Black Pearls with go-faster stripes

[katman]

I decided to customize my jet black export fusion kit with some white pinstriping. And my wife decided to test her new camera and photography skills.

I think both turned out okay.

Pearl Export EX 22x18, 14x11, 12x9, 10x8.

Pearl 14x3.5 brass free-floating snare.

All Aquarian heads: SKII + Regulator on bass, Studio-X on toms and Focus-X on snare.

Cymbals: Paiste Signature Sound Edge 14" hats, Paiste 2oo2 22" ride, Zildjian A Custom 16", 18" and 19" crashes.

Vater Chad Smith Funkblaster sticks.

Freebie throne of questionable quality.

[Jon Cable]

Great looking kit and fantastic, original photos!! I think there will be many drummers wanting your wife to take their kits' photos!!!

[Rossy_j]

Dig' the photography and the stripes, you've made me like Exports (the Aquarian's help) .

R

[maddrummr]

Awesome pics. Those stripes are awesome.

How do you like your Paiste's?

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Oooh I really like the pinstripes. Photos are very cool too. I also like the setup.

[katman]

Thanks for the comments.

Great looking kit and fantastic, original photos!! I think there will be many drummers wanting your wife to take their kits' photos!!!

She's just started a photography course and now I have become her subject matter for assignments - me and the pets, me and my mountain bike, me and my drums, me and my golf clubs. Not easy living in the lens of the papparazzi.

Dig' the photography and the stripes, you've made me like Exports (the Aquarian's help) .

R

Watch out. Apparently you're not supposed to say positive things about Exports on this forum. They'll drive you out with pitch forks and torches at midnight.

Awesome pics. Those stripes are awesome.

How do you like your Paiste's?

Thanks. The stripes were born ot of boredom, but I think they've made a fairly common kit uncommon. And I love the Paistes. If I had my way, all my cymbals would be signatures or 2oo2's. The hats are very crisp and well defined. And the 22" 2oo2 ride is a great rock ride. The guy I bought it from was also selling a perfect condition Formula 602 20" ride for less than half its value and I didn't have the money to buy it. It's gone now.

Oooh I really like the pinstripes. Photos are very cool too. I also like the setup.

I've just recently added the 10" tom back into the mix - played a 4-piece for a while. For me, this is definitely the most comfortable way to set up a 5-piece. Specially when you place the middle tom almost over the centre of the bass so that the small tom doesn't sit too far to the left (pushing your hats too far away from you).

[ATCQ]

I've just recently added the 10" tom back into the mix - played a 4-piece for a while. For me, this is definitely the most comfortable way to set up a 5-piece. Specially when you place the middle tom almost over the centre of the bass so that the small tom doesn't sit too far to the left (pushing your hats too far away from you).

That's exactly how I set my kit up now. It's really clean looking, and easy to get around. How do those Aquarians sound?

[TitanSound]

Great job you have done there mate!!

Who cares if its an Export? I have been a proud Export owner for 10 years and with a little time spent tuning it sounds great. Damn the export haters!!

[drumbandit]

How did you do the stripes? They look great, and the overall setup looks easy to roll around.

Tom

[Hegnirst]

fantastic looking kit man u should be proud of it aha

[MetalHeadSDMF]

Lovin it. Very cool photos as well.

[hauk]

Great job on the stripes. I like that you have cymbals from different makers as well, some people seem afraid to do that (of course, there are good reasons for only using one maker too). I've got mainly Saludas with a Zildjian ride on my kit.
Anyway, cool set.

[katman]

Cheers for the compliments and comments.

That's exactly how I set my kit up now. It's really clean looking, and easy to get around. How do those Aquarians sound?

I love these Aquarians. The SKII + Regulator combo is the best money I've spent in a while. My kit is set up on wooden floor boards, and it really causes a thump you can feel - full and deep. The Focus-X on the snare has a lot less ring and overtone than the Coated Ambassador I had on previously and it took me a little while to tune it right without sounding dead. The jury is still out on this one. And I love the Studio-X's on my toms. Just the right amount of sustain and a nice deep punch. Quite keen to try the coated version some time, as my only gripe with the clears is a somewhat plasticky attack.

Great job you have done there mate!!

