Ironwood drum set

Those are some really nice sounding drums! I love the sound of your bass.

Really? I have let others hear it and they say it has too much lower midrange in the mix. Other band members say it sounds fine (especially in the mix of the song, not included) but they are not attuned to drum sounds. This current mix seems to make it sound like bigger-diameter drum. It is not the sound I am accustomed to but I do kind of like it. However, in the context of the whole song (which includes rhythm guitar, bass guitar, violin and two harmonizing vocals) it still seems a bit boomy.

Miking drums is so complex and these are especially hard to mic because of all the tones coming out of them. Thanks for the feedback!
 
I got four-piece fever and changed my ironwood drums from a six-piece to a four-piece setup. I have usually played on a mid-sized kit but every now and then I like to shake it up. Having fewer options and combinations is forcing me to play in new and different ways. I also went with fewer cymbals. I started with a 20 ride, 13 hats, 6 ice bell, 8 splash, 12 splash, 17 crash and 18 China (all Zildjian A Customs) but I got rid of the 12splash, the ice bell and the China.

I think the square size toms and tube lugs give it a bit of a steampunk flair. The bass drum is 18 inches and all of the drums are in square sizes, except the snare, with is 13 by 4.

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In the music room.

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Closer view.

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Close-up of up tom with the flash turned off. I use a snare stand to hold the tom up. The little Chinese dude on front hoop is a bass drum buddy.

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A closer view. It is much easier to move - the set is on a third floor, so less is better in terms of moving it.

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From behind and above.

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Elevated view from the front.

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Looking down from the front. To conserve space and hardware, I stacked the 8 splash on top of the 17 crash.

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A view of the up tom taken with flash. The badge is branded onto the shell with a hot iron.

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From the side. I swapped a cymbal mount on a ball from the tom mount on a ball.

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The 8- and 10-inch toms are mounted on a stand with the 12 splash and China.

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A closer view of the stand. It's fun just to play them separately, like a cocktail set kind of.

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The ironwood is gorgeous in natural light.
 
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Every now and then the 4-piece bug just strikes out of nowhere - I know the feeling. I wonder if guys like Terry Bozzio and Mike portnoy get that same thing from time to time though...
What's with the heads on the 8" and 10" toms? There seems to be some wrinkling on them - is that normal for Fyberskin heads when they get older?
 
Every now and then the 4-piece bug just strikes out of nowhere - I know the feeling. I wonder if guys like Terry Bozzio and Mike portnoy get that same thing from time to time though...
What's with the heads on the 8" and 10" toms? There seems to be some wrinkling on them - is that normal for Fyberskin heads when they get older?

Yeah, that's something that Fiberskyns do. They have fibers of plastic pressed together to mimic the cellular structure of real hide. However, as these heads wear, they tend to deliminate and I pull off the bubbled layers as needed. Underneath is a Diplomat, Ambassador or Emperor head.

Coated heads wear out their coating. Each kind of head wears out in its own way.
 
I would have actually preferred a 20 inch bass drum, but those are extremely hard to get, even by Spirit Drum standards. The logs must be 22 inches, which means they literally weigh tons if you can find them. But even the 18 inch drum sounds resonant, thick and punchy.

Does that mean that one wouldn't be able to order a double-bass kit?
 
Thats a seriously stylin kit DMC! Subtly styled but ingeniuosly designed! Undersized shells? May I ask what style of bearing edge and diameter of the shell?

Those are masterfully designed for ultimate sound capability. Awesome!

Love the pedal set up too! So much versatility! Spirit Drums website has some very tasty sound files too! The ironwood definitely speaks! Australia has such amazing trees!

c8s
 
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I use a lot of pedals too... Though my personal BD and Toms are just plain old Kellers, 5ply toms, 8 ply bass. Had em a long time I can't wait to hear a kit like yours in person! Maybe I can get some ironwood veneers someday. I wonder if something so dense comes in veneer. gonna look it up.!!

Here's the pilot seat of my kit. (I know, I need a better camera pronto....)
 

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Every now and then the 4-piece bug just strikes out of nowhere - I know the feeling. I wonder if guys like Terry Bozzio and Mike portnoy get that same thing from time to time though...

They do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKG2xylOkdU
If you look at this, Terry explains he has played jazz on a small jazz kit.
Mike Portnoy plays all of his side projects on smaller kits, and he had done his Beatles tribute on a Ringo kit.
 
