Howie, I agree with you 99%. The other 1% is that, due to the level of minutia, we now have instruments with better consistency and overall build quality. However, as much as I LIKE that aspect, drums and other instruments in general seem to have lost some mojo in the refinement process. Perfection and musicality do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.As far as choosing the right drums for the application, I'm not buying it. I'm 51, and as I was growing up, you chose Ludwig, Slingerland, Gretsch or Rogers, four decidely different flavors of drums (yet ALL are drums) and you just PLAYED 'em! Rock, Jazz, Big Band, Bop..... they ALL worked for ALL styles, because WE made 'em work. It's not the instrument, it's the player.Younger, inexperienced (and older more gullable) players are led to believe that "if you use X-Y-Z, you will play/sound/look/feel so much better". It's the way the industry sells new instruments to dealers at NAMM every year.The funny thing is that people want choices, and yet all want the same thing it seems. Why do you think so many drum, guitar and amp companies are scrambling to issue as much nostalgically-oriented gear as they possibly can?If manufacturers had halted production at Ludwig, Slingerland, Gretsch, Rogers, Zildjian, Paiste, Remo, Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Guild, Marshall and Ampeg, Hammond, Moog and ARP, we would still have great music being made. Perhaps even better than it is now.Newer, more high-tech is not necessarily BETTER, nor is it an accurate indication of progress. The proliferation of minutia and choices just confuses more players than anything else. I mean really, just HOW many versions of a Fender Strat do we REALLY need?
Well, as usual, I can find no fault in what you say, J.R...maybe because I'm 51, too. Sumo Dude
