On drums...

WOW!!!

Now THAT i a set of drums right there! Nice one Kelly I'm seriously impressed

Congrats!

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Ron

yeah nice looking kit! My first drums were Premier, I always thought that they let their quality control drop in the 90s/00s esp. regarding hardware, but it seems like they are making quality instruments again...when do these date from?

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http://percusski.co.uk/

I'm not sure Nick. I have assumed Signia's were early 90's but I don't really know the history of when they began and when they ended.

First made in '92, I believe.

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Gregory

Yup - 1992.

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

My first real drumset was a Premier kit. My Dad drove me to pick it up. I still remember that day. It was basically brand new in boxes, but had gone unsold in a local music store for a long time. I bought it through a want advertisement. It was a gorgeous natural birch, with beech re-rings. I had no clue about drum sizes back then, and I ended up with a 22, 13, 14, 16x16. I played that kit through college, and lugged those drums all around Berklee and Boston. It was then that I realized that I really wish I had smaller drums to play jazz on.

At some point in the late 1980s I bought a used Yamaha Recording Custom kit. I was into Erskine, Gadd, Weckl and that's what all those guys were playing. I got married in late 1992, and moved into a new place. Soon after, I saw an ad for a barely used Topaz Signia kit. It was the most beautiful set of drums I had ever seen. I couldn't pass them up, so I remember driving over on Super Bowl Sunday of 1993 to pick them up from the guy. I sold my Yamaha Recording Customs right after that.... they were considered the bomb back then and were easy to re-sell.

I had those Topaz Signias for a long time, and have no idea why I sold them. I got into playing 20" bass drums I guess, and that kit had a 22". I have owned several Signia, Signia Marquis, and Genista kits over the years. They are all outstanding tonally and beautifully built/finished. And they are pretty good bargains now on the used market. Most of the hardware throughout the 90s is based on Yamaha stuff, and it holds up very well. Some nice innovations too, like isolated bass drum spurs.

Premier tried to highlight their higher end drums with a nice new catalog in 1998-1999. But they had recently been sold (again), to some British conglomerate of business men who had no knowledge or interest in drums, and the Signia, Signia Marquis and Genista lines were dead by about 2000. They went after the beginner drummers with cheapo lines. From there Premier died a slow death. They have restructured now and are starting a comeback, but it will be slow. It's nice to see they are trying at least.

- D.

That's a great read David.
Someone just posted a pic of Premiers latest snare coming out. Dam thing is gorgeous. I'll post a pic when I have time.

Ditto. Bears no resemblance to anything I ever did, but I enjoyed reading your journey. My first drum set was a stencil kit three piece, and was so cheap that all badges had been removed and any identifying metal engraving had been punch stippled into oblivion. No idea what it was, but I played it through high school and college, until it was stolen, finally.

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Gregory

Goofing around, tuning the second kick. Band is stalled so...eh

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?