Part of Michael’s Drums series of life-long joy
Michael’s Drums 8
2012 – 2015 Update
Still playing every day. Drumming has outlasted almost everything and everyone else in my life. Good thing for family! I feel sorry for those who have lost, given up, or never had such an unmatched, strong base.
Picked up a popcorn snare, and another snare drum – el-cheapo, on purpose, for the el-cheapo sound difference.
Got a pair of Zildjian 12″ special recording hi-hats, and I love their sound! Not as thin or sharp as their 10″ siblings, definitely meatier, but still fast and exact – precision hi-hats.
Added a few more gibraltar cymbal arms and cymbal “stand-offs” or “risers”. Trying out some of the plasticky things that are something like brushes, something like rods…different sounds, not better.
Been looking at Dave Weckl, Jojo Mayer, Benny Greb.
Next addition, Carl Palmer power piccolo, green with brass by Ludwig.
Below I’m enjoying a tasty little TAYE ‘go-kit’, 7-ply maple, shockingly resonant. Pearl maple piccolo snare with Remo Diplomat batter. Remo Ambassador coated heads on both sides of toms and bass. Cymbals are Zildjian A series. Hats are 13″ re-recording — they do record much much better than they sound live. Next is an old favorite 20″ crash/ride mounted upside-down. Next is a double-stacked 16″ LASER-cut something or other (trashy-sounding) with a beautiful 12″ splash mounted coaxially (both mounted upside-down — giving a really bright, sharp attack and comparatively quick die-off vs traditional mounting). Next is a 22″ sweetride that sat on my ‘least-favorite’ shelf until I whimsically installed a single custom “rivet” (about 1 inch in from outer rim) that is a #6-32 x 1″ stainless screw (head on top) weighted by 2 #6 brass hex nuts…in this way the sizzle stays really soft but comes on stronger the louder it’s played. It’s a ‘heavy’ sounding sizzle, not bright and tinny and cheap at all; very unlike typical ‘riveted cymbal sizzle sound’. I tried the 21″ sizzle upside-down but the sizzle wasn’t enough.
