The "look" of a drum kit...

What insecurities?

^This. I play what is arguably one of the weirder-looking mismatched mongrel kits there is, and while it has evolved over the years, it has always been a point of great pride for me. It sounds good, it fits me, and it is paid for. I played last Friday night at a club in Denver, and had a guy come up to me afterwards and ask me what the heck that *thing* was.

Love it when that happens. IMNSHO, if it sounds good and it fits you, it's nobody else's business!

Pix here, for anyone who hasn't seen it...
 
I like wood too. Styles come and go, especially with wraps. Blue sparkle was once all the rage, especially in the 1950's. In the 1950's I loved blue sparkle and hoped to have it someday. By the early 1960's I no longer cared about blue sparkle...it was a bit "old". Never
did have it. The one wrap that seems to have stood the test of time as well as any is white
marine pearl. Kind of like having a nice tuxedo. Most everything that is cool now will appear
dated in 50 years. Wood seems to have more staying power than wraps. Life is short. Get
what you want, change it when you want. Have Fun!
 
For live performance, I like sparkle finishes. I happened upon a limited edition "Red Chameleon Sparkle" wrap for my Tama Silverstar kit. It's really cool in that it looks different depending on the kind of light that's shining on it. Look amazing with stage lights on it. Plus, I prefer wraps for my live gig kits, because of the durability. I really don't think wraps "diminish tone" especially since the wraps used today are much thinner than they used to be and are properly glued to the shell so it vibrates with the shell. If anything, it adds a bit more top end, which is great for projecting live. Sadly, Tama discontinued this color wrap and I wanted to add a floor tom but I'll have to settle with a different color.
 
You know I once dated a chick named "Sparkle Finish". Man, did She turn me on! Whoa!
Anything stained green with beautiful wood grain and highly polished lacquer gets my vote. I'm lucky in having the Mapex M-Birch in the emerald green finish. For me, the Saturn Green sparkle does not make me tingle. My ultimate kit would be a green stained veneer with a copper or bronze finished hardware-sorta like the Venus snare drum by Carl Palmer\Ludwig.
 
For live performance, I like sparkle finishes. I happened upon a limited edition "Red Chameleon Sparkle" wrap for my Tama Silverstar kit. It's really cool in that it looks different depending on the kind of light that's shining on it. Look amazing with stage lights on it..

Picture, please?

I have a standard black Rhythm Traveler. I was hoping for a white or even red, but they had black in stock and I had waited long enough to get my drums...whatever color they play the same.
That being said, I look forward to the day when I have the space (and the talent) for a larger set with "pretty" wraps. Of course, I am a girly girl even at my age. I'm not much for the bass-boat sparkle, though...but some sparkle/shine is nice..

I would like to see a picture of your Mapex kit - I'm sure they are beautiful!
 
I guess what I'm saying is that everyone gets to have their own opinion, and it's really about what makes you feel good when you play your chosen instrument. I think we have enough insecurities as drummers without having to worry about what other people think about the look of our kit.

Looks are everything when it comes to a drum kit. People 'see' a drummer onstage that sounds great, they don't give credit to the drums.

By 99.999% of the people who'll ever witness it, a drum kit is credited for its looks first and foremost, not its sound. The drummer is credited for the sound. Its just assumed that same drummer can go down the street and sound great on another entirely different set of drums.
 
Heck, my current kit is ugly as can be, but I think it's interesting, and has a sort of character that stands out among most kits, even though it's kind of a piece of junk.

I'm about to order a Yamaha Rock Tour kit tomorrow, and while I've never been huge on fades and bursts on drums, the textured green sunburst finish over two plies of ash is one of the most gorgeous finishes I've ever seen on a kit. While I'm sure there will be those who hate the finish, I love it, and I'll be proud to play such a beautiful kit.
 
I play a yamaha dtxtreme IIIs electric, and I love it, but if money was no issue....Cozy Powells red sparkle double bass kit from the early 70s....oh, man
 
As far as drums...I could care less about what anyone else says about my finishes..

The're my drums,and I ,....... have to be the one that's satisfied,not them.

I love all kinds of finishes like natural wood,sparkles,pearls and lacquered stains,chrome and lacquered brass.

It's all up to you.

By the way,that Mapex set is a lacquer/stain finish over wood and not a wrap ...right?So there's nothing "faux" about the finish ....is there?

