Green sparkle?

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
So is it possible to have your kit in green sparkle without someone accusing you of being a John Bonham fanboy?

I'm considering a re-cover of my kit, but after looking at different sparkles, I think there was a reason Mr. Bonham had green sparkle - it looks good! For some reason, it doesn't look too cool (like blue), nor does it look too hot (like red sparkle). Silver, gold, and champagne sparkle, to me, look like they don't know what they want to be, so they're not on my list at all. But I was thinking red because I've always been a fan - and I was attempting to avoid comparisons to the great one.

But now that I think of it, how many people actually care? How many people would even know? Zeppelin is a big group, but it's not like having the ubiquitous black oyster pearl of that other guy. Personally, I think everyone remembers Zeppelin for maple and amber vistalite.

So now taking into account everybody's opinions on re-covering my drums at all, to now trying to decide covering them in which sparkle - I must do some sleeping on this. You guys have sent me into overload.
 
Do it. Do it now. Stop thinking about it. I would.
 
So is it possible to have your kit in green sparkle without someone accusing you of being a John Bonham fanboy?

Difficult not to make the association. And when you're drums are 26", 14", 16", 18" Ludwigs, in a one up, two down config.......it's damned next to impossible not to draw the parallel.

I know the very first thing that would come to my mind would be, ah the Bonham kit. That doesn't indicate that's a negative though....it just is what it is. Would non-drummers know? Doubtful. Would they care? Even more doubtful.

You do know red is faster, right?
 
Difficult not to make the association. And when you're drums are 26", 14", 16", 18" Ludwigs, in a one up, two down config.......it's damned next to impossible not to draw the parallel.

I know the very first thing that would come to my mind would be, ah the Bonham kit. That doesn't indicate that's a negative though....it just is what it is. Would non-drummers know? Doubtful. Would they care? Even more doubtful.

You do know red is faster, right?

That is why I lean to red. That and the fact that I've always liked red sparkle and never had a kit in that color. My very first dilapidated hand-me-down kit was a gold sparkle and that's probably why I'm not so into gold. Nothing says 'definite' like red - and if it sparkles that's even better, I say.

But green looks really cool too. Although I can probably play faster on a red kit ;) 'Cause you know how fast everybody wants us to go.....
 
.........and the fact that I've always liked red sparkle and never had a kit in that color. .........

Your first thought is usually your best thought, Bo. I can think of numerous times I've gone against my intial gut feeling and regretted it.
Nothing wrong with green...or silver....or anything else for that matter. But if you've had your heart set on red for a number of years......roll with it and see it through.

Go and look at a few pics of Karl Crafton and Bull's red sparkle kits. Mouth drooling stuff. If that ain't enough to persuade you that red sparkle makes for a very fine choice of finish.......nothing will.
 
You should just do what you want to do. Who cares what anyone else thinks. It was your money and they're your drums. Why let others possible preconceived notions even enter the equation?
 
....someone accusing you of being a John Bonham fanboy?

You'll never be able to "fully" isolate yourself from the shallowness of those who are ...... shallow. Just the sight of a 26" kit, is enough, to spin some folks. I'd get Bonham kit comparo talk, and I was driving a clear Vistalite kit (22, 14, 16, 18). Just the 1 up, 2 down .... set 'em off.​
Get whatever color you want. I'm not a big sparkle fan myself, but the most stunning "sparkle" kit I ever saw, was a purple sparkle kit a buddy of mine had. That was different.​
 
Red sparkle reminds me too much of the department store drums we had to tolerate in the '60s. Blue sparkle was different and a bit better, but Sears started selling the snot out of it as the "not Woolworth red" and the vibe became much the same. I don't think there were too many green sparkles except for serious folks like Ludwig. So rather than think in terms of Bonham, a green sparkle to me says "cool and different" and not cheap.

It's the configuration, especially the giant shell tom, that says Bonham to me. I had a friend back in the early '70s who had such a kit but covered in some sort of black leather like stuff. I associated this with Bonham (and he may have used such a kit briefly) until I started seeing pictures of him with the Vistalites. They didn't come to Hawaii that often so it wasn't that easy to keep up with the gear and I wasn't really a Zep-head like some friends were.
 
You'll never be able to "fully" isolate yourself from the shallowness of those who are ...... shallow. Just the sight of a 26" kit, is enough, to spin some folks. I'd get Bonham kit comparo talk, and I was driving a clear Vistalite kit (22, 14, 16, 18). Just the 1 up, 2 down .... set 'em off.​
Get whatever color you want. I'm not a big sparkle fan myself, but the most stunning "sparkle" kit I ever saw, was a purple sparkle kit a buddy of mine had. That was different.​

I've only seen one purple sparkle kit in my lifetime on a little Slingerland kit from the 60s - very cool. How about that schizophrenic Ludwig 'salesman' sparkle finish that had a band of every sparkle? That would be amusing ;) Or maybe a different sparkle for each drum? I know people have done that too...that strikes me as schizophrenic as well.

