Vinnie Colaiuta

I am so refreshed that this forum is not in OCD drama Vinnie endorsement conjecture mode. Thank you to everyone here!
 
From the Ludwig Site
 

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In fact, I love reading his interviews because it almost makes me feel guilty about that modern, short-attention-span way of thinking where everything has to be SENSATIONAL! Drumming, in terms of the "drumming community" has almost become an athletic event where people get to see a new record being broken or hot licks nobody's seen before. It bores the hell out of me. He is very deep in his concept of music and the "Guitar Center Drum Off" and "Gospel Chops" stuff really is wrecking the overall concept. If you play a gig with actual professional musicians, nobody wants to hear that stuff. I totally get where he's coming from.

Superb, Ian!


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The link not being there is rather interesting...
I saw Vinnie tonight with Herbie Hancock. FWIW, he is still using Ludwig. There was mic stand blocking my view of the logo on the bass drum head but I'm pretty sure it was the small script Ludwig logo. Otherwise in the stage lights, I could see the reflection of the distinctive keystone badges on the toms.
 
I'll be seeing him tonight in Buffalo. I was hoping for Yamaha. I don't dig his Ludwig sound at all...
 
I never cared much for Vinnie's Yamaha sound. He tuned them like cardboard boxes to my ears, so it probably had to do more with that than anything. I think I actually like his Ludwig sound best from what I've heard.

Not crazy about the Paiste sound, though. And it's not like I dig A Customs much, or anything like that. I have an A Custom ride that I hate, in fact. But that sound just seemed like him to me.
 
Saw Vinnie recently with Sting in a fairly small (5000 seat) venue...thought his drums sounded terrible, as did Sting's bass.Clair Brothers providing sound (one the very best, if not THE best live sound companies in the world). It was very disappointing. I verified my findings with at least three other drummers who were there, all of us sitting in different seats...and all of us seeing Vinnie for the first time.

His Ludwigs sounded dull and lifeless. Dull attack, absolutely zero tone. I don't get it. I've heard Ludwigs sound amazing, same shells...in worse PA systems in worse rooms mixed by people who don't know much....

Neal
 
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Well my gf and I left early. I had a few thoughts but I was also in the nose bleeds at the center for the art at UB so take it with a grain of salt. The drums sounded awful. Like cardboard flappy boxes. Enough said. The cymbals were absolutely gorgeous. But I couldn't help thinking they were like EAK but on steroids. I think that's definitely what they were going for.

Other than that, Herbie pretty much saved the show when they did a song off of Sunlight with Herbie on Vocoder keyboards. Absolutely beautiful. Lionel Loueke did a very entertaining African/percussion solo on his guitar. That also saved the show a bit. I have to say a lot of their jam sections left me puzzled and drifting in my mind. Herbie also did a couple of solo pieces that were so far out that it bored me all while the band is standing there(waiting to come in?) but it doesn't happen. lol They also seemed tired. Actually quite tired. My gf noticed as well. The tickets were cheap enough for where we were but if you go to see Vinnie in his element, you may be disappointed.
 
I always thought his Yamaha sound sounded exactly like everyone else's (Gadd, Weckl, Robinson) Yamaha sound.

Good point. All that talk about pre-EQd birch shells, back when I was younger, that was the sound I craved. But if his new drums sound the same, it's obviously the sound he wants.
 
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