JoJo Mayer's SQ2 Kit

R

RobertM

Platinum Member
Does anyone know what kind of SQ2 kit JoJo is playing in the new video footage posted on the site? Here's the clip:

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/jojomayerdp1.html

I think it is definitely an SQ2 kit, and according to Sonor's configurator site, the SQ2 comes in either maple, birch, or beech (a la Yamaha). The finish on the drums looks like a birdseye maple finish, but it is hard to tell. The sound of this kit is amazing. I saw him at a clinic about a month ago and he used a Sonor DeLite kit, which didn't sound as good as this one. Not even his HiLites sound as good as this one. Of course, maybe that's courtesy of the sound system and miking of the drums, but still.

Makes me want to save up down the road for an SQ2! Too bad they're so expensive.

Thanks!
 
Man... now I want one!

ha, ha, ha
 
ah sounds good, any idea whether it's a birch, maple or beech?
i prefer his kit on the modern drummer video with NERVE, any idea what he used for that?
 
Just a few days ago I saw a beauty of a sparkle-fade lacquered SQ2, brand new on eBay, and it was around $3000. That's cheaper than a new DW or high-end Yamaha.

I think it was a 5pc. (two-up, two-down, kick).
 
I believe that is his Jungle kit in SQ2 Birdseye finish.
20" by 16" Bass drum
14" by 4" snare with flanged hoops.
10" by 9" tom tom
12" by 10" tom tom
14" by 12" tom tom
 
He's also got the 8" tom to the right of the floor tom. He used this setup at a clinic in March in my neck of the woods. 20" bass, 10" tom, 14" floor, 8" tom, and 14x4 main snare with birch artist series 13" as auxiliary. But that kit was a DeLite.

The kit in this video (posted in this thread) just sounds so good. Even a friend of mine, who really doesn't understand my love of drums and thus gets bored when I "talk drums," remarked on how good they sounded! That's high praise!
 
Any high quality drum brand can give you that sound. Just find out what size drums are used and the exact heads. Then take some time to figure out how they're tuned. It looks like he's using a moongel on the snare at about 2 o'clock. You can place a perfectly clean moongel on the Bottom head of the toms to damp excess resonance. This keeps a clean look on the batter side. Place it near the bearing edge and work toward the center until you get the damping you want. It won't fall off no matter how hard you play as long as it is handled by the edges only. Wash it thoroughly with soap and water and dry with a towel handling only the edges. It will stick almost like glue on a clear head.

RobertM said:
Does anyone know what kind of SQ2 kit JoJo is playing in the new video footage posted on the site? Here's the clip:

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/jojomayerdp1.html

I think it is definitely an SQ2 kit, and according to Sonor's configurator site, the SQ2 comes in either maple, birch, or beech (a la Yamaha). The finish on the drums looks like a birdseye maple finish, but it is hard to tell. The sound of this kit is amazing. I saw him at a clinic about a month ago and he used a Sonor DeLite kit, which didn't sound as good as this one. Not even his HiLites sound as good as this one. Of course, maybe that's courtesy of the sound system and miking of the drums, but still.

Makes me want to save up down the road for an SQ2! Too bad they're so expensive.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Following his last statement in the german Drum Magazine drums&percussion, JoJo is actually playing a SQ2 kit with birch shells (construction?) and the Silky Oak finish.

ATB
Daniel
 
@DanielG: I read the interview only online. Do you refer to Jojo's answers or was there an extra equipment listing?


RobertM said:
Does anyone know what kind of SQ2 kit JoJo is playing in the new video footage posted on the site? Here's the clip:

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/jojomayerdp1.html
Click to expand...
This kit is was provided by Sonor for his last clinic tour in Germany, so it's "his kit", but he doesn't own it nor used it somewhere else besides the clinics or workshops.

I don't know what kind of shell it was, maybe beech or birch medium.

Sizes: 20x20, 10x8, 14x14, 8x7, Artist snares 13x5 (Earth Finish), 14x5 (Scandinavian Birch).

