On drums...

It has been interesting to watch the discussion in regards to cutting down Signatures on at the museum, first because Charlie thinks he has invented something, and, second because of the variety of reactions.

Some are aghast at the sacrilege of cutting a Signature at all; some assume others have some sort of fiduciary responsibility to ‘preserve the breed’ for future generations; some think that the drums are a marvel of engineering and can not be improved upon, or adapted to any other use.

This is the view I find most interesting. How can one reconcile the current ‘build your own’ philosophy to the notion that if you don’t want square Signature rack toms, you should buy something else?!

I am in the same position as Dick Bartling on this one. I cut down a 12x12 Signature because I like certain characteristics of Signatures, and I was pretty sure that a 12x10 would work better for me. After the fact, I can say for sure that it did, and changed my whole view of what Signatures could be used for. I would never have even considered using them as a jazz kit, but when the 12x10 turned out to be as improved as I was hoping for, an 18” kick seemed in order, and they make a nice jazz kit.

For certain, I still prefer Designers, but as Kelly has suggested in the past, if you want a highly controlled kit in a quiet situation, or in a room with a lot of reflection, or to record a very controlled sound with, this kit works. Without taking the leap to cut down the 12x12, I would probably have sold the Signatures by now.

…and for the guys that think that cutting down any Signature is tampering with a singular piece of perfection for its respective diameter, consider why 14x14 and 15x15 rack toms exist along with 14x16 and 15x17 floor toms. Are two of them a mistake?

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

You can find the same reactions to almost any brand. The old Gretsch, Ludwig, etc. People seem to forget in what era drums are introduced and what the "in" things are at the time. I'm sure if the Signatures were just introduced in 2011, they would have different sizes and quite possible a different ply configuration. And in 30 years when someone wanted to change one then, you'd still get the same reactions from different groups.

Someday, after I kick the kids out and have some money left over, I hope to have a Sonor kit. If I still like big kits, I'm afraid I'll have the task of trying to piece one together as almost everyone is parting out kits drum by drum. To find a large kit from the Link era will involve a lot of luck, I'm afraid....

Good points, Dave.

One's attitude will vary depending on whether it's loaded from the beginning, the middle, or the end. Buying Sigs, if you don't want square racks, wouldn't make much sense. If you already own Sigs, cutting 'em down makes sense as long as you are not worried about end loading, which is selling them.

I am not enamored of Sig, although I admire them for the inclination and effort made by the Link era Sonor toward excellence. Phonics were better drums (for my purposes) though not as pretty, and can be had in sizes I like. So for me to buy Sigs would make no sense at all (even if they were lighter). If I had Sigs, I'd more likely sell them than cut them, because there are other drums that do better what I want done. But a guy should have absolute control over drums that he bought and should not have to see himself as a curator. One day, all this stuff will be nothing but sawdust and rust, and while I can understand the curator mentality, how many of these drums are really perfect specimens now, and of those, how many will really stay that way?

Not a topic that fills me with much concern.

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Gregory

I couldn't set up my square size sigs to play them in the way I've been playing for 20 years...should I have changed my playing style to fit the German Overlords of Science or just get different drums? or cut them down? I wonder if any of these peaople ever recut the edges on the Sigs? SACRILEGE!