Mad rebuilds a drumset, long live the ghettostars!

[themadscientist]

The cliffs notes is I started with a set of off-brand drums that my ex used to play in college. They had dinky el-cheapo hardware, nasty heads that actually fell apart when I removed them, lugs that began popping off when the tension bolts were torqued past what they were left on 10 years ago etc. The "before"

If they were not free I would not have messed with them. They were free though and I am a crafty dude who enjoys DIY type stuff. I saw an opportunity to really get down and dirty and learn what makes drums work. Let's follow along as I turned this set into I think something special.First I stripped them

The bearing edges were a simple single 45 to the outside. I sanded the edge down to a flat edge to almost to the center withe the remainder of the original cut left on the inside.

I then used a router to cut an outside 45. Nothing fancy just a decent functional bearing edge to help these luan shells sound as good as possible.

All the lugs were junk. The tom mounts, everything was a no go. I only was able to retain the hoops from the original set. All new lugs and tom mounts were ordered.

I needed to find a head arrangement that worked well with these shells. I picked the 12" tom and ordered a few different heads. After trying a few combinations I decided on Evans EC2 batter, genera glass resonant.

The bass drum had a special problem. Ever seen a 22" bass drum with six lugs per side? Yeah, repeat after me, WTF?! No way could I leave that like that so I set about reworking the lug arrangement. First I plugged the old holes with dowel rod bits.

I then measured and drilled for eight lugs per side.

I took the opportunity to plug the old tom mount holes. I made a sandwich of thin balsa strips and glue and clamped it to the shell to duplicate the contour.

I redrilled the toms for the new mounts. The old ones were smaller than Pearl tube mounts so in the interest of compatibility and quality they were ditched. Christmas brought real deal Pearl tom stands.

Time to wrap them. I chose a nice satin wrap to hide the ugly shells. It wasn't cheap but it looks amazing.

three months later, mostly due to slow parts shipments they are done. They are not a $2000 set but I have had a lot of fun, learned a bunch and now have a set like no other. I spent likely what a set of superstars would have cost but they would not mean as much to me or generate the pride I feel debuting these.I am pleased to present what I have come to call the Ghettostars.

I am going to try to play open handed. I haven't hit a drum in years and am basically starting at square one so I figure now would be the time to switch.

The view from the driver's seat.

[xekushnr]

DUDE.

Job very well done. That looks incredible. You did a very good job rebuilding them. Did you order new heads for all the drums? Good move on replacing all the hardware too. The satin design is a little too flashy for me but I guess it suits your personality Very good job O Mad One. Now that you have a good kit, and a camera that obviously works, you have to excuse to not post some vids up sometime. In fact, EVERYONE needs to get some vids up soon. I'll have more up this week.

[themadscientist]

All new heads. The only thing left of the original set are the shells and the hoops. Everything else is new.

[xekushnr]

All new heads. The only thing left of the original set are the shells and the hoops. Everything else is new.

If you dont mind me asking, about how much did you spend USD? My buddy has an old set that I would have to do all of the above to and he's been begging me to take it off his hands. I made a mistake telling him I always wanted to play drums.

[themadscientist]

roughly the equivalent of a 5 piece Tama superstar or Pearl export set, $600-$700. I dropped three bills just on the wrap though and of course all the new hardware and heads. If you watched the bottom line and only bought what you absolutely needed it should come in reasonably cheap. I started with complete **** I had to replace everything. If you started with a name brand set that hadn't been abused you would likely just wind up changing heads and replacing any broken bits.

[thekage]

I take it you are a lefty? Very nice job on the kit man. I would really love to get a new set of drums.. I have a Mapex kit from back around 95 or 96 that I bought in middle school. They are in great shape but were never really awesome drums to start with.

What kind of brass are you planning on surrounding yourself with?

[themadscientist]

no I am a righty, the toms descend like a righty kit, I am trying to learn to play open handed so the hi hat is over there. I am a Zildjian man. I need a throne first though, I am sitting on the case for my double pedal.

[thekage]

Might I suggest a Pork Pie throne... Mine is heavenly.



Open handed eh? I read where you said that but I just took it that you were switching to a traditional grip...So I had to look that up. Wiki talked about being easier to incorporate hi hats into fills.. I use hi hats alot in my fills, but I just use my left hand to hit the hats.. switching between 16th notes mainly on the snare and then 8ths on the hats for most of my fills.

What other benefits are there for playing open handed?

