I'm a newbie here... well sort of.

justadrummer

Junior Member
I signed up here in 2007, but only posted a few times...

I thought I'd do it right and introduce myself if I'm going to start actually posting.

So, here goes...

Hi Folks, I'm Mike originally from Pittsburgh (Go Steelers! Go Penguins!) I've lived in Pittsburgh, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Naples, Baltimore, Chevy Chase (DC), and Richmond. (I'm an east coast guy...)

I suffered two stokes within a couple months of each other in 2008. I returned to work, but realized that 14 hour work-days were not in my future any more. I'm recently retired from being the president of the local region of a national company. My girlfriend Jackie and I are in the middle of restoring a 1910 Arts and Crafts "Four-Square" home. A serious "drumshed" is part of the remodel. (Actually, it will be a "drum-cave".)

My playing has suffered a great deal due to the strokes, now my playing is more about physical therapy.

I'm a total gear-head and have become a bit of a collector. (I used to consider myself a serious player who sort of collected, now I'm a serious collector who sort of plays.)


I currently own 8 kits

1964 Leedy (from the era that Slingerland owned them) kit with a virgin bass. The 12" tom originally clamped to the bass drum rim. It is in blue sparling pearl finish. It must have spent 40 plus years in cases as it is the cleanest 1960s kit I've ever seen. I picked up a 1958 13" tom on ebay in the same finish.
12", 13", 16", 20".

1973 Slingerland kit in sparkling blue pearl finish.
13", 16", 18", 24".

1975 Slingerland blakrome 7 pc kit with a virgin bass.
12", 13", 14", 16", 18", 22".

1970s Slingerland blakrome kit with a virgin bass
13", 14", 15" concert tom, 18", 24" (I haven't researched the serial numbers for the age yet.)

1981 Gretsch "Drop-G" badge 6 pc kit in walnut lacquer finish.
12", 13", 14", 16", 22".

2005 Gretsch Catalina Birch 6 pc kit in Chestnut fade finish. This is a nice kit, but the one I use as my gig kit as I have a lot less invested in it.
8", 10", 12", 14", 22".

2008 8pc DW Collector's Series kit in Broken Glass finish. I lusted after a set of DWs for 10 years before I took the plunge two years ago.
8", 10", 12", 13", 14", 16", 22".

1980s Remo Legero nesting kit that I bought to carry in the motorhome. They don't sound wonderful, but they will likely be the nicest kit at any campground we visit.
10", 12", 14", 20".


My current snare drum arsenal

2007 Ahead Black on Brass 6" x 13"

2009 Ahead Black on Brass 6" x 14"

1990s Ayotte Drumsmith Stainless steel 5 1/2" x 13"

2004 DW Solid Shell Natural Satin 5" x 14"

2008 DW 10 ply maple Broken Glass 5" x 14"

2008 DW Edge Broken Glass 6" x 13"

2009 DW Super Solid Shell Broken Glass 5 1/2" x 14"

2008 Fibes maple White Marine Pearl 5 1/2" x 14"

1970s Gretsch model 4160 Chrome Over Brass 5" x 14"

1981 Gretsch model 4160 Chrome Over Brass 5" x 14"

2006 Gretsch Catalina Birch Chestnut Fade Lacquer 5 1/2" x 14"

2007 Gretsch Nickel over steel 5" x 14"

1990s Legend Maple 6 1/2" x 14" with die cast hoops Natural Lacquer finish.

1970s Ludwig Acrolite 5" x 14"

2000s Ludwig Acrolite 5" x 14" Black Galaxie finish.

2000s Ludwig Classic Maple 3" x 13" Natural Lacquer finish.

2000s Ludwig Classic Maple 6 1/2" x 14" Natural Lacquer.

2009 Ludwig Black Beauty 5" x 14"

2009 Ludwig Supraphonic 5" x 14"

2009 Ludwig Classic Maple 5" x 14" Natural Lacquer.

2009 Mapex Big Cat 8" x 14" blue wrap with "Big Beat" logo signed by Jimmy Chamberlin.

1988 Noble & Cooley 7" x 14" solid shell maple Red Lacquer finish.

2000s Pearl Free Floating Brass Piccolo 3 1/2" x 14"

2007 Pearl Chad Smith 5 1/2" x 14"

1990s Remo Black Piccolo 3" x 13"

1960s Rogers COB Dynasonic 5" x 14"

1958 Slingerland Radio King single ply 5 1/2" x 14" Sparkling blue pearl finish.

1962 Slingerland Artist model single ply 5 1/2" x 14" Sparkling Blue Pearl finish.

1963 Slingerland Artist model 3-ply 5 1/2" x 14" Sparkling Blue Pearl finish.

1970s Slingerland Chrome over Brass 5 1/2" x 14"

1976 Slingerland Buddy Rich model 5 1/2" x 14" Blackrome finish.

1979 Slingerland Model 140 Ribbed Aluminum 5 1/2" x 14"

1990s Slingerland Radio King Solid Maple 6 1/2" x 14" natural lacquer finish with die cast hoops.

