My GRETSCH VC set

[SergeKIEFFER]

hEY A FEW NEW PICTURES FOR YOU
GREETINGS
SERGE




Dear all,
Just want to share a few pictures of my actual set!
This kit sounds just great

[mind_drummer]

Ce kit est une merveille ! C'est la première fois que j'ai la chance d'en voir un !

En passant bienvenue Serge !

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Wow ! spendid, I like it very much and the yammy sub too !

Welcome aboard Serge :-)

edit: Post specs (kit & cymbals)

I've never been sure of those shallow toms on VC's set. Needless to say they sound great on record, but how do they sound in person? I've seen Bonham replicas, Peart replicas, but I've never seen a Vinnie replica!

[SergeKIEFFER]

Merci pour le "bienvenu"
VC lui meme a joue dessus lors d'un concert avec Bo Didley! le 16" tom est signe par VC lui-meme.

c'est la pure merveille!

Serge

[TitanSound]

Stunning kit and even more stunning cymbals!

[SergeKIEFFER]

TO: Mediocrefunkybeat

Hi, this is no replica!
This is original stuff! VC played this kit during his gig with Bo Didley at the Georgia Hall of fame on MAR 10th 2005

Check out the pictures on the GRETSCH webside

This kit was rent via FORK's Drum Closet, and sold to myself end of 2005

Just can tell y that this is a great kit

Thanks
Serge

Even better! Awesome, I bet you paid quite a lot for that, but every penny (euro cent?) was worth it! Congratulations on a great set.

[cdawg_2010]

looks awesome! what cymbals do you use with it

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by cdawg_2010

looks awesome! what cymbals do you use with it

Hi thanks for the question!

It is a mix between Zildjian, Sabian & UFIP
let me remember from far left to right:
14" Groove Hats Sabian HHX
16" Ozone crash SABIAN EVOLUTION HHX
16" A custom Crash Zildjian
6" A custom Splash Zildjian
10" ROUGH series splash UFIP
18" BIONIC series crash UFIP
17" HHX EVOLUTION crash Sabian
20" EXPERIENCE Series Tiger China UFIP

as Y can see I have especially the crashes from 3 different companies! this gives me a vaste diversity of color.

by the way if y like to hear the set + cymbals
checkout the recording of my Band under
www.cairn-online.com

check out the music link and listen to the Mp3's.
All recorded in my Protools home studio, no crazy microphones
SM57 on snares, e604 on t1,t2,ft1, e602 on 16" ft, 902 on BD + SUBKICK, OH C1000s, same for HH C1000s.

BY THE WAY:
Snares drum come from the German custom manufacturer WAHAN drums!
13" Funk Master + 10" Acryl snare with custom design

rgds
Serge

[TopCat]

Wow, you're the first person i've seen that actually owns the VC kit. One of my favourite kits, ever.

Edit* - Dude, anyone ever tell you that you look like Richard Gere?

[katman]

You have beautiful drums and they sound fantastic too. I also enjoy your playing.

[Drummer Karl]

You are definitly more than lucky...looks great, must sound great!!!!!
Happy drumming with it!

Karl

[Danny]

One of my favorite sets!
I've also got a pair of the 14" HHX Groove hats...i love them. How about you?

[radeq]

holly !#$^$&# whatever :)

Amazing :) I always loved the combination of white finish and black hoops and rims :) how does the kit sound? And how the hell did you get it???you dont know what to do with your money??? :)

ps: you play in some church?

[Zildjian 242]

wow looks really cool, makes it better with that sub kick on there to

I've just noticed.

All those who think that Isolation mounts are necessary, go and have a look at this kit.

[JIM_fear]

Wow. Great kit. That's amazing to think that Vinnie was once playing on the same kit that you get to play now. It bet it sounds great.

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by radeq

holly !#$^$&# whatever :)

Amazing :) I always loved the combination of white finish and black hoops and rims :) how does the kit sound? And how the hell did you get it???you dont know what to do with your money??? :)

ps: you play in some church?

