Nicest equipment you've played

I would actually have to say the ones I own. Keep in mind I didn't play for 30 years so the Renowns seem to fit the bill. Not that I don't have dreams.
 
Well, the nicest kit I've played on was a 50s 3-ply Gretsch round badge 13/16/20. Yes, the toms AND the bass drum are the finest examples of drums I've ever heard. I've been on the hunt for a 3-ply round badge kit ever since.

The nicest snare I've played on is my 65 Slingerland Hollywood Ace. This snare is just MAGIC!

The nicest hats I've ever played are my 15" 50s A Zildjians. The nicest ride I've played is my 24" K Light Ride. The nicest crash I've played on was some old Zildjian A on a house kit that they wouldn't part with.

The nicest marimba I've ever played on is my Rosebush Marimba 5 octave baby. The nicest set of vibes is, in my opinion, the Musser One Niter. The nicest set of bells was a set of Deagan "Roundtops" from the 20s. My favorite crash cymbals were a pair back at colllege--I believe they were Sabian Viennese 18", but I'm not entirely sure. The best-sounding timpani I've played were some old Slingerlands at a college up in Washington (we were on tour...I don't even remember the town we were in! Good times!...)

The nicest guitar I've ever played was a 20s Martin that actually sunk and was salvaged from Pearl Harbor. Great story, but kind of lengthy. Anyways, it was a parlor guitar that has a great history and sounds absolutely amazing! The best bass I've played is my friend's blonde Kay upright 5 string. What a full, punchy tone that bass has. The nicest clarinet I've played on is a wooden one (don't know the brand) that has been passed down in my family for generations, and it in my possession right now. Oooh...sweet tone!

I could go on... :)
 
I would also have to say my own kit, Yamaha Oak Customs BUT with Todd Bragg's (of Caedmon's Call) Paiste Signature Series Cymbals (he is endorsed by Paiste)...

Played an outdoor concert opening up for Caedmons and Todd played my kit and offered his cymbals to me for our set...great sound, great cymbals and a great drummer and heck of a nice guy. Lot of fun, sunny day, great crowd (500 plus)...
 
A friend's Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute kit is probably the nicest set of drums I have ever had the pleasure of sitting behind... Those things are engineered to perfection.
 
My younger brother has a custom DW champagne broken glass kit, with a LM402. When dialed in, nothing possibly can sound better than those.

Cymbals? I'm currently putting together a bonham kit, and I have been demo'ing the 2002 series and the sound edge hats and so on... Which sound nice, but the signatures really sound great. I'm considering going signature over 2002.
 
hmmm probably my tutors premier setup, incredibly punchy and so comfortable to play.

The nicest guitar I've ever played was a 20s Martin that actually sunk and was salvaged from Pearl Harbor. Great story, but kind of lengthy

Would you mind posting the story in one of the forums? That sounds damn interesting!
 
Kind of ironic but the nicest "set" I have played was at a music festivle and the Closing act drummer had set up his set and everyone played through that. I was super stoked when I saw it because it was a DW Collectors with all DW hardware and Zildjian Cymbals (of course I switched out the cymbals and snare for my own) but still!!!....However when I actually got up there I found that the heads on that thing must have been YEARS old litterly, the stands were missing wingnuts and held togather with duct tape and the reso heads had like 10 strips of duct tape in a star pattern... Bass pedal stuck to the head because there was some sticky residue on the batter head, probably duct tape left over. Now I have to say that he did have it setup beautifully...no horible tom or cymbal angles, and it looked killer from the audience perspective...and the bass wasnt that bad, other than the pedal (just couldnt do anything too fancy)...so it wasnt that bad of a show, I just didnt hit the toms at all...just pisses me off when I see people with killer kits and dont take care of them....also when the gig was done, he litterly threw them in the back of a pickup truck...no cases.....no lie...I almost puked!!...It made my heart hurt like when watching ol' yellar or something...anyway that was the "nicest kit"...in terms of worth...nicest sounding kit (which is what matters) 60's or 70's era stopsign badge Gretsch 20/13/16 in a studio in Austin...actually that WAS the nicest kit I have played
 
...just pisses me off when I see people with killer kits and dont take care of them....also when the gig was done, he litterly threw them in the back of a pickup truck...no cases.....no lie...I almost puked!!...It made my heart hurt like when watching ol' yellar or something...anyway that was the "nicest kit"...in terms of worth
I think I knew that guy! Okay, not really, but one of my friends from childhood is exactly that way, or he was when he was still playing. He had a 13/16/22 Yamaha Recording Custom that he paid a lot of money for brand new back in the late '80s.

As amazing of a drummer as he was, he just didn't have it in him to take care of things. He was a bit of a savant and those things simply didn't occur to him. He played his kick drum with no head on the front so that it could be used as a bucket for everything else: cymbals, hardware, snare and toms. Whatever he could fit in there went in there. Nothing had a case. So it shouldn't be surprising that the shells are cracked on at least two of the drums (snare and kick) and they look like hell.

