It's taken a while but I got most of my kit together

[KONA]

I ordered this Gretsch kit in May and got it in Sept (this year).

I said when I got my cymbals and the rack and everything set up I'd post some photos.


Well - here they are.

The KIT..................
Gretsch Renown Purewood African Mahogany Shellpack
13 (including the 2 hats) Istanbul Agop (one is an Alchemy Bell) cymbals
Gibraltar SC-850DB Rack system
Gibraltar single (9611SD) pedal for now
Pearl H-2000 Hat Stand
Valje bongos incorporated in there to my right
Also a nice little Gretsch Blackhawk Might Mini 10" snare (using it as a tom right now)
LP cowbells
Christmas Sleigh Bell (on one of the cowbells for now)
Remo Roto Toms - 6, 8 and 10" just over the hats
Gibraltar Oversized throne (comfy)

Now I need a bigger room!

I'm still waiting for my Axis AL-2 pedals and it looks like I may need some more cymbal stands. I still have to place six more cymbals in there somehow.

I would like to add a nice Persian rug and a Roland TD-20 brain with a few pads here and there. I won't 'push' that idea by my wife for now - she thinks I'm having a "mid-life" crisis as it is. Actually she's been really good about everything considering I've got over $7.000 invested in this so for.

This kit is not going anywhere thank God

It's my retirement gift to myself and I'm having lots of fun with it.

Cheers !

[aydee]

Thats hell of a set-up, Kona.. looking good!

6 more cymbals? may I offer some suggestions on cymbal positions?

15476

and while we're at it, a suggestion on a new home? with a drum room?

15477

enjoy it, bud

[NIMBY]

looks sweet, what does the Blackhawk snare sound like as a tom?

[punkdrummer1]

woah! Lovely kit, and WHAT A HOUSE :D

[drumr0]

Excellent!! Very nice drums. I would say well worth the wait for them too. I noticed you have your 2 rack toms switched (ie your smaller on your right and larger on the left). How do like that setup? I tried it awhile and found it fun to play but ended up switching back to the old way after awhile.

Very good taste in racks I see. I have always been a fan of Gibraltar racks. Very nice selection of cymbals too. Beautiful!!

[nx1600]

Very Nice, very nice...as a gretsch man myself...I'm lovin' It !

[KONA]

aydee
Can't get the house now - it was either the drums or the house - no contest! Ya - I'll have to play with the cymbals setup alright.

NIMBY
The Blackhawk sounds great as a tom - I put a Remo pinstripe on it and a Moongel - sounds good with my setup so far.

drumr0
I swithched the toms because it fit better in the setup with everything else. I noticed a few other drummers (in the same skill level as me - lol) Billy Cobham and Kenny Arnof (sp?) switch the tom config of their rack toms. I only noticed that after I switched mine so I thought - why not just leave it there for awhile and see. Within my setup I can play from large rack tom to floors (like Bonham did T1 2 &3) and then have my small rack, Blackhawk tom, and bongos available for a differnt sound (t1,2,3 &4). Just trying it for now and it's working out great.

[drumr0]

drumr0
I swithched the toms because it fit better in the setup with everything else. I noticed a few other drummers (in the same skill level as me - lol) Billy Cobham and Kenny Arnof (sp?) switch the tom config of their rack toms. I only noticed that after I switched mine so I thought - why not just leave it there for awhile and see. Within my setup I can play from large rack tom to floors (like Bonham did T1 2 &3) and then have my small rack, Blackhawk tom, and bongos available for a differnt sound (t1,2,3 &4). Just trying it for now and it's working out great.[/QUOTE]

Ahhhh. Thank you for explaining. I see how well that works with your percussion flavors. The more I look at it the more I like it!! Now I'll probably change my setup AGAIN!! I hate this forum!! ;)

[harryconway]

It's alive! Yeah. Great looking kit. And $7K ain't bad for a mid-life crisis. A new Corvette and Bo Derek would cost a tad bit more.

[KONA]

It's alive! Yeah. Great looking kit. And $7K ain't bad for a mid-life crisis. A new Corvette and Bo Derek would cost a tad bit more.

