Topic: GEAR REVIEWS (by members)

[Michael Barton (amba)]

Hello!

Bill is a friend of mine and alerted me to his new invention some time ago...being that he and I play with our hi hats in the 12 O clock position I was interested because I had gone back to a conventional setup due to the fact I was unhappy with the feel, action or lack thereof of my other cable hat.

So when I saw Bart's review on this particular product...I ordered one. WOW! What a piece of gear...perfect for those who wish to move the hi-hat closer to the snare. The action on this hat is fast, responsive. I find splashing with my heel a breeze...comping way easy...off-beat (up beat...the "and" of's) Purdie type choke playing so easy to do...all of these attributes to playing this hat were SO easy that I had to "re-train" my brain/foot to accommodate such quickness...which didn't take long!

Plus with the adjustments and rotating pulleys I was able to get this hat (finally!) exactly where I want it. That in itself was worth the money. But the action on this hat is phenomenal. It really is fast and easier to play than a regular straight hi-hat. I give it five out of five stars. *****

Thanks Bart for your review as it was that review that allowed me to make up my mind and go ahead and purchase this lovely piece of gear...and an important one for me...as I do play in an ambidextrous fashion.

The below link is to my website and my thoughts on this great hat.

http://www.ambadextro.com/speedyhihat.html

Thanks!

amba

[Zappa-fan]

In my quest for a new drumset I stumbled on this new brand Drum craft. German engineered, made in China. Series 8 is their top line.

My old drumset was the very first edition Starclassic Performer, mahogany / basswood shells. Over the years I became aware that this wasn't my sound. So I became affected by the new kit fever. I was looking for a maple kind of sound, warm and responsive, but being only a hobbyist, high-end gear was out of reach. 

In my local drum store I found what I was looking for: Drum Craft series 8 Maple drumset:


http://www.drumcraft.com/fileadmin/dc_neu/img/content/finishes8_venicewhite_big.jpg




I bought the Venice white set (20x18, 14 snare 10, 12 & 14 toms) last October.

Pro's / features
- toms: great warm maple sound, responsive, wide tuning range.
- excellent construction of the shells
- easy to tune
- the zero-gravity rims do what they're supposed to do
- delivered with professional drum heads: clear ambassadors on toms, CS on   snare and Powerstroke 3 on the bass drum
- shells are made of North-American Maple
- hi-hat with moveable legs, 
- double chained bassdrum, plays very smooth,
- quite a number of available sizes in drums, even a gong drum is deliverable
- solid hardware
- Nickeldrumworks throw off on the snare,

Con's
- snare stand construction: legs are to big, the legs stand in the way. And you really have to turn the screw (basket) to keep the snare in position. I use my yamaha stand.
- snare drum is not very versatile. It sounds acceptable tuned low or high. It sounds better with a clear ambassador. Have to experiment with other drumheads.
- limited choice in finishes, the red finish looks more like pink.
- new brand, it is easier to sell a Gretsch, DW, Ludwig second hand than a Drum craft series 8

The price of the set is in the mid level range (recommended retail price here is €1700 for a 5-piece set, hardware included) but with respect to the tonal quality and construction of the drums it is competitive with high end drumsets.

A great set

[Michael Beechey]

For those who haven't checked these out yet, here's some pics of my new remote hi hat (not an X-hat), made by Louis Rushton. He developed this design years ago. The main advantage of using remote hi hats is being able to place the hats where you want, to avoid hand crossover problems. I have it about 11 o'clock, but it could be stretched to the other side, using the extension rod and pulley provided. He has a few different configurations, but I got the legless version, intended for drum racks, to reduce stand clutter. I have it clamped to a cymbal stand, together with a tom holder and the cymbal boom. The added weight helps stabilize the whole unit. I've used it on a few gigs, and have had no problems. The cable system is very smooth and quite strong. No glitches at. I have been back and forth with Louis about different setups and he has been very helpful and patient with my many questions. The extra cable length seen in the pic is because I want to experiment with placement more, so I haven't completely secured it. Highly recommended.

http://louisrushtonmfg.tripod.com

http://picasaweb.google.com/OnePlanetPercussion/RemoteHat?feat=directlink"