Update on my mid-life crises kit: BIG Teal

[Niteclub]

So I've had these babies about 6 weeks now and what a blast to play! Took some getting used to at first setting up all those toms, especially after coming off a 4 pc config for so long. I settled on the 13" and 16" as floors on a stand to my left, 8" stacked over the 10" on a stand and over the 12" mounted on the kick with the 14" and 18" floor on my right. This consolidates things and makes it a little more ergonomic to play. I also find I like the tom intervals and performance characteristics of this set up better. Never thought I would mount up a 14" tom on the kick but I'm digging it and the larger 18" floor for sure! I doubt I'll ever use ALL these toms on a gig but if I ever do, this is how I'm gonna fly 'em. I replaced all the lousy ISS mounts with some cheap Worldmax rims mounts from DFD. Those damn ISS mounts ruined all my hoops! Eventually I will replace all of them with generic 2.3mm hoops from DFD. Installed a Kickport I had laying around and added a small soft blanket along the bottom of the kick just touching the front and rear heads. On the 8" tom's rims mount, I cut down some of the rim and one of the flanges with a hack saw because it almost completely encircled the tom and made the tom sound a little choked. I think the smaller toms (8,10 and 12 especially) will benefit from a double 45 bearing edge re-cut. I also want to do a full roundover cut on the kick and 18" floor for some even more super bottom end thunder! I'm fortunate enough to live within 45 minutes of Precision Drum Co. so I can bring them in myself. They have done awesome work for me in the past. One thing I had forgotten is how much louder these 7.5mm shells are over my super thin 5 mm Tama Superstar Maple shells. A full 50% increase in thickness that really makes a difference! Conversely though they aren't as resonant as I like so I am pulling out all the stops for as much sustain and resonance they can muster! Still got a lot of cleaning and polishing to do. So little extra time to fiddle around with this stuff these days unfortunately!

[Eric]

Love those power toms. This kit is just plain awesome.

[killerkick]

Looks awesome. Tom PLETHORA !!

[Niteclub]

Love those power toms. This kit is just plain awesome.

Thanks Eric! I agree completely! It's so much fun jamming on this monster for sure. I think I did pretty well for $750 considering I also got some decent cymbals and a lot of hardware thrown in to boot. Hell, to me the shells were easily worth that alone, even with the couple of issues I found. For me, it's worth sinking a little money in to it to get it just right...

[Niteclub]

Looks awesome. Tom PLETHORA !!

Tom plethora indeed! LOL. I just got off of them as it's my day off and had a couple minutes to spare after doing an oil change on my wife's car. *SIGH* Wish I could just get a little more leisure time for the restoration process.

[BadAstronaut]

Nice kit .. looks good all cleaned and polished! .. I had one in Green Mist lacquer years ago

One thing I had forgotten is how much louder these 7.5mm shells are over my super thin 5 mm Tama Superstar Maple shells. A full 50% increase in thickness that really makes a difference!

The old Superstars with re-rings from 80's? they were 6mm actually .. and 50% increase in thickness is more like 20-25% .. lol

[Niteclub]

Nice kit .. looks good all cleaned and polished! .. I had one in Green Mist lacquer years agoThe old Superstars with re-rings from 80's? they were 6mm actually .. and 50% increase in thickness is more like 20-25% .. lol

No the new Superstar Classic maples. They are truly only 5mm!

[Track12]

I'm here to support power toms! Toms were meant to go BOOM!

[Niteclub]

I'm here to support power toms! Toms were meant to go BOOM!

ABSOLUTELY! You must be an old school rocker as well?

[Track12]

ABSOLUTELY! You must be an old school rocker as well?

I definitely am. Gorgeous kit, BTW.

[Niteclub]

I definitely am. Gorgeous kit, BTW.

Thanks Brother! Literally my mid-life crises kit. Just finished up gigging constantly for about 35 years and currently without a band. Wondering if it will just end up sitting in the basement or not. Hoping it sees the light of day though....