Cymbals: 13" Fierce Hats, 10" Fierce Hats, 18" AAXtreme China, 18" El Sabor Picante Hand Crash, Trash Hat (14" Evolution China and 13" Fierce Hihat Top), 21" Fierce Ride, 18" Fierce Crash, 13" AA El Sabor Salsa Splash and 10" Chopper.

Here some pics from the first date of the clinic tour last november. There the kit was fresh outta box, first day he used it:


(click for gallery)

And yes, it really sounded good, also and especially the acoustic sound (notice: still closed BD front head).


But his real own kit at home in Switzerland is still a Lite in scandinavian birch, which he uses on tours in Europe if possible (Nerve, Depart...). What he has in New York I don't know.
 
00Schneider said:
@DanielG: I read the interview only online. Do you refer to Jojo's answers or was there an extra equipment listing?
Click to expand...

Hey 00, alles im grünen Bereich? Drummerforum-Daniel hier! Da dies hier ein englischsprachiges Forum ist, geht's wohl entsprechend weiter:

I refer to Jojo's answers, where he describes himself as a "Birch-Guy". But due to his statement, that he describes his HiLites and the Delites as his favourite drumsets (that are obviously maple!), I doubt that he's sure about the material and the construction of that SQ2-Set ;-)

Give me some time to find out what he really said about his SQ2.

ATB
Daniel
 
Ah ja, das G is so ungewohnt... ;-)

DanielG said:
But due to his statement, that he describes his HiLites and the Delites as his favourite drumsets (that are obviously maple!), I doubt that he's sure about the material and the construction of that SQ2-Set ;-)
Click to expand...
I think the Hilite is just a mistake in the Interview, it should be Lite. With Nerve and Depart he had always his Lite, also in the old videos here.

But as his primary residence is New York, he there has maybe more than one set. In Switzerland I think he doesn't have more than two sets.
 
I believe that's the same loaner SQ 2 that Steve Smith used before he got his Signature kit. Medium maple with black hardware, same sizes as well, except Steve had a 9x12 and 16x16 in addition to what Jojo is using.
I figured it out by seeing the black hardware and the 20x20" bass drum. The color is the same too.
Here's a pic of the kit Steve used at a clinic last year.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/SteveSmithFan/Steve_Smiths_drum_kit.jpg

Jojo:
http://www.drummerforum.de/users/00Schneider/fotos/jojo07/original/jojo_ngb_17.html
 
DanielG said:
Hey 00, alles im grünen Bereich? Drummerforum-Daniel hier! Da dies hier ein englischsprachiges Forum ist, geht's wohl entsprechend weiter:

I refer to Jojo's answers, where he describes himself as a "Birch-Guy". But due to his statement, that he describes his HiLites and the Delites as his favourite drumsets (that are obviously maple!), I doubt that he's sure about the material and the construction of that SQ2-Set ;-)

Give me some time to find out what he really said about his SQ2.

ATB
Daniel
Click to expand...

Delite actually just means "designer lite" and obviously they just have the pre packaged maple kits now, but of course they made designer kits in any shell material, so this leads me to believe he was playing birch designers with a light shell

I know he is definitely a "birch-guy" and he stated that he really loved the HiLites fo sho.

hmm.
 
Hi

For sure the finish is SILKY OAK, birdseye amber is the finish on the Steve Smith 30th anniversary kit, but not sure about the shells... ¿vintage birch?

Regards
 
I've been admiring Jojo's sound for so long now... He's using an Artist Scandinavian Birch snare, which is really as maple shell with a birch finish.

That's about all I'm good for haha.
 
I don't think it's a good idea to spend so much on a drumset, it's not going to sound like JOJO's unless you have the recording gear to match. On the other hand, with good recording gear, you can make a 1000 dollars kit sound almost as good.


Fox.
 
These look to be SQ2 artist series. I play DeLite's. The hardware looks different. DeLite's have maple shells, and then the S-Classix will have a birch shell. I believe the artist series will be available with either shell (same grade as delite and s-classix), but they are custom with upgraded hardware. I love my drums. My serious kits will always always be Sonor, they fill the room with a warm resonant tone.

Uhoh
09101917.jpg
 
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