Tree House nesting kit

R

Rockdrill

Active Member
I'm looking into getting a nesting kit and came across Tree House. They do quite a few variations one of which is one up, two down which is perfect for me. They don't say who makes the shells, so I'm assuming it's Keller or the like.
They look interesting, anyone got experience of them?
 
I haven‘t played them (bass or toms) but I was in their shop a few months ago. I can say the quality looked impeccable.
 
I bought bass drum hoops from tree house, they were very high quality and the service was top notch.

One general thing to remember about any nesting kit regardless of sizes or manufacturer: it sounds like a great idea, you'll get excited while you pack it up and see everything breaking down into one big bag... Then you go to pick it up. They get absurdly heavy very quick.
 
Heavy plus you wanna install the head and tune at a gig? Too heavy to go and then you have to install/ tune a head. It's a solution to a problem that isn't really a problem.
 
roncadillac said:
They get absurdly heavy very quick.
Click to expand...

From the Treehouse website:

How Lightweight can you get your drumset? One kit we made had a 13” snare, 10” mounted tom, 13” mounted floor tom, 16” bass with brackets to hold everything in place including a pound or two of extra arm brackets. It hit the scales at 33.8 pounds. Another kit weighed in at 41 pounds with a 10/14/18/14SD configuration before the extra brackets. Add in the hardware--arms for snare, tom, floor tom, and two cymbals--and the total creeped up to about 45 pounds. Check it out: All you’d need to add is a throne, hi hat stand, and cymbals to play the kit. Toss in some cases or bags and you’ve got a complete kit in well under 90 pounds.
Click to expand...

40 lbs. ain't a dealbreaker, unless you're carrying it up a tight flight of stairs.
 
Rattlin' Bones said:
Heavy plus you wanna install the head and tune at a gig? Too heavy to go and then you have to install/ tune a head. It's a solution to a problem that isn't really a problem.
Click to expand...
There's no install/tune a head at the gig with nesting kits. As per pic above, heads remain in tact and the shells split in half.
Heavy, yes, but there are several upsides.... the kit can be put in a case on wheels so it's only heavy at stairs/lifting into the car (as opposed to van), plus loading in/out the gig is easier (I also play bass, so I don't see a nesting kit as any heavier than a bass cab). Also, easier storage (I'll be living in an apartment next year). Other kits do this as well, but as Tree House offer many options, you can have the cymbals hanging off the bass drum, so less hardware.
There's bound to be some downsides compared to a normal kit (the floor toms are definitely shallower) but thought I'd give it a go. If I went for the smallest bop kit, now that would be v small and not very heavy, but I can see me getting carried away and buying the 20" with 3 toms!
I'm moving next year and most of my gigs will be in a city with small pub like venues (and I might have to get to some gigs by taxi), so compactness is key including getting rid of as much supporting hardware as possible to make for a small footprint. The 1 up, 2 down appeals as I can leave one FT behind if space is tight, and one FT can apparently be hung off the BD. So apart from being nesting, it'll be quite versatile and compact on stage.
 
Last edited:
Apologies for the repeat photos.
Gigged this again last night.
1 trip load-in and out.

1.6mm hoops and small lugs will help cut down on the weight
(10"x8",14"x12",18"x14" in a Fibre case - 32 pounds)
Mick
 

Attachments

  • Noonan Nesting.jpg
    Noonan Nesting.jpg
    87.2 KB · Views: 16
  • Noonan2.jpg
    Noonan2.jpg
    66.2 KB · Views: 16
Man, I researched nesting kits for years, but I never pulled the trigger. However, if I was in the market for one, I think go with a Whitney nesting kit. I've never researched Treehouse though.
 
Rockdrill said:
There's no install/tune a head at the gig with nesting kits. As per pic above, heads remain in tact and the shells split in half.
Heavy, yes, but there are several upsides.... the kit can be put in a case on wheels so it's only heavy at stairs/lifting into the car (as opposed to van), plus loading in/out the gig is easier (I also play bass, so I don't see a nesting kit as any heavier than a bass cab). Also, easier storage (I'll be living in an apartment next year). Other kits do this as well, but as Tree House offer many options, you can have the cymbals hanging off the bass drum, so less hardware.
There's bound to be some downsides compared to a normal kit (the floor toms are definitely shallower) but thought I'd give it a go. If I went for the smallest bop kit, now that would be v small and not very heavy, but I can see me getting carried away and buying the 20" with 3 toms!
I'm moving next year and most of my gigs will be in a city with small pub like venues (and I might have to get to some gigs by taxi), so compactness is key including getting rid of as much supporting hardware as possible to make for a small footprint. The 1 up, 2 down appeals as I can leave one FT behind if space is tight, and one FT can apparently be hung off the BD. So apart from being nesting, it'll be quite versatile and compact on stage.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarification!!!!
 
