Ever changed your mind on a finish once you saw it in person?

PorkPieGuy

Platinum Member
Did you ever see a picture of a finish and didn't like it, but you changed your mind when you saw it in person?

For me, it was the Ludwig Mod Yellow and the Ludwig 110 anniversary kit with the diamonds. I didn't like the look of these, but when I saw them in person, I thought they were really cool!
 
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I love purple, but most finishes in that color don't appeal to me for some reason.
Same here. It's one of my favorite colors, but under stage lights, it always seems to be more of a lavender shade (no matter how dark I thought I had it on the shell).
So I ditched the idea of using it until I can get the lacquer mix right.
 
you know what I think about finishes?

Wrap finishes- have "Yes days" and "No days"

and it seems- wood finishes- stain's
bother "less"often.... if at all.
 
The cranberry red finish on Stage Customs always just looked "Red" to me on web sites or literature.
I did some work at a studio that had a cranberry red kit and I fell in love with it - the depth of the wood grain is hard to really see in photographs but is gorgeous IRL.
 
you know what I think about finishes?

Wrap finishes- have "Yes days" and "No days"

and it seems- wood finishes- stain's
bother "less"often.... if at all.
I agree, JDA. Wood finishes are far more flexible for playing any kind of room.

We certainly want our playing to fit any style: jazz/rock, traditional/modern, laid back/agressive. So why choose a finish that only speaks one style, and typically a pretty overt one, at that? A wrap might fit one musical situation well, but not another. It's fixed and there's no changing it.

But a wood finish is classic, timeless, and fits in anywhere. Even the worst complaint against them, they're too dark to be seen, is far better than looking like you don't fit in at all.
 
Far more flexible- just walking into a room- and laying eyes on- daily... is what I meant..
 
you know what I think about finishes?

Wrap finishes- have "Yes days" and "No days"

and it seems- wood finishes- stain's
bother "less"often.... if at all.
This is why I peel the wrap off of kits I work on. Wood is a beautiful medium and to cover it in plastic just seems wrong to me.
 
I like a Little bit of Pearl.. In the snare maybe is a place- where one can sparkle, marine, moire- out...
to evoke a day gone by -big bands- RC Music hall.
but all orange sparkle naw man can't do it. maybe for three days
 
Yep. While my favorite color is green, and Marine Pearls are my favorite wrap, that green pearl Gretsch at Maxwell's would repel me after a short while, tbh.

Give me a marine pearl snare, absolutely, then match up a bit of accent on the bass drum hoop of a gorgeous, wood gloss kit. That makes for the finest looking kit I can imagine.

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sheet happens
 
Well, I'll speak up for wraps. I originally wanted a red sparkle Ludwig CM shell pack. Rather than wait an unspecified time to get it, I took immediate delivery of an identical shell pack in silver sparkle. I warmed up to it immediately since it was like opening a treasure chest when the floor tom came up out of the box.
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How would this classic finish be constrained to just one musical style exactly?
 
I agree, JDA. Wood finishes are far more flexible for playing any kind of room.

We certainly want our playing to fit any style: jazz/rock, traditional/modern, laid back/agressive. So why choose a finish that only speaks one style, and typically a pretty overt one, at that? A wrap might fit one musical situation well, but not another. It's fixed and there's no changing it.

But a wood finish is classic, timeless, and fits in anywhere. Even the worst complaint against them, they're too dark to be seen, is far better than looking like you don't fit in at all.
I never paid much attention to how drum finishes correlate to musical style but I guess there's some truth there. A purple sparkle kit would look out of place in a metal band I guess. But I think the idea that the finish on a kit limits what environments it can be successfully deployed in is a bit silly, or at least superficial.
 
there's two things now;
those saying a finish and how it relates to a style
and those saying- which or what finish one- tires of sooner over time;

I didn't think style of music was what thread was about
 
I never paid much attention to how drum finishes correlate to musical style but I guess there's some truth there. A purple sparkle kit would look out of place in a metal band I guess. But I think the idea that the finish on a kit limits what environments it can be successfully deployed in is a bit silly, or at least superficial.
Uh oh

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anything sparkle, or glass glitter. I always attributed it to bad, cheesy marching drums of the 60's-80's, but in person, glitter and sparkle is cool...

in fact, it is now my favorite color choice. The next kit I get will be something in sparkle of glass glitter....probably blue or purple.

my cocktail drum is goign to be aqua glass glitter in honor of my 69 Olds Delta 88...

and I have a Pearl marching snare that is gonna get Champaign sparkle
 
Nope. If I like it in pics, I usually like it in person, and vice versa.
 
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