How many kits do you own?

How many drum kits do you own?

  • 1

    Votes: 28 21.9%
  • 2

    Votes: 34 26.6%
  • 3

    Votes: 24 18.8%
  • 4

    Votes: 22 17.2%
  • 5

    Votes: 8 6.3%
  • 6

    Votes: 4 3.1%
  • 7

    Votes: 3 2.3%
  • 8

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 9

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • 10+

    Votes: 4 3.1%

  • Total voters
    128

Superman

Gold Member
I know a guy who just got his 24th drum set. He has an entire garage with them stacked up almost on display. I think most of them basically collect dust.

So, I'm wondering how many kits you own and if you use all of them??

I have 3: Mapex Saturn V Exotic, 22' 10, 12, 16 that is currently in cases, a Mapex Saturn III, 22, 10, 12, 14, 16 that is set up in my house and I have a Mapex M Birch kit, 22, 8, 10, 12, 14 which is my beater kit. I'm in the market for a kit with a 20" bass that I can use almost like a bop kit to easily cart around.
 
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I currently own 7, although I am planning on selling a couple. I own 3 C&C kits, 2 vintage Ludwig kits, a Gretsch Brooklyn, and a vintage Rogers kit. I will probably sell off a couple of C&C kits and maybe a vintage Ludwig.


I currently live between two locations, so I have drums at both locations. I rotate through all of my sets pretty regularly, which is the only way I have been able to justify having this many drums. Having said that, it is time for some of them to go.
 
So I know a guy who just got his 24th drum set. He has an entire garage with them stacked up almost on display. I think most of them basically dust. So I'm wondering how many kits you own and if you use all of them.

I had 4 kits but now I'm down to 3. I have a Saturn V that is currently in cases, a Saturn III that is set up in my house and I have a M Birch kit which is my beater kit. I'm in the market for a kit with a 20" bass that I can use almost like a bop kit.
2 acoustic and one electric
 
I know a guy who just got his 24th drum set. He has an entire garage with them stacked up almost on display. I think most of them basically collect dust. So, I'm wondering how many kits you own and if you use all of them.

I had 4 kits but now I'm down to 3. I have a Saturn V that is currently in cases, a Saturn III that is set up in my house and I have a M Birch kit which is my beater kit. I'm in the market for a kit with a 20" bass that I can use almost like a bop kit.

I have more than I even thought I'd need. 4 currently

1. The main Gretsch Brooklyn - this is my top end that I use for recording and touring - I currently use it in a 4 piece, sometimes 5 piece config and I'm building a shell bank to have various sizes and shapes of it because I've found the sound and playability of the Brooklyns to be able to cover any and everything I throw at it. Full hardware and all the goodies - cases etc.

2. The gretsch Catalina Club - 4 piece bop kit that I'll be using at our band's Head Quarters for practice and on the odd chance that I'll need a straight forward jazz kit. It's has it's own set of flat based hardware - it's own cymbals, cases etc. full standalone little kit

3. Sonor Safari - awesome little tiny kit (10" rack, 13" floor, 16" kick with a 3x13" snare) that I use primarily for the jazz jam our non-profit does. It pretty much. No cases or pedal - but a full set of flat based hardware as well.

4. My hand made Stone Custom "Very Cherry" kit. 4 piece - made on the same machines as slingerlands were - RF and all but made with an exotic North American Cherry Wood - 3 plys with re-enforcement hoops. Just the shells - On Display at the HQ - lovely kit that did me well for years on the road but will likely live it's life as a show piece and a piece of history.

Really the Booklyns with the shell bank is all I'll ever need - just need to add a few more cymbals too.
 
Just one kit (Yamaha Stage Custom, Wuhan cymbals, mostly Yamaha hardware with a couple of Gibraltar stands), and I plan to follow the same philosophy I've developed over the years playing guitar, which is to make the one instrument do all the things I want it to do. I know at some point I'll invest in a metal snare and an acrylic snare for variety, and my cymbal setup will surely change as I hone my skills and understanding of precisely what sounds I want from them. I may modify the kick drum some more, and fiddle with hardware as the mood strikes, but my plan is to stick with the kit I've got, as I should have done with my first Stratocaster.

I'm inherently adverse to owning things I don't really NEED, though, so there's that. Except for tools and books, those I sort of do enjoy collecting.
 
Currently? One.

Oh, you meant ever? Yeah, one. (Very nearly...)

According to the serial number, my dad purchased a Ludwig Acrolite student drum 1968 in order to practice for the VFW marching and concert band he belonged to until the early 80s.

To this day, that snare drum takes pride of place among the set of Pearl Exports he bought for my high school graduation 35 years ago. With one exception, that’s the only kit I’ve ever owned, the other being the CB700 kit he bought me previously in 8th grade which ultimately became the property of my nephew’s boy.

Together with the Sabian HH sizzle hats I purchased that summer from doing yardwork at my Grandparents, that kit has served me well. From Church worship teams, basement recording studios, flatbed trucks on parade, Dixie band, concert band, College auditorium stages and college dive bars, even matching jacket-and-tie swing band, this is the kit that’s been with me through all of it.

So, yeah. One.
 
I’ve got a few, and I like to think I’m justified in having them.
1. I have a 70s Ludwig 13/16/20 that I got for super cheap and leave at a church I play at on Sunday evenings.

2. I just got a second church gig, Sunday mornings, which I just bought another kit for (a Mapex Tornado kit I picked up for $80…).