Sorry,but your "friend " dosen't know what he's talking about.

Steve B

To be fair, he is NOT a musician by any stretch, and knows virtually nothing about musical instruments, which he freely admitted to me. I think he was more just trying to be clever, although it came off as ignorant. And this is really a fact with most fans who come to see us play; they know nothing about the actual instruments being played. And probably in a lot of cases don't care! Which brings us back to the look of the instrument.

If you're a fairly decent musician (guitarist, bassist, drummer, whatever), and you're playing what people think is a beautiful instrument, IMO people think your playing is better.

Point in case. The bass player in my band also plays the baritone sax. It's a giant piece of shiny brass with lots of valves and intricate little levers and other machinery. When he pulls that thing out, people in the audience start pointing and commenting before he even plays it. He's very talented and plays the sax beautifully. But I don't think people even really focus on that as much as they're mesmerized by this giant shiny piece of metal. I mean, it helps that he's he's very good. But if it was made of glue and particle board, I don't think he'd get the same reaction (both during and after gigs!). .

After nearly two months with my kit, I still think it's the most beautiful thing I own. My gf's brother's red Ducati 696 is parked 5 feet away from my kit, and it pales in comparison in my eyes.
 

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That's good to hear Grea :)

Something like these unfinished & unmachined English ash shells maybe? ;)

Yep folks them's my new drums being born right there. (rubs hands together in a sinister fashion) Mine...I tell ya....ALL MINE!!!

Hoo Hoo Hoo Haa Haa Haa!
 
I like kit's of all kinds. Even the mongrel kits. I have the wraps because of live giging, and didn't want a $12-1,500 bass drum ruined.

My Black kit is a lacquer on the toms/ft's, but when I bought the kit, I bought a roll of Remo's Black Quadura. It really looks like piano Black Lacquer, and since it was a roll, I could do the bass drum in one piece, glued to the shell, edge to edge. It's like a final ply. I figured it was the drum most likely to ever possibly get a ding on it, so I did the wrap. It's REALLY tough stuff, but looks awesome.
I've had several offers on that material. I got it years ago for $300 (42" by 24 feet), but just a couple years ago, I found out that same roll was over 1K!

When I decided to buy a new kit in '06, it actually took almost a year to finally decide on a color--which was the Red Sparkle. I saw someone pull a RS bass drum out of a case at a gig, and that was IT. I was never a "Red" type of person before, but I really dig that RS on my kit.

I REALLY love the Black Glass Glitter on my other kit (which was 1/2 of all the Black stuff) too. I saw the color in person, and it was a "that's IT" moment again. It's a real BLACK sparkle. I think it's cool.
 
Hey hows it goin? Walnut Trans is a beautiful color !! I just recently picked up a new Saturn IV Granite Sparkle set and I couldn't be happier! They are great sounding drums and look incredible on stage, I was coming from a boring gunmetal gray Rogers set and wanted to shake things up a bit ..... I think your drums should be whatever you want them to be !! I didn't get mine to impress anybody but me..and I'm impressed !! I have some pictures over in the '' Your Place section '' enjoy your kit and rock on !!
 
Objects of beauty in soft focus. No need for introductions - you all know what it is by now. (if you're at work, better make sure no one's watching - these pictures are intense).

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Grea ....awesome kit of stellar beauty.Congrats. Love all that wood grain. Its like a grove of hardwoods gave birth to those. Actually that kit would be pretty picturesque in a forest clearing.
20 bass drum? And heavier than say a 'conventional' kit the same size?
 
Objects of beauty in soft focus. No need for introductions - you all know what it is by now. (if you're at work, better make sure no one's watching - these pictures are intense).

You know when you see a picture of delicious food and your mouth literally starts watering? Well, I don't know what the equivalent is when you see drum porn, but it's happening now...

Actually, I started drooling a little too...
 
I just recently picked up a new Saturn IV Granite Sparkle set and I couldn't be happier!

I was actually thinking about your kit reading these posts. I'm normally a natural wood guy, satin preferably, but if'n I had to do a sparkle or anything other than wood that sucker is it, (badges be damned). Class all the way IMO, and bet they look a million bucks on stage under lights. I love how they did the inside of the bass drum hoops too. Like a frickin' stealth machine.
 
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