I like the Treehouse drums and was considering purchasing sone concert toms a while back. But honestly if I was to buy a nesting kit I would go with INDE. The product is well designed including serious consideration of the weight.
www.indedrum.com

Nesting Drum Kits, Ultralight and Quick Assembly — Independent Drum Lab

Nesting Drum Kits for working/gigging drummers. Ultralight, compact drum set, fits completely in the bass drum. The fastest nesting drum kit to set up!
www.indedrum.com www.indedrum.com
 
I don’t know about other builders, but Kirsch Drums version is a very thin shell design. Seems very light.

To me, a small floor and rack tom don’t add much to the carry. It doesn’t seem worth it to get a nesting kit unless you’re really pressed for space. I know a guy who cut his own drums to create a nesting kit because he went on tour in one of those Mercedes vans with 4 other player’s gear. That makes sense. Carrying from your house to a gig? I don’t know if that makes sense.
 
INDe drums makes a far better nesting kit than the Treehouse versions . The INDe weighs a fraction of what the Treehouse does and doesn’t have the butterfly clamps like Treehouse does (which rattle by the way ).

INDe drums also make the Wayfarer kits in Aluminum and Maple shells that are super lightweight and punch way above their weight sound wise .
 
Here’s another vote for Inde, between the quality of workmanship, good communication, and the fact they make their own hardware.

Here’s also a vote against Jeff Kirsch. I’ve done business with him a few times, and I’m not interested in doing it again.

With any brand, pay close attention to the latching system for the bass. As someone already mentioned, butterfly latches rattle, and most furniture style latches will loosen and rattle over time. See if the maker says anything about that.
 
Mr Farkle said:
I don’t know about other builders, but Kirsch Drums version is a very thin shell design. Seems very light.

To me, a small floor and rack tom don’t add much to the carry. It doesn’t seem worth it to get a nesting kit unless you’re really pressed for space. I know a guy who cut his own drums to create a nesting kit because he went on tour in one of those Mercedes vans with 4 other player’s gear. That makes sense. Carrying from your house to a gig? I don’t know if that makes sense.
Click to expand...
What if you had to take a taxi to the gig? Would that change your mind?!
 
PorkPieGuy said:
Man, I researched nesting kits for years, but I never pulled the trigger. However, if I was in the market for one, I think go with a Whitney nesting kit. I've never researched Treehouse though.
Click to expand...
Whitney are top of the list for nesting kits but they don't offer the variations of Tree House unfortunately. And the 1up, 2 down is not something they offer.
 
Mr Farkle said:
I don’t know about other builders, but Kirsch Drums version is a very thin shell design. Seems very light.

To me, a small floor and rack tom don’t add much to the carry. It doesn’t seem worth it to get a nesting kit unless you’re really pressed for space. I know a guy who cut his own drums to create a nesting kit because he went on tour in one of those Mercedes vans with 4 other player’s gear. That makes sense. Carrying from your house to a gig? I don’t know if that makes sense.
Click to expand...
Kitsch drums look good but couldn't see a nesting option on their website.
'That makes sense' is what I'm talking about... going to gigs in a taxi, limited storage space (I'll be living in an apartment), pub sized gigs.. all stuff that makes multiple cased drums a problem. Plus small venues = small volume, so not interested in making a racket from large drums.
A nesting kit whilst being a compromise could be better suited than s conventional kit.
 
Rockdrill said:
Kitsch drums look good but couldn't see a nesting option on their website.
'That makes sense' is what I'm talking about... going to gigs in a taxi, limited storage space (I'll be living in an apartment), pub sized gigs.. all stuff that makes multiple cased drums a problem. Plus small venues = small volume, so not interested in making a racket from large drums.
A nesting kit whilst being a compromise could be better suited than s conventional kit.
Click to expand...
What's your plan for transporting a throne, stands & cymbals? That's where things get heavy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top