3. My 70s Ludwig Downbeat (12/14/20) is currently in the pit at a local theatre for the duration of the run of a musical.

4. My 80s Tama 14/18/24 just rocked out this last Friday night.

5. My 70s Ludwig 12/14/18 just played a jazz gig on a cruise ship (a quick load in/gig/load out while it was docked) two weeks ago, and another gig last week.

6. My custom maple 10/13/16 that I gig with with 2 specific groups hasn’t been pulled out since before the pandemic, but both groups plan to play again.

7. My 10/12/14/22 birch kit that I teach on has seen plenty of use lately.

…so, 7 kits, and I use them all, except for just the one, momentarily.
 
three kits.
USA Custom bop for straight ahead jazz.
Pretty much the gold standard for bop.

Yamaha Tour Custom 20-10-12-14 for country club jazz, light rock/pop, blues.
Great lightweight gig kit and very versatile. Bought them as a mid priced alternative to my more expensive (and heavier) top line kits and these drum’s have exceeded my expectations.

Absolute Hybrid Maples 20/22 10-12-14-16 for bigger shows, cover band Rock and Country. These drums can do anything.
All bases covered.
 
4 kits, with one of them being enough to make a 5th.

Yamaha 9000GA circa 1982 in Real Wood finish. 10-12-12-13-14-15-14ft-16-ft-20bd-22bd + 7x14 matching snare

DW circa 1997 in satin natural maple finish. 13-16-22 + an additional 10x22 bass drum that is my main gigging bass drum

DW circa 1983 in gloss natural maple finish. 12-14-16-24. Added brackets to the 16 to make it a floor tom proper and the bass drum is getting chopped down to 14” deep.

Camco Chanute circa 1971. 16ft and 22bd in gloss natural maple. Always on the lookout for a reasonably matching 12 or 13 tom to complete this one. In the interim, I have a 12” DW tom in satin lavender stain that looks and sounds great that I use with the Camco drums.

Don’t need 3 of the 4 sets, but with a gun to my head I don’t know which ones I would get rid of. I’m fortunate that I don’t need to sell any of them and also have the space available to store them. With the exception of a few of the toms on the 9000GA kit, every drum gets used regularly.
 
Early 60's Premier Outfit 58
Late 60's Ludwig Black Beauty
Late 60's Yamaha D22 (with Star kick)
Early 70's Ludwig Classic White Marine Pearl
Early 70's Ludwig Classic Blue Sky Pearl
Early 70's Star (MIJ)
Early 70's Sonor Rocker 2000 toms with late 70's Sonor clear wood kick
Mid 70's Ludwig Vistalite (Yellow)
Mid 70's Pearl Wood-Fibreglass kit with fibreglass contcert toms
Modern Tama Starclassic Maple
Some loose bits and bobs
 
1) Ludwig 3 ply .... 26, 14, 16, 18
2) Gretsch Round Badge 20, 13, 16
3) Slingerland Magnum 24, 10, 12, 13, 16, 18
4) Yamaha 8000 20, 12, 14
5) Yamaha Stage Customs, 22 & 18 (bd), 10, 12, 16
6) Yamaha Manu Katche Jr. 16, 10, 13
7) RMV 22, 8, 10, 12, 14
8) RMV 18, 12, 14
9) Tama Royalstar 22, 12, 13, 16

Bunch of orphans ..... Remo chrome-on-chrome Roto Toms 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 (pretty much is another kit). 7 snares. Approx 35 cymbals. 2 Korg Wave drums, 2 Synesthesia Mandala drums, Tama Techstar, 2 Nord 1 drum modules.
 
One 2000s Mapex M: 12, 13, 16, 22 w/matching 14s. One set of Zildjian As: 14, 16, 18, 21. One set Tama Stagemaster hardware: three booms, hh. Tama Speed Cobra bd pedal.
 
Four kits. They each do completely different things.
My philosophy is it is better to own one absolutely killer drum set, than a dozen OK kits.
You can own as many kits as your playing requires. For example a rock kit for rock and pop playing and a jazz kit for jazz playing.
I see too many people with huge collections of OK kits, with few standouts. That's their choice, I'm just posting my opinion.
 
I have 2 kits.

Main kit is a Saturn V Tour 20/12/14 if you want a 20 bass drum get one of these. 14" deep too. Gets used for most gigs.

Ye olde Ludwig made up of bits between 1966 and 1982 22/12/16/18. I've rewrapped in 22/12/16 in Black Oyster. Both kits have completely different sounds.

I've amassed a few too many cymbals and I have a few rides that need selling.
 
Three, I guess:
  1. Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple: 10x7, 12x8, 13x9, 14x13ft, 16x15ft, 18x14bd, 22x14bd. I use these for home, for recording, and for better gigs. Most jazz gigs get the 12/14/18 from this kit.
  2. Yamaha Stage Custom Birch: 10x7, 12x8, 16x15ft, 22x17bd. I keep these in cases for use on rock and other backbeat gigs.
  3. Yamaha Manu Katche Hip Gig Jr.: 10x7, 13x13ft, 16x16bd. These are set up for playing bebop gigs-- all coated single ply heads, tuned alike.
Two sets of hardware (Yamaha 700 for home, Yamaha Crosstown for gigs)
Too many snares right now because I've been lazy about selling things off. I only use three actively.
About 12 Paiste cymbals used in various configurations.

Also, I never use the 10" toms on the AHM or SCB kits. Like, really never.
 
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