Hi,
thanks for the questions!
First of all, this kit sounds great. I used to have the GRETSCH USA maple kit and this one already was great, but the signature set is by far better. Sound and handling is amazing!especially all hardware parts are top professional.
Y actually can hear the kit recorded in my protools studio by checking:
www.cairn-online.com

How did I get it: very very funny story, for the first in my life I checked EBAY ... nothing really interesting but then I sorted the items : the most expensive first
(as beginning of the 90ies I saw V.C. play this kit at a drummer meeting in Germany I felt in love with the sound) , and Fork's DrumCloset had a Gretsch Kit on sale, V.C. signature set, for an incredible price !!!! so after 30sec I pushed BUY NOW and that's it.
easy ...

Money question I do not comment.

The pictures are during setup of my recent gig in France(EUROPE) with my band CAIRN. I used an isolation mount as we were 2 bands on the same rather small stage with a hell of mics.

thanks
Serge

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by Danny

One of my favorite sets!
I've also got a pair of the 14" HHX Groove hats...i love them. How about you?

Danny,
Yes they are great! Not agressive at all (compared to my 13" UFIP hats)

Thanks
Serge

[radeq]

please, just share with us, for how much did you buy the set :)

[radeq]

I listened to it, the sound of the snare is incredible, and also the sound of the kick and toms :) it is very tight :) i like it,
the music is also fine :)

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by radeq

please, just share with us, for how much did you buy the set :)

OK, here we go

EBAY price 3000USD + 500USD for the 16" floor T
+ 800 USD transport + import taxes
(of course this is a "used" drumset)

all in all I paid +/- 3800 Euro so an excellent deal compared
to an offer for a NEW VC kit >8000Euro from a local shop in LUX!!!!!

The guy at the drum shop offered me the 16"FT because I hit straight BUY NOW and the FT is slightly older the the rest of the kit (but signed ...:))

So in case y see an EBAY offer from FORKS DRUM CLOSET these guys are excellent to work with ! Very very professional!

Serge

[Pedro]

I've always wondered how the VC kit's sounded in real life.
On the recordings I always find his sound to be too "muffled" with to little high tones in it...I don't know how to explain, but .....do you have this experience with this actual kit, or does it resonate real good.

On the recordings of your band the kit just sounds great!!

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by Pedro

I've always wondered how the VC kit's sounded in real life.
On the recordings I always find his sound to be too "muffled" with to little high tones in it...I don't know how to explain, but .....do you have this experience with this actual kit, or does it resonate real good.

On the recordings of your band the kit just sounds great!!

Hi Pedro
First many Thanks for the compliments!
NO negative experience with the toms!
althought 10"x7" and 12"x8" are a little short, the sound and volume is exactly equal to 14" and 16" floor toms. The 4 toms are perfectly matched!
Of course the resonace for the 14x14 and 16x16 is much more huge than the 10" and the 12" but the volume is exactly the same.
If I play 10+16 or 12+14 together f.i., y can perfectly hear the 2 sounds! Not that one of the FT would be louder, no, they are perfectly equal!

It is one of the best kits on the market. If y once played it, y will never volunteer to go back to whatever y played b4! This is my experience, and the experience of the many drummers who came to check out the set, all were blown away by the sound and especially the sound of the Floor Toms.

" We never heard a floor tom sound like this before"

Come to LUX, let me know, and y can check out the kit!

Thanks
Serge

[Latin Groover]

That is a BIG bass drum

[boomboomda]

Nice drums, and good sounding music.

[beatsMcGee]

really cool! i love the look of that kit.. congrats on your awesome find/kit !

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by SergeKIEFFER

Hi Pedro
First many Thanks for the compliments!
NO negative experience with the toms!
althought 10"x7" and 12"x8" are a little short, the sound and volume is exactly equal to 14" and 16" floor toms. The 4 toms are perfectly matched!
Of course the resonace for the 14x14 and 16x16 is much more huge than the 10" and the 12" but the volume is exactly the same.
If I play 10+16 or 12+14 together f.i., y can perfectly hear the 2 sounds! Not that one of the FT would be louder, no, they are perfectly equal!

