I prefer a 16" as well. I've always thought they were more sought after by the jazz style players and they bring more money because they just aren't as readily available as 16" drums.

They are a perfect match with a 16 floor and a 20" bass for that old school set up. I really do like them, Sam I Am, I simply love green eggs and ham!

[IMG]http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ThePloughman/Rogers%20Drums/Rogers%201967%20Steel%20Gray%20Ripple%20Pearl/DSCN0697_zps34804548.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ThePloughman/Rogers%20Drums/Rogers%201966%20Sparkling%20Blue%20Pearl/IMG_5598.jpg[/IMG]

And with an 18" BD, ........ so, sooo, sweet.

[IMG]http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ThePloughman/Rogers%20Drums/Rogers%201983%20XP8%20Ebony/Picture205.jpg[/IMG]

The 14" floor tom is like Yogi Berra. Short of stature but long on delivery.

Yogi at 5'7" had 358 home runs (more than his 321 lifetime doubles).

I am not a big fan of 14" floor toms either !

They have their place…and they aren't as common as 16"s. I always found them to sound a bit more defined when playing rolls, so I had an orphan one for recording. If you have a 10" or 12" tuned up high they're cool, but with a 13" you almost have to tune them to wrinkle range. I had one of those modern Gretsch 14"s laying around for recording and to minimize gear haul, but ended up selling it and going back to the 16" simply because it's versatile enough to be tuned up or down for any style and can make sense in any kit.

Part of the 'facination' regarding Gretsch 14" 3ply floor toms (50's - 60-61) is there just is not that many of them around. There seems to be not a real shortage of the 16" Gretsch toms in these years. I'm guessing that's because it was before a lot of the players started going for the smaller drum sizes. About that time - late 50 - Gretsch made the big switch to 6ply. So you have the last half (give or take a few here and there earlier) of the 50's where there were 14" 3ply Gretsch toms made. This is only an educated guess on my part from the reading I've done, looking for a 14" 3ply Grestch tom and seeing the odd one for sale over the past 5 years.

I'm gonna go with the jazz guys who pioneered them - they're portable.

I used to play two up-one down setup, just how I bought it. Then I found that second tom unneeded for the style of music I was playing, so I ditched it and moved my ride more over the bass drum. Also, I hated how high I had to hang my two toms for them to be close and aligned and yet not hitting the BD when played, this way I could have the single rack tom more to the side.

Now I play different music that justifies more toms, but I still like my ride over there - visually AND functionally. So the logical thing for me to do is go for an another floor tom (plus I just like rolling from one FT to another, makes me feel all cool and tribal). I could hang my second rack tom low, but I feel that I need a deeper tone - plus I occasionaly lean against my FT and I can't do that with a suspended tom without the fear of breaking the mount.

And because I have a 22-12-13-16 kit (your most standard config really) I can either buy a 14" or 18" floor tom. And since I often transport my drums in regular coupé car, I rather go for that 14". It's also easier for me to reach the second floor tom this way.

And if I need playing on a smaller kit, well, it's smaller than 16"! Easier to tune and control.

In vintage land, the 14 is more scarce and the desired tom of most jazzers. I think Rogers script badge 14s are particularly scarce in numbers. (I have a Rogers kit with a 14...yay!)

I love them, but I also love a good 16 and even an 18.

I still view original American vintage kits with the 14 as the most desirable...from any of the major brands back in the day.

Its funny guys seem to really want the 14" Floor toms . And all this time I though I was the only one who does not dig em . I prefer a 20 or 22 BD, 12 tom and 16 ft .