Yes - my wife agrees, although I think I'd lose out if I tried to go the Bo Derek route. I mentioned a new BMW Bavarian (don't even know if they make em anymore) - more my size - and my wife saw the wisdom in going with the new kit.

I picked up a couple more Gibraltar "Grabber-type" cymbal stands today so I have to move stuff around a little in order to get my splashes and one of either the 06 Special Edition or the 25th Anniversary rides in there. I like to be able to play a ride in a very low position right off the rack and first floor tom. It will be a challenge but it'll come together.

How's your Techstars and room coming along?

[Exportdrummer]

Nice kit do you use the bongo's very much?

[KONA]

Nice kit do you use the bongo's very much?

All the time when I'm practicing. I like that sound on the right and the 6,8 and 10 Roto Toms on the left right above the hats. I have a complete set of Valje congas I bought in 1977 - Quinto, Conga, Tumba, Supertumba and the matching bongos here in my kit. I recently "tucked" (new skins) all the hand drums with LP flats. It's the only way I can get new heads on my drums - there are no pre-formed heads that will fit them. Latin Percussion bought Valje out years ago and changed the head configuration.

But, the bongos do sound better though with just the good-ole hand contact for sure.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Love that Big G drum head, and you must be my shadow. I started in 1963 stopped in 1968 with a temp gig in 1975 then started again in 2006. Hail the old farts.

[Big_Philly]

Wow, sweet kit. Was that the african mahogany kit that gave you a lot of trouble with out-of-round shells or something? Did you get any new shells after all or are they fine the way they are?

[fourstringdrums]

Nice! Why do you have mufflers on a few of the cymbals?

How are the drums working out, especially the 16 that you were having problems with?

[KONA]

Wow, sweet kit. Was that the african mahogany kit that gave you a lot of trouble with out-of-round shells or something? Did you get any new shells after all or are they fine the way they are?

Yes - same shells. The shells are fine - it was a 16x16 hoop and the way I had to claim the warranty that was the problem. I got the hoop replaced and they sound awesome - I'm very happy with the kit. The only thing I may add is a metal snare - this snare is nice, but the metal snares do have a certain "bite" that you can't achieve with a wooden snare.

[fourstringdrums]

Yes - same shells. The shells are fine - it was a 16x16 hoop and the way I had to claim the warranty that was the problem. I got the hoop replaced and they sound awesome - I'm very happy with the kit. The only thing I may add is a metal snare - this snare is nice, but the metal snares do have a certain "bite" that you can't achieve with a wooden snare.

Didn't the 16" have a possible bearing edge problem?

[Garvin]

Are those Valje congas?

[KONA]

Nice! Why do you have mufflers on a few of the cymbals?

How are the drums working out, especially the 16 that you were having problems with?

See my answer to Big_Philly.

How's your drumming going?

The mutes:
I forgot to take them off for the photo shoot. I have them on there when I'm smashing around and I don't want to drive my wife and daughter crazy. And, they do add a different flavor to the sound. I've been playing quite a lot with the mutes on and got some interesting rhythms going on - especially when I had a cymbal mute on my large cowbell and a Christmas bell on top of that. Also I put mutes on some of my drums and left the bass drum wide open and then practices rudiments around the kit and cymbals - it sounds like a real cool recording! I don't know - it's just all experimental, unconventional and I'm having huge fun with it.

I've also placed some of my smaller cymbals (splashes and a bell) on top of crashes and rides and does that ever add a nice sound - especially the Alchemy Bell. I also took my 14 hats off and put a 10" splash on the bottom and used my 10" Bell for the top hat. I liked that more than my 14 hats. It gave a 'piercing' cym/bell ride effect and sounded incredible while going around the kit while practicing rudiments.

Here is the kit without the mutes and with the dual cymbals - ran out of cymbal stands for now and wanted to try them out so this is how I've done that.

The room is too small for me to stand behind a get a good shot of the whole kit - my hat and Roto Toms are out of the frame to the left.

Cheers

[KONA]

Are those Valje congas?

Yes they are Valje congas and bongos.

Good of you to notice!

I bought them new in 1977 from Ray Ayotte at DRUMS ONLY! in Vancouver, BC.

I have a quinto, conga, tumba and supertumba with matching bongos. The bongos are incorporated into my Gretsh kit for now.