On drums...

While all that Designer activity was going on, this set showed up on my stoop. In two boxes, all heads and rims removed, some loose newspaper and cardboard packing no longer separating one thing from another....Arrrrgghhh! ....

Began to put new heads on, and shock of shocks, the drums began to sound like something, encouraging more heads and more tuning. The bass came with a pair of pinstripes... UGH! but an EQ4 and a Fiberskyn reso brought out everything a guy could want in a bass drum and more.





Let's see... let me think... is it real? I found this kit to be very beguiling, even from the darkness of the basement grease stained carpets where it was posed for photos. Some things just need to be released from their environments!




It came with a 12 as well, but I prefer the 13.




Bumps and scars on the floor tom show up fairly well in this light. Took a bit of liberty with the cymbal post:



The method of veneering the tears was old school. Do your bookmatching of veneers, then wrap 'em around the drum and get out a nice sharp knife and cut a straight line diagonal to the figure, removing the two excess pieces. Very effective and quite attractive, in its craftsman-like way. Floor tom legs are wrong, but probably work better than the straight up and down originals:




Just more handsomeness!



Lots, and I mean lots! of little scars and dings all over this kit; I kind of like it, but out in the sun I see them all. The camera really doesn't show them. I am torn between loving the history on the kit but thinking some of the scars are a bit over the top. The kit glows. Missing its black reveals in the bass hoops, and I think it would look better with those restored.

Can I live with the missing damper in the floor tom? You bet I can!



The sound of this kit is wonderful. Reminds me, particularly the bass, of the Phonics, but with its thinner shells it is more musical, warmer, more alive. Really love this kit! And it doesn't weigh much.



A bit of work still to be done. I've repaired all the damage shipping wrought, but bearing edges could be tidied up. The question is, it sounds so good, why bother?

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Gregory

WOW....

Honestly - I've never seen a more beautiful teardrop... Congratulations Gregory - your love towards grain and wood deserved a set like this...

Don't mind the "battle scars" - they just show that the kit had an interesting history before, which is nice...
And I'd leave the bearing edges for later - if I'm satisfied with the sound...

May the set serve You well for years to come... I'm definitely after a teardrop myself, as a replacement for the Catalina...

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Wow, that is gorgeous!

Thanks for enjoying them, guys.

Goki, teardrops in Europe seem to go for less than they do here. For not much money you can get a lot of sound. Choice is between the ultra thin but more open 3 ply and the sturdier but more focused 6 ply (my drums). Having dealt with the 6 ply which seem very thin, the 3 ply, which are half the thickness at 3mm, must be somewhat fragile and quiet, though interesting to play.

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Gregory

Those are great drums Greg, wow! I recently got my old teardrop snare back and was excited about it's sound again, they are pretty unique.
As far as your battle scars, eh, they are old drums and you don't have to baby them. You might try to replace those steel hoops with some wood ones, I did that on my old champion and there was a definite difference in sound.

Thanks, Tim.

I've thought about the wood thing. Metal hoops are a bit eccentric although I rather like them. That wood hoops make a difference, I'm inclined to believe - but in what way? That's a lot of rosewood to buy to flip around two hoops for 1.5" of throw. And pure black does not appeal to me. I ordered some black strips to go around the metal jobs, but I'm willing to look at reasonably priced and productive alternatives.

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Gregory

Nice kit Greg, what kind of heads are you using on the Toms?

Thanks, Greg. At the moment, coated G1 top and Genera Resonant bottom.

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Gregory

Which teardrop snare, Tim? 3 or 6 play? And where did you source the wood hoops?

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Gregory