongs!

But anyway, damn, that kit seems to ROCK! Nice work. I'll bet that bassdrum kicks out your windows some day. :D

He does have a point y'know! :) The man himself (Bonham) used a drum that was 4 inches more shallow than yours with no muffling or ports and it rocked! But seriously, what you have here is a nice looking kit! The finish is really consistent for a DIY job, too. I think I'm gonna start building a Keller kit of my own soon becuase I need an upgrade.

[jollymosher]

Props for geting out there and doing it. i have allways wanted to put a kit together but i never just do it. i think the finish looks just fine.

[fijjibo]

WOW!! well done , a great kit!!!

[iamtak]

Pillows are meant to be used in the BED! After a couple of hours with tuning, you could throw that pillow back to where it belongs!

But anyway, damn, that kit seems to ROCK! Nice work. I'll bet that bassdrum kicks out your windows some day. :D
I like the feel of the pillow in there, Im just used to that feel. But what are some tips for tuning a bass like that? Or can someone link me a thread on that?

[stianr]

I like the feel of the pillow in there, Im just used to that feel. But what are some tips for tuning a bass like that? Or can someone link me a thread on that?

The tuning method is called "Scientific WildAss Guess", aka SWAG. SWAG can't be learned, so you just gotta figur it out yourself.

[BarryBuchanan]

WOW A 26!!! this kits a big boy! aewsome job on making it man!

[d.c.drummer]

Congrats on beautiful kit. Odds are it sounds great. You have an admirer in me.

[LiveGoat]

Bonham actually used 3 or 4 inch wide strips of felt on the inside of the front and back heads. But with the right size pillow, you could probably get an equivalent sound. I also just aquired a 26" Luddie kick....it's nice!

---LG

[YAMAHA DRUMMER]

Great looking set .. but , why you choose those sizes ( which are great sizes ) .... and your Floor Tom is 14" x 16" why did'nt you made a 16 X 16 or 16 X 18 ?
i think that your floor tom is too short for the rest of the kit ...
the finish is great and i like the lugs.
take care.

[SqueakySpeedKing]

Nice! Looks like fun to play. Not keen on the pillow in the drum though. Is that a Giant Beat on the right ther?

[iamtak]

Great looking set .. but , why you choose those sizes ( which are great sizes ) .... and your Floor Tom is 14" x 16" why did'nt you made a 16 X 16 or 16 X 18 ?
i think that your floor tom is too short for the rest of the kit ...
the finish is great and i like the lugs.
take care.
I was under the impression at the time that the difference between 14" and 16" would be minimal. It also may have been cheaper to get the 14"x16"

[LexHitReset]

that's awesome dude, congrats on the diy.

i'm ordering my custom kit next week

keller maple

6ply
12x8 rack
16x14 floor w/ legs
8ply
22x20 kick (virgin)

you happy with the keller maple iamtak?

[iamtak]

yeah, the keller maple seems nice. I dont really have much to compare it to, ive only been drumming about 7-8 months, and the first 6 on a PDP CX, so that'd also be maple.

[hauk]

looks great. i'd really like to build a kit soon, but i need the $$... ah well. hopefully i'll be able to, i've gone over everything so much in my mind hahaha

[dom]

looks great. i'd really like to build a kit soon, but i need the $$... ah well. hopefully i'll be able to, i've gone over everything so much in my mind hahaha

same here i have like 10 pages in a notebook of sizes and prices and all the jazz i have been looking to build one for almost a year now been haning around ghostnote trying to soak up everything i can learn

[harryconway]

I have a Ludwig 26x14 kick with the same head combo., but I run mine wide open. If you dig the pillow, keep the pillow. Felt strips will probably open up your sound more, which is great if that's what you want. If you want no pillow and little to no overtone, throw a Powerstroke 3 on the reso. side. I set up my 20x14 with P3's on both ends and get a nice tight sound out of it. I like some overtone, so I run my 26 wide open. My 28x14, I have the same head combo. as the 26, but a small block of foam up against the batter head. Just a little sound control on the 28.