ANYWAY - I'll never forget playing on a set of Ludwigs at a music store back in '82. Power toms with thick shells and silver dots... wow, I was stunned. I'd never heard anything like that, nor have I since. They just don't make them like that anymore.
 
the yellow gretsch house kit at sugarhill studios after robbie parrish drum techs, and dan workman produces.

the best snare i've played is either a dunnet titanium 6.5x14 or a keplinger in the same size.

best cymbals 22" constantinople thin low ride.
best hi-hats a pair of k/z's that got borrowed at a gig and stolen.
best crash my old 19" a custom with 3 rivets
 
Can't comment on best drums/cymbals as they all serve different needs. Making my way through Jason McGerr's collection was fun, Scott Mercado has some cool snares and cymbals, and my friends and I have great stuff from one of a kind fiberglass kits, to a custom Ayotte made for Matt Chamberlain to full Keplinger kits. Lots of great stuff and it all does what it does fantastically.

Finest instrument I've ever played was a concert Steinway from the 1920's. That bastard was a cannon.
 
The nicest in sound quality I've had the oppurtunity to play are...

*Ringer Timpani

*Ludwig 6.5x14 Black Beauty super-sensitive ( Man, I wish I could afford one! )

*Paiste 602 sound-edge Hi hats ( I own )

*Paiste symphonic gongs

*Noble & Cooley classic SS snare drum ( I own)

* Steel Drums made by Mr. Ellie Manette of Trinidad

* I have to say the nicest sounding drum kit I've played on in recent memory were Tama Starclassic Bubinga's - those things speak with some serious punch and clarity.
 
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I would say the nicest kit I've played is my own - DW Collectors.

As for cymbals, every professional model cymbal is basically the same. Haven't yet had the chance to play with some K Cons or Vault Artisans though, which I regard higher than just AAX/A Custom sort of stuff.

I've been rather lucky with my Snare drums though, have played on a 14" x 6" Jeff Ocheltree Phantom Carbon Steel snare, 117 of only 500 made. Also have played on some nice Jarrah snares - a 14" x 7" Brady and a 14" x 5.5" Metro. All while recording though.
 
I've sat behind a couple of DW kits, and I must say I want one. Badly.

As for cymbals, my current ones are pretty damn high on the list :)
 
I'm a huge fan of CB drums and cymbals!
hah...
well not really. I do love Bosphorus cymbals, although I can't afford them so I just go every once in a while and tap around on them at guitar center.

Haha, good old CB's. You can't beat the sound of cardboard, which is what CB stands for- Card Board. Never played their cymbals though.
 
Can't comment on best drums/cymbals as they all serve different needs. Making my way through Jason McGerr's collection was fun, Scott Mercado has some cool snares and cymbals, and my friends and I have great stuff from one of a kind fiberglass kits, to a custom Ayotte made for Matt Chamberlain to full Keplinger kits. Lots of great stuff and it all does what it does fantastically.

Full Keplinger kits!?!? that sound absolutely incredible. Was that directly through Greg... or an Ayotte concoction?

I have one of the original 1st gen. Keplingers from Ayotte with the wood hoops... suuuper sweet drums. You get some deep and meaty punch from that sucker.
 
Full Keplinger kits!?!? that sound absolutely incredible. Was that directly through Greg... or an Ayotte concoction?

I have one of the original 1st gen. Keplingers from Ayotte with the wood hoops... suuuper sweet drums. You get some deep and meaty punch from that sucker.

To my knowledge, a full Ayotte Keplinger kit does not exist. These were made by Gregg and had Ludwig lugs and claws. I've played a few of these concoctions. Some are the heavy steel he uses for his drums (the drums he makes are usually thicker than the Ayotte drums and he offers iron, steel, stainless steel, brass, bronze, and copper) and others have been some odd sheet stainless that is welded and riveted together. All have sounded different and cool, in their own right. They have lots of ring and depth and a surprising amount of warmth for what they are.
 
either a dw collectors in some sort of green mesh finish from our BOTB with EC2s very nice or the Yamaha Recording custom i used recording :p

DW edge snare easily the best ive played also on recording.

cymbals
my ride and hats aa raw bell and aax celerators. and my mates a custom crashes and oriental china :)

Hardware
iron cobra hat and pedals and dw 9000 stands
 
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KIT: TIE Gretsch Jasper Maple | Mapex Orion
mentions: Sonor Delite, Ludwig Classic Maple

SNARE: Ludwig Hammered Bronze Supra w/Die-Casts
mentions: 5.5x14 Starclassic Birch (own), 5.5x14 60's Radio King Artist (sold in a fit of madness), "Brass on Brass" 5x14 BB (lent)

CYMBALS: Mine - Istanbul Agop (write for setup - quite a list and I'm kinda lazy...)
mentions: 16 AAXplosion Crash (sold), 20 K Custom Ride (awesome), 21 Alchemy Raw Ride (sold - happier with new ride)
 
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