It is one of the best kits on the market. If y once played it, y will never volunteer to go back to whatever y played b4! This is my experience, and the experience of the many drummers who came to check out the set, all were blown away by the sound and especially the sound of the Floor Toms.

" We never heard a floor tom sound like this before"

Come to LUX, let me know, and y can check out the kit!

Thanks
Serge

I don't know about 10*7 but 12*8 is certainly not shallow and a measure that still makes enough deph in sound. That's my experience. I actually thought his toms were a bit shallower.

i really dig your recordings of the drums and the snare. The snare sounds awesome there. Great band also.

Maybe I'll come someday to lux ;-), I'm from Belgium, so not soo far.

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by Pedro

I don't know about 10*7 but 12*8 is certainly not shallow and a measure that still makes enough deph in sound. That's my experience. I actually thought his toms were a bit shallower.

i really dig your recordings of the drums and the snare. The snare sounds awesome there. Great band also.

Maybe I'll come someday to lux ;-), I'm from Belgium, so not soo far.

Hi
Thanks for the great comments on the Sound on the recording. By the way our Bass player is from Belgium too, and the MIX was done by the famous Philippe Renotte from Belgium.

Serge

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by Latin Groover

That is a BIG bass drum

Hi,
no not really normal 22"x18"
but the sound is big! hahaha

thanks
Serge

[YAMAHA DRUMMER]

hey ,
great kit , great sizes and i'am sure it's sounds great.
my yamaha birch custom absulote is also the same sizes , i love these quick toms and traditional floor toms.

[davodi74]

Wow! That's a great kit! Hey, how do the coated heads sound as resonants? I am thinking of purchasing coated G1's to go with my G2 batter heads. I want a really warm sound like Nathaniel Townsley's in this video:

http://drummerworld.com/Videos/nattownsleymd1.html

[Latin Groover]

Oh ok. In the 1st pic it looked like a 24! Well i thought so.

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by davodi74

Wow! That's a great kit! Hey, how do the coated heads sound as resonants? I am thinking of purchasing coated G1's to go with my G2 batter heads. I want a really warm sound like Nathaniel Townsley's in this video:

http://drummerworld.com/Videos/nattownsleymd1.html

Hi
Thanks for the question!
What I can tell y is that in my personal case this REMO combination of AMBASSADOR on the RESO side and EMPEROR on the BATTER side is what works best for me. I tried a lot, really a lot AMBASS/AMBASS, CLEAR on reso, black on Reso, G1, G2 on batter and EVANS are not my favorites!

Just one thing is that I change the heads once a month depending on how many gigs I have!

The sound I have now is the one I have been looking for years and years.

Important to know is that y will never have the same sound even with the same heads, drums and sticks than yr favorite drummer because You are You and You create the sound with yr way of playing and approaching the instrument. Get inspired by other drummer but create yr own personality and this includes SOUND as well.

groovy greetings
Serge

[d.c.drummer]

Very nice kit. Wouldnt mind being behind that beauty. Lets hear it man..

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by d.c.drummer

Very nice kit. Wouldnt mind being behind that beauty. Lets hear it man..

Hi
check it out on www.cairn-online.com
Music ...

thanks
Serge

[SergeKIEFFER]

SOME NEW PICTURES ARE ONLINE
CHECK'M'OUT
SERGE

[Class A Drummer]

very nice set. Killer setup w/ the cymbals.

[NickMackin07]

does the shield and the foam behind it really help to cut the sound down??

[SergeKIEFFER]

Originally Posted by NickMackin07

does the shield and the foam behind it really help to cut the sound down??

Hi
The shield is very helpful! for the other musicians in the practice room, or for the sound-ing on a smaller live stages!

Serge