I'm playing with ideas, including leaving them alone. But I want to do something. I do know I like having a 26" bass drum - that's why I'm not considering just getting another set - I really like this one! It's like I have it dialed in and have gotten very comfortable playing it. Getting used to the distance between the 13" and 16" toms took some time but I'm flying on it rather well by now. That only took months!
 
I say go with the green sparkle it does look great. I only ever saw Led Zeppelin the green sparkle once and that was at Shea Stadium.
 
Red sparkle reminds me too much of the department store drums we had to tolerate in the '60s. Blue sparkle was different and a bit better, but Sears started selling the snot out of it as the "not Woolworth red" and the vibe became much the same. I don't think there were too many green sparkles except for serious folks like Ludwig. So rather than think in terms of Bonham, a green sparkle to me says "cool and different" and not cheap.

It's the configuration, especially the giant shell tom, that says Bonham to me. I had a friend back in the early '70s who had such a kit but covered in some sort of black leather like stuff. I associated this with Bonham (and he may have used such a kit briefly) until I started seeing pictures of him with the Vistalites. They didn't come to Hawaii that often so it wasn't that easy to keep up with the gear and I wasn't really a Zep-head like some friends were.

I agree with you on that. I remember in the early 70s seeing those cheapy red sparkle kits in Sears catalogs along with blue. In fact, Ludwig in the early 80s re-introduced the Standard line with red and blue gloss finishes too. Green was indeed, a rare sparkle finish. Perhaps its the nature of the color - it's like Tony Williams yellow - you couldn't help but stand out with either green or yellow - and you definitely didn't want those colors around if you were playing a wedding, eh?

Everyone is probably right in that it's the configuration of one-up, two-down that everyone associates with Bonham (or Rich and Krupa, really). But when I take away the 18" floor tom, which I do alot, especially on this last gig, it's just another four-piece set of drums and rather generic except for the oversized bass drum. Green is beginning to grow on me too.
 
I think we just sorted out that John Bonham is a relatively unknown drummer in anothr thread here... You are also in a band where I would think anything would go as far as drum kit colors so seem slike a no brainer.
 
I think you can't go wrong either way. Red sparkle and green sparkle both look great.

I know what you mean about avoiding the fanboy thing, but I'd recommend getting the color you like best and not worry about it. Ultimately, only a very few people you'll ever come across will even make the connection to the Bonham kit.

I was never a huge fan of green sparkle until recently, but it has really grown on me lately. Now, when I see it, I think to myself, "Damn. That looks really good."
 
I know what you mean about avoiding the fanboy thing, but I'd recommend getting the color you like best and not worry about it. Ultimately, only a very few people you'll ever come across will even make the connection to the Bonham kit. "

And anyone who makes the connection to Bonham will be a drummer and understand!
 
I went with a green sparkle Ludwig set and never regretted it... Until recently. LOL

Now, I also own and love several Paiste cymbals, so I look/feel like an even bigger fanboy than before!

I know what you're saying Bo and there's zero doubt some drummers are gonna make the Bonham reference when seeing your kit, but the general public has no idea about that stuff.
 

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Either of those colors would be better than both of those colors....I mean, forget about the possible Bonham reference; Christmas Drums?!?!?!

j/k....I like green more than red. Hope that helps
 
Bo, i re-wrapped my kit in silver sparkle. I really wanted green sparkle and everyone i showed the color to said it was horrible and that should have made me do it! i dont regret the silver, i was going for the Bonham look, but i always loved the green. I vote yes. when i was playing my black kit, or my stained kit people at gigs would say it was a Bonham set anyway being one up two down (its a Pearl kit jerks) so why not.
 
Here's another angle...I remember way more pics of JB with a natural kit just like you have right now more than the green. So really, you're kind of already there as far as any comparison goes. So go with the color you like. 99% of the population will have absolutely no idea that green sparkle is tied to JB. I myself don't associate JB with green sparkle. Fact is, I never knew he played a green sparkle kit until I became a member here. I associate JB with the amber vistas or a natural kit, as those are the only pics I remember of him. He only used the green sparkle kit in the studio, right? I just don't remember any live pics of him with the green kit. The amber vistas with the Zoso logo are the real "copycat" JB kit in my mind. Jason didn't go green sparkle, what does that say? So green is fair game and not much comparison issue IMO.

If I had to pick for you, I'd go red. Not many people rock red sparkle Luds. I really like the look of Karl's and Bull's kit. No one could accuse a red sparkle set of Luds as looking cheap or cheesy, JMO. I think they are classy looking.
 
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