TK-421
Senior Member
I have a (admittedly, very minor) dilemma coming up. I have a one-off jazz gig coming up on Sunday, and I'm debating what gear to use. I have a jazz kit, a Yamaha Stage Custom Birch bop kit (12/14/18) that would be perfect for this... except I've converted it to an "apartment" kit with mesh heads. So to use it, I'd have to swap out the mesh heads for real heads, tune them up, etc. But I also hate the thought of moving them, because the space I have for them is very tight, and it's difficult to get them positioned just right in there.
Option 2 involves my two Renown kits. I have one in cases in my closet at home, so it's ready for gigs... except the bass drum is 18x22. Not an ideal size for a small 3-piece jazz gig. HOWEVER, I have another Renown kit (in almost the same finish) permanently setup at my studio, and that one has a 16x20" kick. So I could grab that kick and use it with the toms from my other Renown to create a 12/14/20 kit. It won't be too big of a hassle to grab this, and I think overall it would be easier than using my Yamaha kit, so I'm somewhat gravitating toward this.
However there's a 3rd option. Perusing Craigslist, I found a 14x18 Catalina bass drum locally for a reasonable price. I've been in contact with the seller, and I'm considering buying this. It's a wrapped finish in a color that doesn't match my kit, so I'd have to rewrap it at some point (my kit is piano black, so a black wrap will work just fine). This will give me a fun project to work on, plus it will eliminate this dilemma from ever happening again. But if this gig ends up truly being a one-off (at this point I have no idea if it will become a recurring thing), then it will likely sit untouched by me for months or even years before it's needed again. But I do like the thought of always having the correct equipment for the gig ready to go, even if it's rarely used. And like I said, the price is reasonable; it won't break the bank.
I keep going back and forth between my various options, and I can't really seem to make up my mind. So I've decided I'll go with whatever the majority decides. So if you were in my shoes, what would you do?
1st world problems, I know...
Option 2 involves my two Renown kits. I have one in cases in my closet at home, so it's ready for gigs... except the bass drum is 18x22. Not an ideal size for a small 3-piece jazz gig. HOWEVER, I have another Renown kit (in almost the same finish) permanently setup at my studio, and that one has a 16x20" kick. So I could grab that kick and use it with the toms from my other Renown to create a 12/14/20 kit. It won't be too big of a hassle to grab this, and I think overall it would be easier than using my Yamaha kit, so I'm somewhat gravitating toward this.
However there's a 3rd option. Perusing Craigslist, I found a 14x18 Catalina bass drum locally for a reasonable price. I've been in contact with the seller, and I'm considering buying this. It's a wrapped finish in a color that doesn't match my kit, so I'd have to rewrap it at some point (my kit is piano black, so a black wrap will work just fine). This will give me a fun project to work on, plus it will eliminate this dilemma from ever happening again. But if this gig ends up truly being a one-off (at this point I have no idea if it will become a recurring thing), then it will likely sit untouched by me for months or even years before it's needed again. But I do like the thought of always having the correct equipment for the gig ready to go, even if it's rarely used. And like I said, the price is reasonable; it won't break the bank.
I keep going back and forth between my various options, and I can't really seem to make up my mind. So I've decided I'll go with whatever the majority decides. So if you were in my shoes, what would you do?
1st world problems, I know...