1965 Rogers BR w/WMP Dynasonic

[Tommyp]

Thought I might take a moment and post up my '65 Rogers Buddy Rich Celebrity kit... with a couple changes... including ALL original hardware and my 1967 WMP Dynasonic, also in WMP. I've been working with a Frank Sinatra Show all summer and grabbed a couple pics just before sound check at this particular venue. It was inside a Band Shell, and the sound was incredible! Anyway...

There are two floor toms, although with this particular view you can't see the other one. Also... I am using an 8X12 rack tom in place of the 9X13, as well as a 14X14 instead of TWO 16X16 floor toms. For this particular gig, the 8X12 and 14X14, plus the 16X16 gives me more of the "tonal spread" that I need. Needless to say, the drums sound GREAT... and I always get asked about them from the sound crews and audience members. I do of course have the 9X13 and other 16X16 that go with the kit as well.

This gig demands a better than fair amount of brushes... and the Dynasonic shines in that regard. Very articulate... very sensitive!... but with excellent projection. The band does that old Neal Hefti/Count Basie tune, "Cute" , which is a drum feature. I play it completely with brushes as it was meant to be played... and the Rogers deliver across the board!

Tommyp

[The Ploughman]

You just cant get DW to look like that. Great shot of great drums.

[Jim]

VERY very nice... thank you for posting and sharing a little.. I may be speaking only for myself but for a total novice out here in Internet land it is very cool to hear those little tidbits.

May I ask what kind of cymbals you are using?? and... do you play the floor tom set up flat or tipped toward you?

[backbeatkeeper]

I see some Sabian's, and I remember your fondness for the HH series. Hi hat look to be of the Sound edge variety? Please fill in all the details with the cymbals. Also Tommy, beautiful kit as always.

[Tommyp]

JohnPloughman, Jim, and backbeatkeeper!... as always, THANKS! for the very nice words. I know you guys really appreciate quality American made drums! Now, let's see if I can answer the queries put forth:

Jim: The cymbals are ALL Sabian HH series with the exception of the bottom HH cymbal which is indeed a 13" Paiste Sound Edge as backbeatkeeper's good eye noticed. The ride is a Sabian 20" Duo... ( the Duo works GREAT for this gig as it has just the right tone/volume with nice stick definition ) ... the two main crashes are both 17" in Thin and Extra Thin weight, and the splash is an 8" HH. I have been playing only Sabian HH's since 1986! Regarding the two floor toms: They are pretty much flat... very little angle. I have a full on FRONTAL pic from this same gig that shows them real well. I can PM you a pic or two if you like... and thanks for asking and the interest!

backbeatkeeper: You have an excellent eye! The HH's are 13'', and I have always mated a Paiste Sound Edge bottom with a Sabian top. I have found it to be a very nice combination that is able to cover just about ANY type of music. I can and do alter the top Sabian HH cymbal depending on what the gig requires though. For this particular gig the top is a regular Sabian 13" HH, in a medium weight. The Paise Sound Edge gives them that nice "chick", while the top cymbal maintains the "dark and smokey" Jazz flavor. Absolutely perfect for this gig! BTW...

I am loving this gig. The Sinatra catalog is hit after hit after hit. It's a 90 minute show with three arrangements that feature just the band to give "Frank" a breather. It's piano, bass, and drums... plus ... two horns: Trumpet and Sax. It is a reading gig... everything is charted out, and there are a lot of horn "kicks" written out as well as endings. Good amount of brushes too! ALL the shows are at outdoor venues... so the sound system's are pretty large.

I appreciate all the kind words... and thanks for the questions too! :-)

[backbeatkeeper]

Wow a 13" Sound Edge with a Sabian top. Nice combo. I like to use my bottom New Beat as the top and vice versa. I read in a magazine about jazz guys doing that along with burying their cymbals. Haven't buried one yet, but I like experimenting with the hi hats....PM me the "full-on frontal" shot when you get a chance, I'd like to see it

BBK

[MichaelSJ]

...

Is it possible to get any classier?

IS IT?!

so amazing even non drummers are going daaaaaaang.

[Tommyp]

MichaelSJ!