[Jusstickinaround]

How do you like the Pork Pie snare, is the sound similiar to a Ludwig Black Beauty? I'm thinking about buying one.

[iamtak]

How do you like the Pork Pie snare, is the sound similiar to a Ludwig Black Beauty? I'm thinking about buying one.

I like it alright. Gets the job done. I dont know what a Black Beauty sounds like. Ive also put 42 strand wire on it and changed the batter to an Emperor X.

I was thinking perhaps of changing to either wood or, more likely, diecast hoops, as i understand these make the drum more "cracky" and eliminate some of the ringing (though i dont have much ringing at all) can someone verify this?

[thecraponline]

Great kit, nice job on the DIY.

Does the tambourine rattle when you hit the bass drum?

[pdp 9091]

Pillows are meant to be used in the BED! After a couple of hours with tuning, you could throw that pillow back to where it belongs!

But anyway, damn, that kit seems to ROCK! Nice work. I'll bet that bassdrum kicks out your windows some day. :D


Ya i agree. Get that pillow out of there (if u havent already) and just use some good ol' felt strips

[iamtak]

TheCrapOnline: yes, the tamborine rattles if its mounted on the kick drum, its kinda neat, but i take it off unless im using it.

Pdp 9091: I've put a much smaller pillow, the pillow supplied with my pdp kit, it probably touches only 1.5" (height) of each head, its almost too short to touch either head. I cant imagine there'd be much of a difference between that and felt strips, i imagine that the greater area of the head that the felt strips touch would mean that the felt dampens more than that pillow.

I have a hard time playing without a pillow in there though, the head gets too bouncy and i cant play as well. I have yet to try the felt strips though, as im too broke to go out and buy anything. I spent my last money on a kick drum mic, a Blue Kickball, but i didnt get a phantom power supply for it, Doh! So that something else i'll have to get before i can post any sound clips up.

I've put new lugs on there now. http://precisiondrum.com/RTL.jpg some of those. The drums sound better now, i dont know if thats something to do with the new lugs or if its just because i had a chance to take the heads off, reseat them and tune them up properly.

[Cymbalrider]

How loud is that thing?! I can't imagine a situation requiring that big of a sound but it must be lots of fun to have though. I have problems with my 22x18 bass being too loud, I stuffed a pillow in it and it still rings and the EMAD can't save it either. The only thing I want to know if how you plan on moving it around, not exactly an easy fit in a vehicle.

[drumzac]

How loud is that thing?! I can't imagine a situation requiring that big of a sound but it must be lots of fun to have though. I have problems with my 22x18 bass being too loud, I stuffed a pillow in it and it still rings and the EMAD can't save it either. The only thing I want to know if how you plan on moving it around, not exactly an easy fit in a vehicle.

Can't imagine a situation requiring that big sound? Listen to Clutch...enough said.

26x16
13x9
16x14
18x16

[iamtak]

How loud is that thing?! I can't imagine a situation requiring that big of a sound but it must be lots of fun to have though. I have problems with my 22x18 bass being too loud, I stuffed a pillow in it and it still rings and the EMAD can't save it either. The only thing I want to know if how you plan on moving it around, not exactly an easy fit in a vehicle.

It's loud enough : ) Though not that much louder than a smaller bassdrum.

Yeah, im probably not going to have a situation that absolutely requires that big of a sound, but ive got it and can use it. And would john bonham's kit been anywhere near as cool if he had a 22"? It is lots of fun, and will look impressive on stage.

It's really not too bad to move around, the bass drum is the only drum that is larger than a typical rock four piece, and it can fit in the back seat of my old Honda Accord. The whole set just takes up the trunk, one backseat and the rear leg-room (stands) with room to spare for other musical equipment.

[jollymosher]

hes just looking for a reason to complain i think! personally.. i want a 26x22 or 28x24!

it would be a fun drum to have around for studio work where no other drum gets the boom you want!
I can fit 2 22x20 kicks 12" 16" 14"snare and 13" snare, all my hardware and my throne in my mercury sable... cant fit in the porsche even tho it is a hatch back..