I use a lot of pedals too... Though my personal BD and Toms are just plain old Kellers, 5ply toms, 8 ply bass. Had em a long time I can't wait to hear a kit like yours in person! Maybe I can get some ironwood veneers someday. I wonder if something so dense comes in veneer. gonna look it up.!!

Here's the pilot seat of my kit. (I know, I need a better camera pronto....)

Wow, I really dig the pedals there. I also love leopard print finishes. Do you have a thread for your set? I will stop by there.

You might want to use a simple photo editing program, like Windows Picture Manager, to lighten up the photo and show more of the pedals. Looks like you have a hi hat, bass, tambourine and something else I can't identify.
 
Wow, I really dig the pedals there. I also love leopard print finishes. Do you have a thread for your set? I will stop by there.

You might want to use a simple photo editing program, like Windows Picture Manager, to lighten up the photo and show more of the pedals. Looks like you have a hi hat, bass, tambourine and something else I can't identify.

Its a lousy camera, and it recently went kaput on me. :(

For pedals, its an Axis A double with a longboard on the left side, normal on the right.

The far left pedal is a Tama pedal with a Terry Bozzio beater that has a pair of finger cymbals threaded on it that strikes a jamblock which simulataneously sounds the tamborine. The longboard slave is next, then inside that is an Axis hihat stand with a shortboard. To the right of the main kick pedal is a DW5500 hihat stand clamped to the BD with a pair of 12" hats on them. (12" AA splash on top of a cut down 16" Sabian Metal AAX.)

I'll probably start a thread about the kit soon. Lots of stuff hiding in there, but still looks basic.

:)
 
Thats a seriously stylin kit DMC! Subtly styled but ingeniuosly designed! Undersized shells? May I ask what style of bearing edge and diameter of the shell?

Those are masterfully designed for ultimate sound capability. Awesome!

Love the pedal set up too! So much versatility! Spirit Drums website has some very tasty sound files too! The ironwood definitely speaks! Australia has such amazing trees!

c8s

The shells are 8, 10, 12, 14 and 18 bass, all square sizes. The snare is 13 by 4. The wood is a half-inch thick and the bearing edges are 45 degree tapered, with a fairly sharp edge.
 
I have a few questions:

I wonder if it is possible to order a double bass kit from Spirit Drums?

What brand are you using for the clamp that you attached to the rims mounts?

and why do you go with square with all of the toms?...mostly the lower toms are square for other drummers, they must really some bite in their sound when you hit them hard.
 
Some updated photos of the four-piece. To conserve stands and equipment, I went back to my habit of stacking cymbals.
 

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Truly great looking stuff DMC. How do you find the fibreskin heads? I remember using one as a batter on a lovely wood snare I had, back in the day. I imagine they partner really well with your woody organic kit vibe. I'm starting my journey to a second kit. Something very woody & controversial, so I'm very interested in the concept. I'm guessing they really focus on the fundamental tone. I like that, but do they still offer enough attack & cut?
 
HAHA! Reminds me of a thread I started to collect funny advertising terms about instruments. Were you around then? Got deleted in the last Off-Topic Lounge holocaust.

I noticed an ad once for a snare drum that had "crowd-cutting backbeats." I thought it was strange, the idea of assaulting your audience, so me and my band mates have been coming up with others like:

"Sternum-crushing bass"

"Audience-decapitating cymbal crashes"

"Stool-softening tom fills"

"Ear-impaling rim shots"

"Nose-hair-curling tabla solos"

"Divorce-triggering volume"

"Aura-bleaching sitar solos"

Now we can add ""Cornfield-leveling sound output" and "Rodent-exterminating volume."

People added a bunch more and I wish I still had the list.

www.terrasonus.com

Hmm...... this definitely calls for a new category of posts in the "Humour" section. I'm surprised there isn't anny about drummers' humour on this site.
 
I have a few questions:

I wonder if it is possible to order a double bass kit from Spirit Drums?

What brand are you using for the clamp that you attached to the rims mounts?

and why do you go with square with all of the toms?...mostly the lower toms are square for other drummers, they must really some bite in their sound when you hit them hard.

Sorry it too me so long to respond.

As far as a double bass kit, I don't even know if they are still in business, but it is worth a try. I assume they will sell you whatever they have on hand.

The RIMS clamp is a DW model. I prefer DW hardware.

I like square drums as it gives a beefy, full sound. The shells are about a half-inch thick and very heavy, giving more attack and definiation, while the deeper shells add warmth.
 
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