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Gear Tips
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MORE DRUM SET DEALS... + (for kids of most ages) MEINL NINO SHAKE’N PLAY
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Two Cymbals roll into a bar
1st Cymbal “Are there any motels around here?”
Bartender “Why?”
2nd Cymbal “We need a place to crash”
Oh baby baby what can I do?
You know you drive me crazy when I’m looking at you
The summer’s really here and it’s time to come out
Time to discover what funs all about
Here comes the summer
Here comes the summer
Here comes the summer
(The Undertones 1978)
Well this classic power pop song from the late ‘70’s says it all. Though summer isn’t quite here yet, it feels like it is today. I’m distracted by the sun shining in from the bedroom window of my new home as I type. It’s still spring and along with leaves to rake, and rugs to beat around here there is spring cleaning to be done in the stores. This cleaning takes on more of a yard sale kind of feel as we have more new kits from the previous year (or 2) that we are selling at used prices. Check it out.
TAMA SUPERSTAR SK52 IN CMM (#85559 in Boston). This 5 piece Birch (w/Basswood inner ply) kit is in the standard configuration (22” kick,12”, 13”, 16” toms, 14” snare). It also comes with a complete set of solid Rockpro hardware (pedal, snare stand, hi-hat stand, boom and straight cymbal stands). All the drums also feature die cast hoops on top and bottom. The PVC covered color CMM, stands for Copper Mist Metallic. This is very flashy like a shiny new penny. A couple of years ago this was a popular color for cars. Tama thought that it would be a popular choice for drums. This turned out not to be the case and the color is now discontinued. I think that they figured that speed is involved in driving and drumming. You know fast cars, fast drums. I like it. This is a middle line kit with pro features at a lower line kit price now. The original list price was $1299.99. The original discount price was $779.99. The new sale price is $539.99. I’m not sure that we have a used Superstar kit complete with hardware in the chain for that cheap. These drums sound great and this could be the last kit you ever buy. You could add a throne and some nice cast cymbals (used) or and keep it under a grand.
PEARL SBX 924 SHELL PACK BLUEBURST OR TOBACCO BURST
(#70178 and #70177 available at Daddy’s Peabody). Pearl has recently discontinued their popular and excellent Session Series line of drums to focus more on their slightly more affordable, and also excellent, Vision Series drums made in their new factory in China (not that there’s anything wrong with that). These 2 Session kits that we have left are beautiful, each with a high quality lacquer burst finish. I am not normally much of a burst guy (more of a sparkle or solid color stain kinda guy actually), but I like both of these a lot. They were made in the famous Pearl Factory in Taiwan and feature 100% Birch shells. These shell packs are both in the standard configuration (12”, 13”,16” toms and 22” kick). The drums sound great and when you lift the toms they have a nice heft to them – in other words, they feel like drums. The toms are mounted on the kick drum and the tom arms are the smooth teethless Uni-Lock Tilter arms. Both mounted toms feature resonance-enhancing Pearl Optimount’s. These are great drums, but we need to get rid of ‘em to bring in newer and pricier kits. Now that they are discontinued the Session Drums will be tougher to get in the years to come. They were around for so many years because they are great. Both shell packs list for $2398.00. Our normal discount price was recently lowered to $999.99. These 2 kits are NOW $769.99.
PEARL REFERENCE RF-924XP IN ROOT BEER (#70173 in Manchester)
The Reference Series drums have been around for a few years now. Most folks know about them, just as most can’t afford the champagne price tag. That is until now. For those who aren’t familiar with the Reference Series, each drum features a different type and combination of wood. The woods used are Maple, Birch and African mahogany. Pearl figured that different woods used in tandem with each other are able to have a more rounded and melodic tone in the context of the kit. The Reference shell pack that we have is in the standard configuration. The 12” drum is 6 ply Maple (the only drum to be one wood), 13” is 4 ply Maple and 2 ply Mahogany, the 16” is 2 ply Maple and 4 ply Mahogany and the 22” kick is 2 ply Maple and 6 ply Mahogany. The finish Root Beer Fade lacquer finish is very subtle and very beautiful. This kit has been around for a couple of years, but so what? It’s still in new condition and the wood has been able to age and mellow nicely. Pearl has had a couple of price increases anyhow since we received it. List on this shell pack a few years back was $4399.00!! (That’s what high end drums go for). Our normal blow out deal was $1999.99. Now the drums are $1650. That is basically what the new, cheaper Masters Custom shell packs go for. The Reference drums are nicer. The last kit you’ll ever buy. A matching snare drum is also available at an equally impressive discount. Remember we love trades.
