26" Cool Factor

Yeah, a sweet kit for sure Bo.

A 26 is "cool", but I love the sound & feel so much I think at this point, I'd kind of be disappointed in anything else-unless it was a drastic change in size.

I KNOW if I had a 24, and I brought it to a gig, I'd wish I had the 26, so I never bothered to get any other size (since I went down from the 28, 10 or 11 years ago).
Plus, all my bands really love the bass drums I have.

I'm beginning to think like you. I did a wedding with my Slingerlands with the 22 bass drum and I felt partially like a fish out of water because I wasn't getting what I needed because the drum is so small.

I think my Slingerlands just got relegated to "mesh head practice kit" - which is good since I don't want to trash those for sentimental reasons ;)
 
Actually, it affords me much more power, and other than some fast double things that I need to adjust for, I play basically the same. The cool thing is approaching this mentally from the other side: I can play lighter now and still be loud enough. That was one of Buddy's things he used to say - he didn't want to have to work too hard, and I think he was right. When I'm relaxed and not having to slam the bass drum the whole time, my performance is much better and I can carry the band easier. But when I want to obliterate the band, I can certainly do that when needed ;)

That's the thing about the larger drum.
You can play it softly and get a great sound, you have a lot of room with your dynamics, and, you can really drive the band.
It's a misconception that you have to hit a larger drum harder. You don't have to play a 14" snare harder than a 12" snare...
 
That's the thing about the larger drum.
You can play it softly and get a great sound, you have a lot of room with your dynamics, and, you can really drive the band.
It's a misconception that you have to hit a larger drum harder. You don't have to play a 14" snare harder than a 12" snare...

I'm really noticing this, especially when I pull out the 22". I can't get happy with the sound and the dynamic range is pretty limited, in comparison. The feel is way different though, and it took me some time to adjust. You don't have to hit a 14" snare harder than a 12", but you have to adjust your technique to be equally as articulate. Doubles are way easier to play on a 12", for example.

Actually, it affords me much more power, and other than some fast double things that I need to adjust for, I play basically the same. The cool thing is approaching this mentally from the other side: I can play lighter now and still be loud enough. That was one of Buddy's things he used to say - he didn't want to have to work too hard, and I think he was right. When I'm relaxed and not having to slam the bass drum the whole time, my performance is much better and I can carry the band easier. But when I want to obliterate the band, I can certainly do that when needed ;)

Nice! I'd agree w/ that. Yeah, my doubles suffered for a couple weeks when I first got a 24"...but overall they seem *easier* to play on a bigger drum now...and more present thanks to more volume. My balance was thrown off a little at first, too...but you just get used to it, I guess.

My beater hits center on a 24" now...I'm thinking I'd have to raise it a bit to get the best sound out of a 26". :S That, and moving my 13" tom further out into left field, don't excite me much...but I think it's ultimately worth the adjustment.
 
......That, and moving my 13" tom further out into left field, don't excite me much...but I think it's ultimately worth the adjustment.

I've been noticing because my 13" is that much farther out to the side (my right, for me) my toms fills aren't quite so "roll-y". In time I might be able to fly from the rack tom to the floor, but it's just not happening. However, the up side is that I'm concentrating more on the groove than on some interesting fill that will disrupt the time. I'm almost happy not to have to do anything flashy - like Steve Jordan in a way. Another reason the 26" is helping me to be cool.
 
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