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one bass drum shy of two signature sets

chasing after long discontinued Sonor Signature orphans

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groovemastergreg
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2025 5:49 pm
Location: Texas

one bass drum shy of two signature sets

Post by groovemastergreg »

I am now just one 20" or 22" Signature Bubinga bass drum away from achieving more than I set out to do several years ago, which was to compile a matching Sonor Signature kit. I've always easily been smitten with both Makassar Ebony and Bubinga, so I now have a complete 5 pc bop kit in Makasasar (10/12/14ft/18bd) with a recent Phonic Rosewood anniversary snare whose rosewood finish is remarkably close to Makassar. All of these drums are heavy not light.

Along the way, I found some deals on some bubinga drums, namely a 10/12 tom combo that really match and a 15" floor that also really matches. Now I just need a "rock" sized bass drum and maybe later down the road, a 16" floor tom. I will note I have no problem getting a "rock" sound tuned low and nice on my 18" Makassar bass drum. But I would like a bit larger bass for the Bubingas, but hey, if all I can end up finding is a bop bubinga bass drum, that'll be the way it goes.

I'm about to sell some DW kits I have and just sold an INDE wayfarer kit in Aluminum. I still have way too many kits but am slowly liquidating them. The goal is to perhaps reduce to 4 or 5 kits, plus my electronic kit. Despite their heavy weight, I WOULD tote them to the rare gig to play them. Not dive bar gigs, but party gigs and perhaps a nice bar if I ever play a non-squalid bar again, which is doubtful.

I've got a 22/13/16 (with add on toms in Turquoise sparkle in 10/12/14ft) USA Custom Gretsch in a beautiful wood finish and an A&F bop kit 12/14sn/14ft/18bd that should cover any gigging needs. Oh yeah, and the Canopus Ash bop kit 10/12/14sn/14ft/18bd that, like the A&F, I got for a screaming deal. I got both the Canopus and the A&F for about 40% of their list price and in stunning condition. The Canopus are especially great at lower volumes as ash is a quieter wood and these Canopus drums are the MOST requested drums I have with the group of fellas I've been playing informally with and writing with since 1989. They don't and never have gigged, but we're all close friends socially and this just augments our relationship. We gather several times a year for a few days to record, jam, work on new songs, play old favorites, etc.

I also still play locally in Atx every now and then as a sub for one of the few real blues bands left in Austin. Austin used to lay claim, as does Chicago and other cities, to being "the home of the blues" but even Antony's barely books blues acts anymore. I'm currently searching for a blues band right now and will find one soon. I just left a rock cover band that was getting way too much into perfection on their songs, meaning we only learned 7 (seven) songs in 12 months. Never even made it to a jam night. Most of that group was not players. The bassist and keyboardist were, but the bassist couldn't take it anymore and I fell after him. 2/3rds of the band came to rehearsals prepared and clearly the guitar players did their practicing at rehearsal.

Back to the Signatures. I'm 65 and have wanted one of these kits since I got to play my first one around 1982 or 1983. Got to play a few more when we opened for bands that had a kit over the years. I could've bothered to compile these kits prolly 20 years ago, but I've had many other fine kits to keep my occupied over the decades. I'm actually glad I waited until now to do this. These are my dream sets, and are keepers.

Once I obtained a complete Makassar kit, any reluctance to selling 2 DW kits and a vintage Tempus drum kit went by the wayside. I just need a bit more room in the music room so I can have a nice table for my recording gear and an area for keyboards.

I'm a happy man! Thanks for starting this forum, Jules!

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