TAMA STARCLASSIC LIMITED SP42NFBNSBMR.( #85656 in Hartford) This is another one of the limited 4 piece shell pack striped kits that Tama brought out last year. This kit is blue with a red sparkle stripe running offset around each drum. The sizes are 10”,12” and 14”(on legs) toms with a 18x22” kick. The kick features a tom mount bass plate and the latest MTH909 Tom Holder. This is a 100% Birch Starclassic kit which Tama is not producing anymore as part of their regular catalog( they can still be special ordered though). Tama is focused now more on the Birch/Bubinga combination shell drums which are very nice but a bit pricier than the 100% Birch. These drums also come with Evans G2 heads on the toms which sound great with the punchy thin Birch shells. I put Evans EC2’s on my Starclassic Birch kit and the toms sound even punchier and more focused with tons of attack. This kit listed for $2459 when you could get them. Our normal discount was $1599.99. It is now $1199.99. Remember we are able to ship drums from store to store OR directly to your house.
PEARL MASTERS STUDIO BSX-924XSP IN RED GLASS (#70190 in Manchester). I am a sucker for old red sparkle kits and this kit sparkles with a capital SPARK. The glass finishes have bigger diamond-like size flakes than the old sparkle finishes and really sparkle when the lights hit them. This is also Pearl’s nicest 100% Birch kit . You can still get these drums by special order but they are now called Masters Premium and are very pricy. This 10”, 12” 16” tom, 18x22” bass drum configuration currently lists for $3199 (which would transalate into about a $1900. discount price) and you’d have to wait about 3-5 months for your drums. This kit, waiting patiently for a new home in our Manchester store, is now selling for $950. This is another example of a very high end kit selling for middle line kit money. We have a matching snare available as well.
Ok, so I and everyone who knows me and has ever met me knows that I am one to suggest, champion or possibly even reasonably explain from atop my soapbox , the importance of introducing kids to percussion at a very young age. All right - maybe I overdid it my sticking a set of Remo Bongos and a pair of sticks in my newborn baby grandson’s crib while no one was looking. I might have been a bit overzealous special ordering a Remo Junior Pro kit some 20 years ago for said grandson’s mother, my daughter, for her 4th birthday without knowing if she was even remotely interested. Ok you got me, but with that being said, you’ve got to check out the new kid and family friendly percussion version of The Memory Game from our friends at Meinl called SHAKE’N PLAY. This is so cool. The game consists of 16 small orange plastic cylinder shaped shakers which are divided into 8 pairs. Each pair has a different shaker sound inside. Some are loud and grainy and some are soft and mellow. Each pair also features a picture of a different percussion instrument on one of the flat sides of the cylinder. Pictured are triangles, tambourines, Cabasa’s, bongos, congas, djembes, maracas, and a cajon. This will hopefully peak children’s further interest in percussion. The idea of the game is to randomly insert each tube blank-side-up onto one of the 16 holes on the provided wooden base. You then take turns picking a pair of shakers, shaking them, and hearing if they sound alike. If they do you keep them and try to pick another pair of sound-a-likes. If not, you put them back and the next player goes, trying to remember the previous shaker sounds and where they are on the base. The player with the most matching shakers wins. You have to really listen closely and pay attention as some of the sounds are close to each other. This isn’t the kind of game you play while listening to the ball game, or cranking some tunes on the stereo. My 3 kids were really good at the Memory Game when they were little. The box says recommended for ages 3 plus. With that in mind I challenged my son Jesse, now 18, to a SHAKE’N PLAY match. Though it was a hard fought contest, there was very little cursing involved. I won’t say who won, but there is a rematch scheduled for later. This game will help to develop your child’s memory and hearing while at the same time introduce them to percussion. Genious! It’s on sale at all Daddy’s Stores for $49.99.
Till Next Time, Keep Rockin’ - MT
The drum kit images are in the order of the descriptions above.
Berklee student and bass maniac DJ Ginyard with John Blackwell before their
performance at John’s clinic at Daddy’s Boston in early April.It was awesome!
An arial view of drumming madman Jovol Bell and his holy collection of Sabian
O-Zones during a performance w/his band Reality during a 6’o Clock Hang at
Daddy’s Boston.
My son Jesse planning his next move during a game of Meinl Nino SHAKE’N PLAY
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Michael Tocker is the Percussion Specialist for Daddy's Junky Music.
Mike is a 15 year industry veteran and long-time fixture on the Boston music scene as a gigging drummer and recording artist.
Michael can be reached at Daddy's Boston at (617) 247-0909.
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