On drums...

Playing Signatures for twenty years certainly affected me.

I find myself playing the Designers more and more quietly, and they still have all the projection I could want and a clearer tone than when hit harder. It is an eye-opener how little it takes to make them to go off, and how much tone they produce when politely asked to do so.

This is particularly noticeable playing in a duo. Since there is no bass, the bass drum has to fill that role. When stepping into the kick in my "normal" way, the mic (H4n) picks up a lot of attack, and it sounds like a bass drum. When played more quietly, the mic pics up low sonics that mix with the keyboard and duplicate the changing resonances of a string bass.

All in all, a new experience. I'd love to try an old Gretsch kit, but prices on those have gone to places I don't even think about. Funny to think of Sonor as a cheap option.

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Gregory

I had played Ludwig six-ply power toms for many years. These drums were one inch shorter than the Sonor "square" sized toms. They seemed to sound best when I beat the tar out of them. When I started playing shorter toms,(which, incidently were 70s Gretsch!) I found that they required much less effort to play, and were much more resonant. I now play Lites, which are two inches shorter than square. If I ever buy another kit, it will have (the old) standard depth toms and 15 x 24 bass drum(s)!
Brian

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Drums and No Money will get Me through Hard Times better than Money and No Drums!
-A Recovering Drum Addict

I don't know whether the response I'm getting from the Designers is a result of the way I'm playing them, or a result of the drums themselves.

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Gregory

Burying your foot will give all kick drums more attack. Every kick I've played in 25yrs has this attribute. Playing 'off' the head without doing this will create a low pitched boom, a mixture of the non muffling affect of the 'flick' kick v's the the beater remaining on the head,whilst bending the head, and creating a higher tension, therefore higher ,sharper note.

Interested in your thoughts on the Designer, Gregory, how does the SClassix compare. I think your Signature comments are related (as you mention) to shell depths, Phonic Plus drums are similar in feel to Siggys IMHO, and you kind of have to belt the crap out of them to make them sing at low tunings.I found my Mahogany Plusses seemed easier to play, and sat better in a mix when tuned higher than I normally would tune, but I can't give specifics on my tuning as to DD readings or so on.
I love the resonance,body and appearance of square Toms, always have, always will, but compared to an old school standard depth eg/ 12x8, or even 12x9, going back to the square Toms is kind of like learning to ride a bike with NO training wheels when your feet dont reach the ground , difficult, but you just gotta get BACK ON that BIKE .

Not sure I'll ever gig with the Plusses again, maybe festival, huge stage gigs, if the load in is side of stage .

Cheers

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Jeff
Gots ta luv da Beech
Australia

Jeff, we're on the same page if by "burying your foot" you mean playing loudly, rather than not leaving the beater on the head which kills the resonance.


Thoughts on Classix vs Designers... not enough information yet. I'd have to put them in the present musical situation to compare. I know I'm not being particularly clear, and that's because I'm trying to sort through a lot of things new to me, and all without A/B comparisons.

Obviously where the Sigs are concerned, Cliff is having a different experience with his than I had with mine. But then mine started with a 14 rack, and given that, there's no way they'd have made sense in what I'm doing these days.

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Gregory

I think you summed it up there Greg. The situation Cliff is in is ideal for Sigs.