Who cares if its an Export? I have been a proud Export owner for 10 years and with a little time spent tuning it sounds great. Damn the export haters!!

Yeah, one day when it's no longer trendy to knock Exports (and these Philistines have moved onto ripping another kit apart) you and I will still be happy Export owners.

How did you do the stripes? They look great, and the overall setup looks easy to roll around.

Tom

Thanks Tom. Yes, the set-up feels very comfortable to me. I like a compact placement, so everything is virtually touching and my cymbals are low and close.

The stripes were dead easy. I went to an auto shop and got a few rolls of white pinstriping. I went for two different thicknesses. I then removed the lugs and carefully layed down a strip of masking tape, using both lug holes as a guide. I then stuck the two outer stripes either side of the masking tape, removed the tape and carefully placed the middle stripe as close to the centre and straight as I could judge by eye. I started and ended each stripe on the seam join of the wrap. I even did a similar 3-stripe pattern running vertically down my original Pearl kick drum reso head, but I think I prefer the plain black Regulator reso.

Great job on the stripes. I like that you have cymbals from different makers as well, some people seem afraid to do that (of course, there are good reasons for only using one maker too). I've got mainly Saludas with a Zildjian ride on my kit.
Anyway, cool set.

Thanks. I've bought all my cymbals used as new gear is very pricey in South Africa. So much of what I ended up with was determined by what I could find near me. But I really like the combination.

[baz]

...Katman.

Nice job, that is a great looking kit. You do realize that you now have a perfect excuse to go out and pick up more gear. You just have to explain to your darling wife that new drum gear will make her a better photographer.

barry

[katman]

...Katman.

Nice job, that is a great looking kit. You do realize that you now have a perfect excuse to go out and pick up more gear. You just have to explain to your darling wife that new drum gear will make her a better photographer.

barry

Thanks barry. I'll give it a bash, but she's a bright one and I doubt she'll fall for it.

Maybe if the new stave snare were to come with, say, a free pair of leather boots, size 6...

[tooldrums1000]

I really like those first 2 pics of your kit. My favroite pic of your kit is easily the 2nd one! Those pinstripes really make your kit stand out better.

[thumper]

Very cool, Bro! I did similar pinstriping on my old Maxwin set . Because they were white concert toms , with no bottom lugs, the end results were fantastic! (wish I had other pics than Polaroids so I could post:))

[katman]

Thanks for the kind words.

Here are a few more of my wife's pics - me reflected three times in my A Custom 19" crash, my precious Paiste Signature Sound Edge hats, an unusual shot of the bass drum pedal through the reso port and a blurry-armed action shot.

[latzanimal]

The stripes look coooollll! Different.

[tooldrums1000]

How did you get those strips on? Dont you have to scuff up the paint so it can hold on to something?

[Gravy]

Those stripes look great! Well placed, and really tasteful.

[katman]

How did you get those strips on? Dont you have to scuff up the paint so it can hold on to something?

It's a wrapped finish, not paint. And the stripes are just normal auto pinstripes - they stay well stuck. Even if it was a painted or laquered finish I'm sure they'd hold on fine.

Those stripes look great! Well placed, and really tasteful.

Thank you.

[drum.lad]

very very nice i was thinking of doing something like that to my drums but i doubt they will turn out as good as yours.and your wife has got a talent

[rendezvous_drummer]

Nicely done mate, the stripes really kick arse. And yes, that pic of you reflected three times in the A Custom is trippy!

[Pedey]

looks greeeeeeeeat! really love it

[katman]

very very nice i was thinking of doing something like that to my drums but i doubt they will turn out as good as yours.and your wife has got a talent

Believe me, it's dead easy - I doubt you could mess it up. And I find getting stuck into a job for several hours quite therapeutic. I recommend giving it a bash.

Nicely done mate, the stripes really kick arse. And yes, that pic of you reflected three times in the A Custom is trippy!

Thanks. Mostly I don't know what she's trying to photograph and only see the results later on screen. I quite enjoyed that one.

looks greeeeeeeeat! really love it

Cheers mate.

[Fatticus]

Looks hot and the photos are great. Nothing wrong with Exports!

How fast does it go? ;]

[dry_water]

an amazing finish.. i really lovee it. how much was it again?