[iwantans13]

Haha, I totally love the color. Now get some vids up!

[SketchyRollin564]

Quote »The bass drum had a special problem. Ever seen a 22" bass drum with six lugs per side? Yeah, repeat after me, WTF?![/quote]

I woulda chose a different wrap, but major props for doing all that yourself. nice name too

but just to let you know, technically thats not open handed. Open handed would be keeping the hats on the left like normal but using your left hand to hit the hats and right for the snare

this is what a lot of left handed players do that dont want to use a lefty setup

[thekage]

but just to let you know, technically thats not open handed. Open handed would be keeping the hats on the left like normal but using your left hand to hit the hats and right for the snare

Open handed drumming refers to a method of playing a drumset in which the arms are not crossed when playing the hi-hat and snare drum simultaneously. Right handed drummers will typically play the hi-hat with the right hand and the snare with the left hand, which requires crossing the arms on a standard drum kit configuration. Instead of crossing their arms, drummers who employ this method play the hi-hat with the left hand and the snare with the right hand. (Kits may also be set up with the hi-hat on the right rather on the left.)

[Gold Digger]

Damn, Mike, that ish looks nice. Compared to what you started with, I doubt people would be able to tell that it was a 10+ year old set.

One thing I suggest. If you are going to play open style, get your self a remote hi-hat so you can keep the pedal on the left, as it gets really difficult trying to articulate the hi-hats when you have to go back and forth between the bass pedal and the hi-hat pedal.

I know you said you are going to work your left foot more and bring it up to speed with your right, but if you have a place where you have space restraints, and you can't use your double pedal (believe me, I have seen some small, cramped sets), you'll need that hi-hat pedal on your left.

I'll give you some more pointers when I get down there in next weekend.

[themadscientist]

Running the hat with the right foot and the right hand does feel weird. I am looking at the DW and Pearl cable hats but money is tight. I have no problems with space for the doublepedal or a possible cable hat pedal if it comes to that.

[Gold Digger]

http://cgi.ebay.com/DW-5000-Re...wItem

That's just something I came across.

I'll give you the number of the place I go through. They might be able to get you pretty good prices on parts, and usually damn good prices on cymbals.

[AZhitman]

Beautiful work Mike!!!

I prefer the hi-hat on the left and an open style...

Had a real early Gretsch set back in college and kick myself for selling it. You could park a car on the bass drum, it was incredibly beefy (and heavy as all hell).

[Gold Digger]

Beautiful work Mike!!!

I prefer the hi-hat on the left and an open style...

Had a real early Gretsch set back in college and kick myself for selling it. You could park a car on the bass drum, it was incredibly beefy (and heavy as all hell).

Gretsch...damn, that really does show your age, chief...he he he...

I want to find a vintage Slingerland or an older Ludwig with the 24X20 bass drum. And, I have a friend back home that has a butt load of vintage Zildjian K's and A's that he has promised to me when he is done with them. think is, we are the same age, and I'll probably never see them as he has been playing just as long as I have and doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.

Drum companies need to bring back power toms in a bad way. I miss the deeper tones and better tuning range of them.

[themadscientist]

It will take some time, Yamaha still has them in the recording customs but the other companies are going the other way. Tama's new superstars only come in "hyperdrive" sizes. A catchy way to say to say "snare drum shells with no snappies".A 12x7 rack tom?! You ****s! http://www.tamadrum.co.jp/prod...id=18

[Gold Digger]

Pearl still has the power toms, but only in theri bottom line Forum series. I have seen them in person, and I am not a fan at all. The hardware is cheap looking and the sound isn't great at all.

I remember my first set, was an Export series. It was their entry level set at the time, and its quality was way better than the current Forum series.

One of these days, I'll have a Session or Masters series.

[nismofly]

mike id be interested how they sound after that kind of work

also are you playing that way to force yourself to learn open hand and then going to move the hats back over or you going to leave it like that?

im looking to be getting a noble and cooley in about 2 years or so, ill be able to get the shell sizes i want of course...i cant wait

right now im still playing my 11 yr old export kit with a brass snare that i got used that sounds awesome, but im still looking forward to stepping up

[nismofly]

anybody wondering about open hand benefits, heres a primo example...you can now play the almighty DONT STOP BELIEVING lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nCCYSVkAXU

[themadscientist]

I want the hat over there for sure but I don't care which foot I use. I am looking at the cablehats to get the pedal under my left but until then I just stuffed a regular stand in there