A fun acquisition!

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
So a few weeks ago I was debating about a little Downbeat kit with a 20" bass drum, and deep down inside I knew the answer that I wouldn't go back to a 20". Having put that idea back on the shelf, I discovered a guy who had these Rogers drums that were re-furbished into a wonderful kit! So I decided to get them, and the kit was initially some orphaned Rogers shells in different colors, but this guy had the wrap taken off, and they actually plugged the Memriloc tom mount holes, re-wrapped all the drums in black, and then drilled the drums for Yamaha's YESS system. When I got them it was made up of 8x12/9x13 rack toms, 16x16 floor tom, and a 14x24 bass drum. It brought back memories of buying drums at Pro Drum without hardware, and then having the shop install whatever spurs and mounts you wanted on it to make a complete working tool. Brilliant. Unfortunately, purists hate this nowadays, but only as far back as the early 90s, I and alot of other players were doing this (maybe alot of people are still doing it too).

Once I got the kit home, I embarked on adding some drums to this kit. I initially found a mint condition 16x18 floor tom in black, and then at the same found a 10x14 rack tom (I plugged the Memriloc mount holes myself and installed a YESS mount on that drum). Now this kit can be one of three things for me: a Tony Williams kit with the 13/14 rack toms and 16/18 floor toms (I didn't add a 14" floor tom - those are stupid hard to find), or a Roger Taylor kit from Queen with 12/13/14 rack toms and the two floors (not pictured), or a standard rock n roll Bonham-type kit (I have it pictured here with the 13/16/18 toms, but could easily substitute the 14 for the rack tom). I also replaced the existing Rogers bass drum hoops with Ludwig hoops I refinished in black. The wider bass drum hoops just make that drum look more awesome.

I tried playing the kit for a while as a Tony Williams kit - and after years of playing a standard 4-piece with everything as low as it'll go - raising my arms up to play the rack toms and cymbals is a bit fatiguing, but I can do it and try to play like Tony Williams! Having the bass drum as a 24" means everything is raised up about another inch or so, but not insurmountable. These drums absolutely sing with the Yamaha YESS system - it's like playing it when it was new back in 1976! This kit will serve as my working rock n roll kit when I need just a little more BIG for the gig!
 

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I have a buddy with a vintage, black Rogers kit. I told him that if he ever sells it, I get first dibbs.
 
Bo considers downsizing. The universe has other plans :D

Love those sizes. Reading "Roger Taylor", the big fills from Fat Bottom Girls rang through my head! ?
 
That has to be some kind of reach for you with those toms centered over the 24" bass drum. That's the way I like my toms but even at 5'9" it's too high for me. I tried it a couple years back with a Ludwig Classic Maple. 24-12-13-16 and it was just too high. Cool kit you have there though!
 
That has to be some kind of reach for you with those toms centered over the 24" bass drum. That's the way I like my toms but even at 5'9" it's too high for me. I tried it a couple years back with a Ludwig Classic Maple. 24-12-13-16 and it was just too high. Cool kit you have there though!
I’ve done it before, I just have to get used to it again. But I suspect I’ll use this more as a 1-up 2-down rocker. It’s nice to have all the options though. The previous owner did a good job on the re-wrap. It looks like he polished every bit of chrome too. That must’ve been a job.
 
Some guy on a Rogers forum voiced his disdain for having “molested” the original kit already. So I told him he won’t get to sit in on these then.
I never understood that. I mean sure, I understand leaving them as is f you've got some holy grail of a vintage set that hasn't been modified. They're meant to be played and to play them, the hardware needs to do the job.

Those look great, btw. What's a 24" Rogers sound like? I've never heard one in person.
 
I never understood that. I mean sure, I understand leaving them as is f you've got some holy grail of a vintage set that hasn't been modified. They're meant to be played and to play them, the hardware needs to do the job.

Those look great, btw. What's a 24" Rogers sound like? I've never heard one in person.
This one seems to have a higher fundamental than the newer Ludwig classic maple 14x24 I had some years ago, but it’s still a functional bass drum. I may have to boost the low end on it a little when I go to mic it up.
 
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