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Is it just me...


Cross Eyed Mary

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Or do you feel like a complete {censored} when you have to rely on a kits setup being a certain way?

I've always avoided tinkering with pedals to be at a specific tension, etc, in hopes of never {censored}ing up on account of a preference. A preference is a future failure for when the day comes that the music gods say "this house kit will be set up in a totally {censored}ed manner, and you will learn to like it mother{censored}er".

 

Having said that, I've noticed i ALWAYS have to turn a snare slightly clockwise in its stand. Something about my grip in my left hand is in this purgatory no mans land, in between French and German grip. It's like a half cocked bisexual who can't make the leap. So when a snare is perfectly level, i start whacking snare rims accidentally.

 

Also, when a beater is too far back i struggle with my right footed doubles. I'm not saying i need the beater getting up in them guts, or how those light footed death metal kids set them to where a Bonham beat sounds like a weak oxygen starved puppy playing Kashmir due to zero clearance, but when there's a {censored}ing road trip in between the beater and the head, it's a bad goddamn time for me. I blame my clunky boots. I find the beater being 5-6 inches away from the head is my happy zone.

Luckily both of these problems have solutions that will go unnoticed and take 2 seconds to adjust.

 

Anyone else have percussive Achilles heels? Thoughts, opinions, you know the drill.

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Or do you feel like a complete {censored} when you have to rely on a kits setup being a certain way?

I've always avoided tinkering with pedals to be at a specific tension, etc, in hopes of never {censored}ing up on account of a preference. A preference is a future failure for when the day comes that the music gods say "this house kit will be set up in a totally {censored}ed manner, and you will learn to like it mother{censored}er".

 

 

Nah: a preference is what you develop when you decide you'd prefer to play comfortably rather than have to focus on keeping the kick from creeping forward, and the hihat clutch from loosening, and the snares on, and the rack tom from falling off its stand, and the cymbals on their stands and the throne from falling over, and the FT legs from falling out and "oh yeah, where's the 1 again?" while playing.

 

House kits are the vindictive music gods' way of showing how jealous they are that you were smart enough, willing, committed AND able to set yourself up so that YOU could enjoy the music too.

 

I'll play the snot out of any kit I sit at. The difference, though, could be described as the difference between making love and a hatef*&k, I guess.

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i hate playing a kit that isn't setup the way my kit at home is. Although, i can tolerate different pedal settings, as long as it's tight enough; easy enough to adjust. I'm pretty picky about the snare too, but that's easily adjustable. Never understood the drummers that have the cymbals several feet up in the air though

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My set is how I like it, but I get where you're coming from. At house parties, I play the set, just as the last guy left it, but I'm usually drunk, so I don't give a {censored}. Most actual shows though, I either use my set, or they allow time to tinker.

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I rarely ever play someone else's drums, a few exceptions attending jams or when a drummer invites me up from the crowd. The only things that have bothered me are guys that have the rides too low for crashing, and certain jazz drummers that have the snare extremely angled away.

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Naw you're not alone, I can usually play almost any kit as well. I too haven't played another kit in awhile either. My main problem is playing on kits where the hats are so far left (or right) where I feel I'm playing lopsided or something, when there's a fair distance between the hats and the snare where I'm "reaching" so much for the hats to feel the swing? I like "the golden triangle" snare right between the knees and tilted at me, hat pedal angled slightly left and able to hit at a comfortable distance, kick angled slightly right with a decent amount of resistance and beater back around 4-6 inches to bounce with the balls of feet (the knuckles just behind my toes) in a good swing beat. I can usually play on 90% of other guys kits with no problem, the other 10%, I can play but in a limited capacity unless I have time to adjust.

 

But yes house kits are their own worst enemy, I hate it when some really nice kit is torn to junk by others, makes me want to secretly pull the hair out of the heads of the players that junked up some otherwise nice sets.

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Hi-hat spacing is definitely an interesting factor. I typically play with the edge of the hats touching, but not overlapping the vertical plane set by the edge of the snare. Adding my kick slave pedal pushes the hats a little farther out, which I don't like. Some people play with the hats cheating over the snare, and I'll catch my left-stick (i'm right-handed) under the damn hat if I pull it of the snare to accent on the hat.

 

Also, if the ride is encroaching too far over the floor tom, I'll catch a stick under it.

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This is not a rip on CEM at all but if you are sitting behind an unknown kit that is not yours, and you are playing music and trying to make a sound, then make the sound....just do it. Make your body do it. Brain wave+body movement=sound. Adapt and adjust. It just may be a personality thing - some drummers are really OCD about their setups. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have my kit there too....but short of some wacked out superangle on the toms or the bass drum pedal springs are completely rusted or the hihat pedal is seized shut, you should be able to play any kit that is put in front of you and make music.

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I have big problems in this department, which I consider a flaw on my part. I simply cant adjust to another kit to a point where Im comfortable. Maybe its my build, my poor form, whatever, but when I sit down at a different kit, I feel lost.

Though, in honesty, for me anyway, a lot depends on what Im playing. If Im playing Rush, Cream, or that kind intricate stuff, forget it. If Im doing just groove stuff, or Beatles,Stones, Zep, I can get by pretty good.

No matter what, I usually need my own pedal. I cant seem to do doubles on anything but my own.

Again, I consider this a pretty big flaw in my playing, and will fight tooth and nail to use my own kit at a gig.

Good question, for sure.

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....Also, if the ride is encroaching too far over the floor tom, I'll catch a stick under it.

 

I do that quite often! I hate it when that happens. :lol:

 

 

...oh, and I like playing on other kits. It means I didn't have to haul mine around! :thu:

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1. I have the same issue CEM does. If the snare's not turned to accommodate my left hand, it's all-day rimshots.

2. Can't stand when the hi-hats aren't taller than the snare. You open-handed pricks. Left knuckles will bleed every time.

3. I will lose a friggin' finger if your floor tom is above the snare.

4. Can't stand when the kick beater's a 1/2" off the head. It's like trying to make whoopie in the back seat of a smart car.

 

These are pretty reasonable requirements (and I'm being a tad dramatic about it). I seldom run into trouble with this stuff.

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I'll play the snot out of any kit I sit at. The difference, though, could be described as the difference between making love and a hatef*&k, I guess.

this. as long as I can move the snare, hats and FT to a vaguely lefty situation I can put up with about anything.

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My most common bleed moment is when using 2 rack toms and a crash to the right of the middle tom. If the crash is tucked behind the tom just enough, I'll crack my knuckles on it all day, or, smack my pinky on it. For some reason my pinky likes to poke out (innuendo?) when crashing (double entendre?).

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