So if a bass player had a 69 Fender P bass would that seem excessive? There are many bass players who use vintage and high end basses worth way more than $1500!
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drummers with unnescecarilly nice equipment.
- Thread starter crj14525
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So if a bass player had a 69 Fender P bass would that seem excessive? There are many bass players who use vintage and high end basses worth way more than $1500!
My drummer had a C&C built for him with cannon bass drum (elongated). Not counting cymbals and hardware, $6,500, but the finish is awesome, and they're great drums, as in lasting forever besides skins,cymbals.
Yeah, like everyone else said - that's not really expensive at all. I have about $5k wrapped up in my set. Nothing custom about the drums, really. But Zildjian K cymbals aren't cheap. When I think about bass stuff I GAS for, I imagine my bass setup price will eventually surpass that of my drums.
Do you know the difference between cheap hardware (especially stands and tom mounts, but pedals too) and the good stuff? One falls apart frequently and needs constant attention, repair, and replacement. The other works every time, first time so there's no wasted time at gigs for set-up and tear-down. And that's before you get to the shells, heads, and then there's cymbals.
John
John
Having helped plenty of drummers move gear over the years, it is insane how heavy the really good drum hardware is (cymbal stands, throne, etc.). But then, that's why it lasts... and costs so much.
That reminds me of a really interesting interview clip I heard from Jason Bonham just last night. He was saying that anyone that thinks Bonzo got his sound from beating the tar out of his drums doesn't know what they're talking about. He said that all you have to do is look at the hardware Bonzo was using -- which was considered pro grade at the time but is nowhere near as sturdy as what's out there now -- and you'd realize that if he had really hit as hard as people think he did, his kit wouldn't have lasted one show... much less night after night.
That reminds me of a really interesting interview clip I heard from Jason Bonham just last night. He was saying that anyone that thinks Bonzo got his sound from beating the tar out of his drums doesn't know what they're talking about. He said that all you have to do is look at the hardware Bonzo was using -- which was considered pro grade at the time but is nowhere near as sturdy as what's out there now -- and you'd realize that if he had really hit as hard as people think he did, his kit wouldn't have lasted one show... much less night after night.
Lol, Terry Bozzio was my first thought when I read the thread title, too. He must either have 20 drum techs helping set it up each night or else his kit must arrive at each gig a week early in order to be set up in time for the actual gig!
You sound fairly ignorant There is nothing like a 1960's Gretsch and they're not cheap. Even if it was newer equipment, you get what you pay for in a lot of cases. Where as as a bassist I have the option of buying a $300 Squier and upgrading the pickups and having a real player of a bass, as a drummer I'm not always that lucky. While you can buy a bass made of cheap grade wood and still have something that sounds great if the electronics are good, with a drum, if the wood is really shoddy and especially if the bearing edges are not cut correctly, tuning will be difficult and getting something with a good tone may be near impossible. There is a big difference in tone between my Gretsch USA Custom set which I bought for $1800 (for 3 drums..new it's over $3500) and Gretsch's bottom of the line set.
In regards to cymbals even, I only use a hi-hat, ride and crash and it cost me over $1000. Sure I could buy a set for about $500 but they wouldn't sound nearly as good and the difference is noticeable.
Also take bass drum pedals. My bass drum pedal cost me $300, but it's worth it. Again I could buy a pedal for $80, but when you look at how smooth one is vs. the other there is no contest.
The reality is that buying even a mid-range set of drums, with decent cymbals, hardware, new drumheads (yes we change them out when we get a new set..it's equivalent to using stock strings) and bags/case, you're easily looking towards $2000.
In regards to cymbals even, I only use a hi-hat, ride and crash and it cost me over $1000. Sure I could buy a set for about $500 but they wouldn't sound nearly as good and the difference is noticeable.
Also take bass drum pedals. My bass drum pedal cost me $300, but it's worth it. Again I could buy a pedal for $80, but when you look at how smooth one is vs. the other there is no contest.
The reality is that buying even a mid-range set of drums, with decent cymbals, hardware, new drumheads (yes we change them out when we get a new set..it's equivalent to using stock strings) and bags/case, you're easily looking towards $2000.
Yeah, I don't know. Its probably because I was raised up a notoriously cheap bastard. Lol
Yeah, I was raised in a frugal family, too. But as I got older I realized you get what you pay for. I'd rather buy something once and have it forever, than get cheapo stuff, only to have to replace it in a few years. Gretsch makes top-of-the line drums.
I thought you meant something like this: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
This set is owned by John Cloutier, he is the Rep for RCI drums. In the mid to late 60s he was one of the best drummers in the area. John and I were friends back in our high school days. We both played drums before I changed over to bass. His first set was a great set of Rogers.
Terry Bozzio is a "good" drummer? The man is really awesome. Certainly one of the finest drummers I have ever heard.
Isn't Terry Bozzio the guy that sat down and played the drum chart to Zappa's "Black Page" -- cold -- note perfect?
Yeah, that's pretty "good". Lotta people never get beyond his stuff with Missing Persons but there's a lot more to him than just that.
Yeah, that's pretty "good". Lotta people never get beyond his stuff with Missing Persons but there's a lot more to him than just that.
"Frugal" and "cheap" ain't the same thing. "Frugal" seems much more to be the kind of person who'd buy a Precision in 1962, keep the same strings on it forever, and never buy another bass. "Cheap" would buy a Montgomery/Ward's import bass and whine because it won't play in tune, then buy a Kay plywood bass, then buy a no-name import bass...
John
My drummer has an old Gretch kit and I think it's awesome. Not sure if it's a '69 but it's old and rules. Drummers with a 10 piece rack kit and 8 cymbals taking up the whole practice space annoy me. Get a 5 piece and get over yourself.
Hey now! I'm in the "bigger kit" camp - 8pc and 8 cymbals. 
There's a lot I can do on it that I can't on a 5pc. Note that I mostly rock out to prog-rock and metal. I honestly don't think there's anything I need to get over. 
I do need to invest in a nice rack. All those stands are getting out of control!
There's a lot I can do on it that I can't on a 5pc. Note that I mostly rock out to prog-rock and metal. I honestly don't think there's anything I need to get over. I do need to invest in a nice rack. All those stands are getting out of control!$1,500 is very inexpensive for a drum set. I know people aho have paid more than that for a snare drum.
Hey now! I'm in the "bigger kit" camp - 8pc and 8 cymbals.
Cool if that's how you roll. I just don't dig it or get it. Buddy Rich & John Bonham didn't need more than a 5 piece. I figure anyone I play with isn't going to need more than that and I'm not real into overly complicated music either.
The older Gretsch kits are highly sought after by recording studios.
I remember we had a drummer who dumped a ton of money into his Mapex kit, which, don't get me wrong, was a good sounding kit. However, our light tech had this old jazz kit from the 60s. The brand name escapes me right now. Our tech let our drummer use that kit on a few gigs, and that thing sounded incredible - one of the best kick sounds I've ever heard. I think our drummer was miffed that he put so much into his Mapex kit, but my guitarist and I loved that old jazz kit.
I remember we had a drummer who dumped a ton of money into his Mapex kit, which, don't get me wrong, was a good sounding kit. However, our light tech had this old jazz kit from the 60s. The brand name escapes me right now. Our tech let our drummer use that kit on a few gigs, and that thing sounded incredible - one of the best kick sounds I've ever heard. I think our drummer was miffed that he put so much into his Mapex kit, but my guitarist and I loved that old jazz kit.
