Having converted from guitar to drums a few years ago, I didn't run out and buy a sweet kit. I've been playing Pearl Export Pros that I got used. But the band is boning up to record, and I'm in the market for an upgrade on my shells.

I've got it in my mind that I want big drums, 24" or bigger kick, one up 2 down toms, with a 16" and 18" floor. I don't want to go custom shop, for $$ reasons, and there aren't too many kits like this out there in wide production, from what research I've done, let alone actually in stores and able to be played/heard.

So, right now I'm a bit town between the mahogany and very great sounding Gretsch Catalina Club Rock kit, which lacks the 2nd floor tom, and a used maple Yamaha Tour Custom kit with the exact configuration I'm looking for. The Gretsch undeniably looks and sounds great, has a virgin kick, which is preferable, but comes at a pinch higher cost with one fewer tom, although it comes with a snare I won't use. The Yamaha also sounds good, but has a tom mount on the kick, which right now is its only demerit.

Any thoughts on these 2 kits in particular, or other suggestions? I've got about a month before we hit the studio to get something done. Thanks for your input!

I was kind of caught on the virgin/drilled kick drum for a long time. I had to get out of it, because I was buying and selling at least two kits a month. Never lost or made money, just kind of traded around. Anyways, I finally worked my way into a kit with a 24/14/16/18 configuration, virgin kick, toms, everything. I set it up, tuned it, and played the shit out of it. HATED how it sounded. It was a maple drum kit, just like all my others, but this one lacked a certain thump that all my other kits had. Sold it, ended up with a mahogany Yamaha stage custom, 22/13/16, non virgin kick. Best sounding kit I've played, goes SUPER low, and has lots and lots of beautiful punch.

TL;DR, who gives a fuck if the kick is virgin? If it sounds good, let it sound good... DO YOU DIG IT?

Yeah, that's pretty much my thinking. My current kick ain't virgin, so I'm not hungup on it. I guess it's a shopping list thing. The ideal characteristics or options I want it to have. My ears will definitely be making the ultimate decision. I've read on the old SR.com forums a lot about the Gretsch Catalina Clubs, but I'm really wondering if anybody has any hands-on experience with the Yamaha Tour Customs, especially in the large drum configuration (24, 13, 16, 18). Also, if anybody knows of any lines that make a production large kit. Like Ludwig Bonhams (which I know they don't still have as new reissues). But that kind of a setup without getting them custom.

Mapex makes a 24/13/16/18 kit...

Out of those two kits mentioned, the Yamaha is a great recording kit. The Catalina, meh. I also wouldn't get hung up on the 24" kick. It's volume you're after, not necessarily diameter. A 20x18 will sound enormous tuned low with no pillow/deadening. Check out a Gretsch Maple Renown if you can find a kit used. They're a great deal. Also Tama Starclassics sound really nice, and they have deep kick sizes that sound huge. I stress though that tuned properly, the Yamaha Tour Customs sound amazing, and are a great deal.

"Like Ludwig Bonhams (which I know they don't still have as new reissues)."

They were re-issued a couple of years ago in both maple and Vistalite versions, and are still being manufactured.

Of the choices you gave in the OP, I'd snatch up the Yamaha kit, especially if it is less expensive than the Catalinas.

Ludwig has a set of "Bonham" sizes in a maple kit that sound great.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Used-USED-LUDWIG-JOHN-BONHAM-DRUM-SET-8--410-121210-106252359-i1739436.gc

im not sure bigger is better..my friend just got a jazz kit and its awesome..it has a punch without the boominess that some bigger drums have..it was able to stand up to some loud amp volumes without any problems.
i guess it depends on what sound your looking for..

I live in Albuquerque. I've seen this kit in person, and it is not one of the maple kits. It's the Accent line, basically Ludwig's entry-level, made out of "select hardwood", not maple. It's not a bad beginner/intermediate kit, for about half that price or less, but it's not the maple.

FWIW, I play a "Bonham" sized classic maple kit, and they're great. They are still available, but unless you can find one in a store or used, will likely cost you a 2-3 month wait.

Hell... I would go for the Bonham Vistalite kit and skip the maple all together. The drummer in my rock outfit has the Bonham Maple kit, and I actually own A set of the Bonham Vistalites (the reissue)... Both kits record very well, and crush on a stage.

I have a set of '76 Vistalites, 22" kick, 13" rack, 18" floor, I love them, they sound huge(I'm a big fan of the way Vistalites sound, especially when playing Heavy Rock, I've also recorded with Vistalites and agree that they record well).

The drummer in my band plays an old set of Vistalites, they are DREAMY.

In fact, the new Roadsaw album has Vistalites on every track.

Ludwig Vista and Classic Maple are good and all, but this guy is looking at kits in the $800 range (he's looking at a new Gretsch Catalina Club Rock kit). The Vista reissues are what, $3000 new? $1500 used? Classic Maple in Bonzo's sizes a couple hundred less for each?

I'm not a fan of the Bonham accent kits, myself.

I'd go for that Yamaha maple kit. Either that, or watch craigslist and local classifieds in search of older Ludwig or Slingerland maple or a good deal on some Vistas.

^^
It was this quote that brought up all of the talk of the Vistalites and classic maple kits. There's actually some pretty good deals on ebay for vintage Vistalite kits and single Vistalite drums if someone wanted to piece a kit together. I got my kick, rack and floor tom for $630, which included shipping.

The drummer in our band uses the Catalina Club Rock Kit, with a 26" kick. Silver sparkle, and it's pretty damn fine sounding, for us anyways. When he first set them up, he was moving from a set of Zicko's, and all we could say was "Damn, that kick sounds good." He does that every once in a while. New piece of gear for him changes the entire dynamic of our sound, more often than not for the better.

Much lighter to tote around than the acrylics as well.

Volume from the kick...wanting a bit, but good sound nonetheless.

It should be noted that it's a better fit for our style of music, and I'd feel like that's a pretty important component to consider.

Here's a pic.

he's slowly but surely swapping out the Gretsch for some custom jobs made by some guy here in town. The different colored shells mark the transition. He's got a Red and a Blue so far.

This was a couple of weeks ago. Incognito as Malamute.

Look at me talking all that shit about virgin kicks...

and look what I just bought...



Mapex Orions. They are fucking CRUSHING.

Yamaha makes great drums, especially for the heavy. Their steel snares have me reconsidering my love of maple snares.

I see a lot of people here from the "make a small drum sound big" school. I suppose I'll represent the "make a huge drum sound like a fucking bomb" school. Maybe mount that 16 and get a 20 or 22 in bass drum, drill it for legs, and make your own massive floor tom. That's what I did, anyway. As far as "virgin" kick drums go, they sound good and look sharp. You may get more sympathetic vibrations from your rack toms at the cost of some resonance from your kick drum if you opt to mount your toms on your kick drum. I'm not sure it makes a huge difference in tone.

Tune it properly, hit it hard, and you'll be rewarded.

If you mounted that 14" tom on a tom stand (rather than a snare stand) you'd get more attack and resonance out of it. It appears to have a good tom mount. Just sayin'. :)

^^yep^^



My Niles, Ill Slingys came from ebay, and they're my go to kit now.

I got a vistalite jellybean kit (not pieced together: 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 24) with a vista snare, slip/slot mount tom stands, a set of 50's zildjian hats, and a 60's 20" ride all for $500 off craigslist. Score of a lifetime for me.

That's an incredible score chlorpromazine, even more incredible if the 13, 14, and 15 are not concert toms.