Where do you draw the line with Frankenstein?

Apparently Bill Rieflin, one of three drummers (incuding the estimable Gavin Harrison and Pat Mastelotto) in the new version of King Crimson isn't concerned about his Frankenstein kit!

And here is the guy that did the color editing on that image..

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There is no line for me. I love Frankenstein kits. Seeing a kit with all the same brand is goofy IMO.
Visually, there are times when it's not an issue, & times when it is. Depends on how much value is placed on show aesthetics.

In sonic terms, there are no barriers. What works works, that's it really. All that said, there is value to matched voices within elements. For example, having a family feel amongst a range of toms can be sonically important in some situations. Toms, bass drum, snare, don't need to "match" sonically, as they essentially fulfil different requirements. There is something to be said for a kit where each element shares the same sonic characteristics, but there's just as much merit in a kit assembled from disparate elements.
 
Visually, there are times when it's not an issue, & times when it is. Depends on how much value is placed on show aesthetics.

Aesthetically, a tastefully constructed Frankenstein kit will always be better than a uniform kit. The issue often that some people are challenged when it comes to selecting pieces that go together. For example I know there are color blind who are afraid that they might be clashing so they insist on exact match.
 
Aesthetically, a tastefully constructed Frankenstein kit will always be better than a uniform kit.
I'm interested to know on what basis you qualify "will always". I can agree with "sometimes", maybe even from a highly partisan POV, "most of the time", but I believe to exclude a uniform kit from being aesthetically an appropriate choice in all circumstances is incorrect.
 
I'm interested to know on what basis you qualify "will always". I can agree with "sometimes", maybe even from a highly partisan POV, "most of the time", but I believe to exclude a uniform kit from being aesthetically an appropriate choice in all circumstances is incorrect.

If the set were a painting... aesthetically who would want a mono color mono texture canvas? Sure, drummers aren't painters and sets aren't a canvases, but as I said you need taste to pull it off, but if you have taste then a non-uniform set will be superior...
 
If the set were a painting... aesthetically who would want a mono color mono texture canvas? Sure, drummers aren't painters and sets aren't a canvases, but as I said you need taste to pull it off, but if you have taste then a non-uniform set will be superior...
I'm very open minded with respect to aesthetics, as it's a highly personal/subjective thing, hence me questioning "will always" be superior. I just don't get that. Anyhow, who's to say that a matched set has to be a "mono colour mono texture canvas"? I can think of many matched kit examples that are anything but your description, including matched kits that we produce. Again, subjective. Not wishing to argue as such, but just because something is always superior in your view, doesn't mean it's always superior in everyone's view. That's the same as me stating that all solid shell drums are superior to all ply shell drums. Even if I believed that (& I don't), it's way too absolutist to be of merit outside of my own preferences.
 
I think you're both missing the point. Eric knows that mapex saturns are always the best drums ever and if they were different colours they would be even more gooder, at all times. They just have this phenomenal tone.
 
I'm very open minded with respect to aesthetics, as it's a highly personal/subjective thing, hence me questioning "will always" be superior. I just don't get that. Anyhow, who's to say that a matched set has to be a "mono colour mono texture canvas"? I can think of many matched kit examples that are anything but your description, including matched kits that we produce. Again, subjective. Not wishing to argue as such, but just because something is always superior in your view, doesn't mean it's always superior in everyone's view. That's the same as me stating that all solid shell drums are superior to all ply shell drums. Even if I believed that (& I don't), it's way too absolutist to be of merit outside of my own preferences.

If you wanted open minded ness, you wouldn't go around calling things that don't appeal to some sense of uniformity...Frankensteins now would you?
 
If you wanted open minded ness, you wouldn't go around calling things that don't appeal to some sense of uniformity...Frankensteins now would you?
You're right. I only used the term because the thread title has been adopted through the thread. I'm not against the visual aspect of assembling a kit consisting of different elements, quite the opposite actually. Nor am I pushing a uniform kit in any way. My only contention was your assertion that a non uniform kit is always superior under all circumstances. You don't seem to have offered anything to support that view outside of your own personal preferences.
 
If the set were a painting... aesthetically who would want a mono color mono texture canvas? Sure, drummers aren't painters and sets aren't a canvases, but as I said you need taste to pull it off, but if you have taste then a non-uniform set will be superior...

A little bit of a stretch don't you reckon?

So, if I have taste does that ensure that wearing odd shoes is always superior?

As to Frankenstein, I draw the line at Frankenstein......for pretty much the same reasons that I'll draw the line at wearing shoes that don't match.
 
What about odd Converses, Jules? I have a friend that does that.

It's all about the best kit for the job. I have a vintage 20" bass drum that I'll happily throw with my modern toms and Guru snare. The toms and bass are reasonably matched colour-wise.

If I want a 20" bass drum, I'll use it with the other toms. If I want a 22", not a problem. A 16" bass in blue I'll match too if it's appropriate, although I have a separate 'small size' kit, too.
 
What about odd Converses, Jules? I have a friend that does that.

Incidentally, so did I. He's a little older and wiser now so tends to opt for wearing mono color mono texture canvas on his feet. But at the time, he thought he had "taste" too......whereas the rest of us just thought he looked like a flog. :)

Still, each to his own though.....inclusive of Frankensteins and Chucks. My opinion on the matter doesn't extend to anyone but myself.
 
I think you're both missing the point. Eric knows that mapex saturns are always the best drums ever and if they were different colours they would be even more gooder, at all times. They just have this phenomenal tone.

TBH I'm not sure how anybody who owns Saturns has questions instead of answers.
 
A little bit of a stretch don't you reckon?

So, if I have taste does that ensure that wearing odd shoes is always superior?

As to Frankenstein, I draw the line at Frankenstein......for pretty much the same reasons that I'll draw the line at wearing shoes that don't match.

It would be stretch, if they were both for left feet. You aren't one of those people that has matching belts and watch wrist bands too. Sigh, what a weak analogy.
 
It would be stretch, if they were both for left feet. You aren't one of those people that has matching belts and watch wrist bands too. Sigh, what a weak analogy.

No. In the same way that my snares and cymbals don't match the kit, nor do I feel the need to match the entire ensemble.

Sigh as you might, the equally weak argument didn't really require any more.
 
No. In the same way that my snares and cymbals don't match the kit, nor do I feel the need to match the entire ensemble.

Sigh as you might, the equally weak argument didn't really require any more.

So, I have a tamborim and a tom that don't match, is it one shoe and one glove or two different sized shoes... I'm not seeing it, maybe you can explain it to me.
 
maybe you can explain it to me.

Doubtful. You appear to be too unwilling to accept that opinions are not facts, that blanket generalisations seldom apply and that personal points of view may not necessarily carry weight when passed off as a universal truths.

You can't really be surpised that drawing on personal and subjective experience, whilst applying absolutes like "will always be better" or "but if you have taste then a non-uniform set will be superior" has people all too willing to call you out?
 
I like when the young girls wear different colored nail polish. At first I didn't care for it. Then it grew on me. Same thing here. I give people a lot of credit for taking their Frankensteins out in public. They are obviously secure with themselves. Myself I much prefer the boring matching kit.
 
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