What kit do you use?

My main kit that gets used for everything from gigs to home practice is a 6 piece Tama Starclassic maple in 10/12/16/22 with an SLP G-Bubinga and Starphonic Bubinga for the snares.

I have a bunch of Meinl/Sabian/Zildjian/Turkish brand cymbals I use.
 
Get your teacher to buy some new heads for them, may be surprised what they sound like. Old doesn't necessarily mean bad, they could be incredible sounding kits if tuned up properly with new heads. Do you know what drums they are?

I play a Yamaha kit I've had for 28 years and a DW performance kit I've had for 5 years. Zildjian cymbals on both.

You never know. The drummer in my old corporate band was given a kit by his college music director. It was a '70s Ludwig butcher block kit that was missing a few parts and languishing in a closet in the band room. My friend cleaned them up, fixed the broken stuff, put new heads on and has been touring with Black Joe Lewis using them (although when they were on Letterman they backlined a nice set of '60s Luddies for him). They're more appropriate for that gig than his regular DW kit he used with us and Happy Body Slow Brain. Sometimes some really nice stuff gets shoved aside as nobody knows how to fix it. Or might be more appropriate for a different type of music than the school is playing.

For me, it's an old D'Amico fusion sized kit with the brass high tension lug set up. Or a Sonor Safari. Have tried everything on the Safaris from the G2 coated I use on everything else to Fiberskyns. It all worked but I'm loving those drums with Aquarian Vintage Deep heads on them. Not as dead as the Fiberskyns but deeper and shorter sustain (and quieter) than regular heads. Perfect small room kit.
 
At home, I have a crappy electronic kit, but at school we have a 2 month old Mapex kit with Paiste cymbals. We have two other kits, but they are quite old, and the skins are not very good.

I play a 2014 Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz with some decent Sabian cymbals that I bought 20 something years ago. I use the Aquarian modern vintage heads, and get a pretty nice sound out of the kit.

I remember the kits they had in music school, and I used to wonder why they didn't just get new heads, until I realized how trashed all the equipment got after each semester. Where I went, they used Mapex and Gretsch kits mostly, and those things were put through the ringer... I think the average school kit probably has a two year life cycle. I don't know what some of the students do to the kit, becasue it's not just broken heads, all the hardware would get busted up as well...
 
I don't know what some of the students do to the kit, becasue it's not just broken heads, all the hardware would get busted up as well...

It's very rarely the drum students, but everyone else who for whatever reason believes that the drums are punching bags or something, because they are struck to make their sound. It also seems to escape them that damage to the kit must be replaced at the music program's cost.

I have seen common-use student kits beaten with plunger handles until every head was broken. I have seen cymbals warped from continual beatings. I have seen a bass drum jumped on until it cracks in half. This is why I advise against letting the rank and file near the common use drumset, and locking it away if at all possible when not in use.
 
It's very rarely the drum students, but everyone else who for whatever reason believes that the drums are punching bags or something, because they are struck to make their sound. It also seems to escape them that damage to the kit must be replaced at the music program's cost.

I have seen common-use student kits beaten with plunger handles until every head was broken. I have seen cymbals warped from continual beatings. I have seen a bass drum jumped on until it cracks in half. This is why I advise against letting the rank and file near the common use drumset, and locking it away if at all possible when not in use.

Teenage boys are dumb, stinky and aggressive. But mostly dumb.
 
I've been using the same kit for 15 years (locally assembled Keller shelled kit). I went through several kits before this one, each lasting an average of 4 or 5 years.

The reasons I switched kits as often as I did was because I was experimenting with sizes, configurations, and in a couple of cases, with shell thickness.

Once I landed on thin shells in standard depths (13/15/18/24), I was, and continue to be, satisfied.

It's true that they aren't the most amazing cutting edge drums, and they don't have any particularly interesting or notable features, but they work perfectly for me.

I do like seeing others on nicer kits, but I identify with this kit and as banged up and ugly as they are, I like that I don't have to think much about them. They're transparent tools that don't cramp my style - because I'm not overly precious with them and they sound exactly like what I want to hear.

