General overall "workhorse" kit choices.

[Bonzodownunder]

G'day to all my fellow DF mates worldwide! ,
What seems to be the general/overall consensus amongst drummer as to the "best" overall sizes/workhorse kit for playing blues/rock(60s-) covers?.I've got a 26" kick (Yamaha 7000 series) BUT it WONT fit into my car(a sedan Mazda '94 323 Protege'),
Corder 9x13" tom mounted on a snare stand &a 70s-80s Ludwig B/O badged COW (chrome over wood) 14x14" floor tom&a 14x6.5 Pearl steel free-floater.

 

[Hollywood Jim]

Hello there !

Number one, get rid of that car. Drummers need bigger vehicles.

Number two get rid of that 26" kick drum. You are moving too much air.
Get a 22" or a 20" for more tone and more punch !

If you want a workhorse drum set for cheap, get a Yamaha Stage Custom set.

If you are going to move a drum set around all the time and abuse it, don't spend too much money on it. Spend your money on a snare and cymbals.


.

 

[opentune]

Your current kit is a mix, thats fine, just sub a smaller bass drum for your 26 and a 16 floor tom instead of a 14 ...for a 13-16-22 combo. Great sizes. Or get a 12 tom and have a 12-14-22 combo.

IF you want a new kit - then yes, can't go wrong with a Stage Custom.

I can fit a 13-16-22 setup in my wife's Mazda protege no problemo. 4 doors are excellent bass drum goes sideways on back seat.

 

[Super Phil]

I've been using a 22 inch kick with 10, 12, and 16 inch floor tom. (And 14 inch snare, of course) Love this configuration! Seems to work well in lots of situations. Also, it all fits in my bmw 318ti. Hatchback ftw!

 

[Bo Eder]

Agreed. What you have is fine, just get a smaller bass drum. If you're just working and nobody cares what your kit looks like, than any 22" will do. I collected a couple of Pearl Studio Session Classic rack toms, and a Ludwig Accent floor tom, all of them black. So I went out and found a 22" Pearl Export bass in black ($150), and a steel Pearl student snare ($45), and that's my schlepper/leave in a public place kit (it also has it's own mismatched hardware set and Zildjians I wouldn't be too upset about if I lost them).

 

[RickP]

My choice for gigging kit sizes are 20/12/14 with a 5 x 14 snare . I can cover any conceivable gig with these (and have) from Acoustic piano trios to Amplified Classic Rock gigs. Nice sizes for transporting and small stages.

I have two kits in 20/12/14 that I rotate on my gigs a Yamaha Club Custom and a Gretsch USA Custom. I have an additional 10" tom for the Club Customs .

 

[GeoB]

Hello there !

Number one, get rid of that car. Drummers need bigger vehicles.

Agree... but I've been in bigger vehicles my entire drum kit/upright bass playing life. Hatchbacks mostly, beater station wagons, pickup's with caps, big vans, mini vans, utility trailers...

The cost? Well costs are relative... I consider vehicles as appliances, just like washers and dryers (depending on climate) and I really don't like bells and whistles so I go cheap, but along with affordability I want dependability. So while I really don't care about frilliy's, foo-foo, and bling, I do care about overall costs for the lifecycle of the vehicle.

Gas mileage? Is offset by the purchase price. And better yet, I've had a few vehicles given to me.

.... and as a footnote, there have been many times when I question why I ever dropped out of trombone playing...