2009 Sonor Force 3007 Dark Blue lacquer 5 1/2" x 14".


And I own a bunch of cymbals (70 something)

I have full setups of

Paiste Signatures

Paiste 2002s

Sabian AAXs

Zildjian "K"s

Zildjian K Constantinoples

and about 20 or so Zildjian "A"s.

I'm putting together A Custom, K Custom and Sabian HHX setups now.

I recently picked up a trio of LP Classic Series congas and matching bongos. I'm trying to expand my horizons.

-Mike
 
Welcome...or welcome back, whichever is the correct phrase. I really dig your collection, that's insane! I wish I had all that to play with, haha. Do you have any pictures you can put up of some of you setups? Everyone here seems to like a little drum porn. :)
 
Welcome! It's great to hear about people who suffered major health set-backs and they come back with more vengeance about it. That's great! Awesome collection. You will definitely have to post pictures.

Questions about those Ahead snares: I was debating about those for some time and I still haven't gotten one to try. Is it a Black Beauty killer?
 
welcome back! love the honesty (a collector who sorta plays...), hope that the more time for yourself keeps you happy and healthy, looking forward to the posts...
 
Here are my DWs setup with the supersolid and the edge as a side snare.

newsetupwiththeDWs005.jpg


Here are my 1975 blakrome SIngerlands with the 22" virgin bass.

6pckit.jpg


Here is my 1973 Slingerlands 13", 16", 18" and 24" setup with my 1958 Radio King snare in the matching finish.

119.jpg


Here is another shot of the DWs, this time with the 1973 Slingerlands in the background.

122.jpg


How is that for a start?
 
Last edited:
Here is some more.

This is a set of 1964 Leedys with a virgin bass.

1964Leedys005.jpg


Here are the 1981 Gretsch.

AdditionstoLeedysandGretschkits010.jpg


And the Catalina Birch Gretsch kit...

Gretchkit010.jpg


And some cymbals... This was about 30 cymbals ago. It was before I bought my Constantinoples or any Sabians.

cymbalcollectionasofSept08021.jpg


And a taste of snares...

Snare-World005.jpg


Snare-World001.jpg


This is my other 1970s Slingerland Blakrome kit with a virgin kick. This one has a 24" bass instead of a 22". I just picked this up recently, it needs a serious cleaning.

BlakromeSlingerlandkit2001.jpg


Here is my new congas and bongos...

LPClassicSeriesCongasandBongos001.jpg


LPClassicSeriesCongasandBongos002.jpg
 
That is an insane amount of gear! absolutely love it! If i was to live in that house, I would be like the little kid lost in a giant candy store
 
Mike,

Welcome back and all I can say is that is INSANE and let me be the first to offer myself as you heir for all drum gear listed and to come! Seriously, dude that is an awesome collection and glad to hear that you have drums to keep you in shape after the strokes...it is important to have something that causes you to focus and push and why not drums they involve all the motor skills needed! Thanks for posting the pics and look forward to your posts. For my dad after his stroke it was and still is work that keeps him focused and pushing and for that I am thankful. Thanks again for sharing.


JIM
 
Holy Mother of God - where do you keep all that gear??? You could open a museum.

Congrats on coming back to drumming after your strokes. That takes incredible heart.

Enjoy! And see ya round maybe (I'm new in these parts too).

Jen.
 
Thanks for all the kind words folks.

Hopefully I'll have something to contribute here. I love to talk about drums, so I'm guessing that I'm in the right place.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, you are in the right place, whole bunch of drum loving, gear heads here, we may not have as much as you have in gear, but in our hearts most of us do...if not more! That is such a fine collection I would just go nuts at your place!

Thanks for all the kind words folks.

Hopefully I'll have something to contribute here. I love to talk about drums, so I'm guessing that I'm in the right place.
 
Back
Top