I have two 6.5x14 snares, a Supra and a Black Beauty, which like my drums, are as generic as they are great sounding.

I like a lot of different cymbals from pretty much all the different makers, but for simplicity, I just roll with my mix of Zildjian K, A, and A Customs. I used to have a small collection, but found them all a bit distracting, so let most of them go.

Even sticks I don't futz around with anymore (5A or backward 7A Vaters).

Like Larry mentioned in another thread, there is so much talk about gear that the things we do with that gear start getting a little lost. These days I much prefer playing drums than pondering gear.

But then again, I've already been on the gear odyssey, which is nice since I now have my "forever kit" and don't feel the GAS that used to plague me so hard.

Want to break your GAS affliction? Stop visiting drummer forums!
 
Ludwig Red Sparkle CM 14/16/18/26
The snare changes pretty often. Usually, a Coliseum but I have a feeling my new 7x14 Tama Starclassic Brass will be my new workhorse.

I also have a 14/16/18/26,Cherry stained "Bonham" kit that I have yet to gig with.


I have a mix of Sabian,Zildjian and Meinl.
 
Mapex Black Panther Velvetone 6 piece kit (10, 12, 14, 18, 22) with a Pearl Chad Smith signature snare.

Sabian AAX and HHX cymbals
 
Older 90's Sonor Force Custom and an Acrolite snare. Sabian AAX stage hihats and a 21" Sabian AA dry ride
Kit size: 14x20, 8x12, 8x10 and 14x14.

Dennis
 
With my band I play a 4 piece Gretsch Catalina Maple, 10' 14' 22'. It isn't mine but the guitar players. We practice at his place so I use it so I don't have to lug all of my gear around.

I recently just sold my 5 piece PDP FS birch and got all new equipment.
I ended up picking a Ludwig Breakbeats 10'tom, 13' Floor tom, 16' Bass drum and a 14' snare. I know these kits aren't everyone's cup of tea but I love these micro kits.

I also picked a Mapex Saturn, 12'tom, 16' floor tom and 22' bass drum. I added a Yamaha concert snare to the set.

I added all new cymbals too. All Zildjian, a few different types and styles, almost 2 full sets.

I plan on starting a thread as soon as I get some decent pics. I'm super happy and excited. Here is one bad pic of my new Saturn.

11113593_1660198870883436_4807951150491463250_n.jpg
 
Mapex Meridian Big Rock

14/12/14/16/22

Mapex Armory Daisy Cutter Snare

Istanbul Mehmet Sultan Series Cymbals 14/18/16/20/10

Gibraltar Stealth Rack System

Tama Iron Cobra 600
 
With my band I play a 4 piece Gretsch Catalina Maple, 10' 14' 22'. It isn't mine but the guitar players. We practice at his place so I use it so I don't have to lug all of my gear around.

I recently just sold my 5 piece PDP FS birch and got all new equipment.
I ended up picking a Ludwig Breakbeats 10'tom, 13' Floor tom, 16' Bass drum and a 14' snare. I know these kits aren't everyone's cup of tea but I love these micro kits.

I also picked a Mapex Saturn, 12'tom, 16' floor tom and 22' bass drum. I added a Yamaha concert snare to the set.

I added all new cymbals too. All Zildjian, a few different types and styles, almost 2 full sets.

I plan on starting a thread as soon as I get some decent pics. I'm super happy and excited. Here is one bad pic of my new Saturn.

11113593_1660198870883436_4807951150491463250_n.jpg
One Mapex Saturn (lV) owner to another. Nice !
I also grabbed a Ludwig BB.

 
I have a shell bank of Yamaha MCANs in Cherry Wood and a growing shell bank of Yamaha Live Customs in Blackwood. The particular setup depends on the gig. Here's one iteration of the Live Customs on a recent gig:


Several snare drums, including a 6.5 x 14 Hammered Bronze Supraphonic that's on the stand in the photo above.
 
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