Nice to hear from you!... and THANKS for the nice words too! I kinda have to agree:

Rogers... Buddy... WMP... = Classy!

backbeatkeeper and Jim: As it turns out, there is currently no capacity to attach pics to a PM... so ... I have the front view if you would like to see it, but you would have to email me directly. My email address can be found in my profile by clicking on my username, Tommyp. Thanks guys!!

Tommyp

[mlvibes]

Tommy, incredible, thanks for sharing! Doesn't get much better than that!

[Tommyp]

mlvibes!...

THANK YOU very much for having a look and the very nice words!! By the way, I do enjoy visiting YOUR site... you always have some fine specimens available for sale, and/or just to view!

Tommyp

[big daddy]

um... wow. Incredible kit Tommyp. I've always loved the WMP wrap, even when I was a young rock-n-roller.

To chime in on the ol' HiHat mix and match sub-thread here, I was lucky enough to have recently picked up an orphaned 14" Sabian Vault HH top cymbal for a mere $45.00 (think the pairs sell for $350.00 and up).

I've paired it up with my other hats, both tops and bottoms, and none of the pairings sound bad IMHO. Current favorite is the Vault on top with a Paiste PST 5 top, on the bottom. The Vault is the thinnest of all my hats and when matched with a thin bottom (New beat top, Paiste top, etc...) the sound is very smooth and glassy (think 50's to early 60's A Zil, but a tad brighter).

I played the Vault/Paiste combo at a blues gig last weekend and the sound was just so nice... I found myself ignoring the ride!!

[Tommyp]

big daddy!...

Thanks for the view and the very nice words on the Rogers!

Regarding hi-hat cymbal "matching/mixing" : Yeah!... I know exactly of what you speak! Having been playing the Sabian HH series for the past 22 years!, it's interesting to me that I haven't really been that knocked out with Sabians factory matching/pairing within the HH line... not that they're bad of course... just not the "sound" that I was looking for. So... when I paired the Paiste SE bottom with ANY of my Sabian tops, wow... there it was! The cool thing is I can change out the top Sabian for weight and/or style of music, and they ALL sound great with the Paiste SE bottom. You know,

I did a Smooth Jazz concert back in June opening for Bob Baldwin... ( his band and drummer were FABULOUS by the way! ) ... and backline was supplied, and it was EXCELLENT backline which is always a treat! Anyway, the cartage company had THREE different cymbal vaults of just Sabian cymblas!!... and I ended up going with the HH/HHX line that Dave Weckl helped design. Well... the HH/HHX hi-hats blew me away!!!! I was incredibly impressed with those, well, at least within the Smooth Jazz genre of music anyway. I guess the main point of this ramble is that for the first time, I liked the Sabian pairing of top/bottom!


Tommyp

[Tommyp]

Hey guys!...

I have received more than a few emails asking about the bass drum mike on this kit, and also whether or not the bass drum has a "port". So...

Personally, I don't like "ported" front bass drum heads, and that's just my personal preference of course! But having said that, I have learned over the years that when working with a lot of different sound companies, and especially for the majority of the outdoor venues, sound guys WANT to see a port in that front head! They just don't seem to know what to do with the bass drum mike otherwise... kind of comical in a way... but! ... we WANT the sound tech happy, as that will ensure a killer drum mix. So...

I use an AKG D112 ( the football! ) mike on my bass drums ALL THE TIME. I bring my own to every gig/venue, and suggest that the sound tech use my mike... because ... I have ported all my bass drums to accept this particular microphone, plus the AKG D112 ALWAYS delivers in any enviroment! Because this mike has a very small "nose"... ( football! ) ... the bass drum port is a mere 2" round, which enables the mike to be placed INSIDE the bass drum a tad, and also makes it appear that there is no port. All one really needs is a port just large enough to accomodate sticking the mike right up to it, or just inside. GAPING ports let out a lot of air/back-pressure and impede the resonant heads function, as well as change the "feel" of the bass drum while playing. HOWEVER!... if one has their bass drum set up with a lot of muffling to start with, a much larger port isn't going to make much difference in the "feel" of the drum at all, which is of course a plus for the drummer that has their bass drum set up in that particular way.

So there you have it! I have to thank you guys for all the interest and questions on my 1965 Rogers BR kit, miking, and the gigs that I play in general. Always a pleasure to be part of the BEST drum forum on the net!!

Tommyp