Got my meinl artist up 4sale ! - Get a new Luis Conte at a good deal

[Bataboom]

I play the headliners a few times a week, never had a problem and they have a great sound for beginner drums, I did change the heads, they are not compairible to more expensive drums I never said that, sure they will sound like junk compaired to a 1200.00 set, beginners usually dont understand the reasoning behind those facts pffff.........

But if you have a little want to you can make a mail box sound great. Some people are just too used to mommy funding all of thier little hobbies, so those have the right to complain about lower cost drums mums will buy um new ones.



Edited By Bataboom on 1140565729

[niallgregory]

My point was that i think cheap drums are not worth purchasing, for someone who is genuinely into the art of conga playing.For a few bob more you can get a reasonable set of drums that will do you for a few years .I teach people on toca ,pearl ,natal in my studio then they go home to play on there headliners.Its just not happening for them.They change there drums very quickly.We wouldnt expect a learner guitar player to start off on a really bad instrument,why do think its ok for percussionists !

[bongoron]

It's been a few years since I bought my drums, but back then there was a large price difference. In my case, I had specific goals for the sounds I wanted in our praise team, and three drums were required for the melodies I wanted to play within some of the songs. I couldn't duplicate my setup for anything near what I paid for Schalloch drums. They have actually seasoned or something and sound very warm and full, with sharp cracking slaps and deep bass tones. The open tones are very pure without overtones until you tune them very high. Still, I think my technique has more to do with it than anything else. Not to blow my own horn, but you know what i mean. I can do things on the 10 inch drum than I couldn't hope to do two years ago. It was like a piece of wood back then, but now I know how to tune it and play it. For my limited money, I am able to pursue the art via Pete lockett and other video clips and lesson sheets. I can duplicate the various sounds, and have recorded myself to be sure. Maybe the students are tuning the headliners out of the sweet spot, or have let them dry out. Buffalo gets pretty stiff if you don't treat it. If you let it dry out, you can hear an immediate and dramatic tonal difference upon treatment with lanolin. They will be different than your high-end studio drums, though. Maybe you could check the tuning and condition of the heads out for them, and explain the limitation. I think my schallochs are similar to headliners, and they really sound just fine. Again, for the price, which is literally all I can afford. I have also played LP hidalgo galaxies with good tone, so I don't think my cheap drums have held me back. A lack of funding for lessons surely has, though. You do what you can...your best is all you have.

Personally, I'd hate to see anyone not try because they were priced out of it. On the Berkleeshares website, the Latin percussion instructor says to use a table or your leg if you don't have a drum. Then he procedes to teach basic tumbao...for free. For some of us, that's as good as it will ever get. The purchase of any drum at all will provide years of enjoyment if you can afford it and you can get playing, if music is in your heart. When I learned bongos, I used a very cheap set. Granted, I know what I was missing now, but it didn't stop me from learning then. Encouragement works if you leave the "cheap drum" talk out of the equation. I'm sure all the tones can be reproduced on the headliners...no doubt in my mind at all. I can make them on a cardboard tube, or a metal can, or an oatmeal box. I'm sure a set of headliners is better than those things.

God bless!
-Ron



Edited By bongoron on 1140617813

[Bataboom]

I agree that buying the cheepest you can find would be a definite no no for anyone, but there is some people that can only afford to get started on that with out a doubt. I can show you some really really cheap junk that is with out a doubt in fact down right junk and as above stated unplayible. However I would not consider meinl drums in this category what so ever even the lowest lines of thier drums because they have proven to me from entry levels to higher they still do have good quality equipment.

Now having said all that, we do all have our opinions and they are all different, also they are subject to personal taste and experience. Im happy with my current set ups, both at my gig with the cheap headliners with new heads, and my new upgrade to the meinl pro drums for my home playing.

I take no disrespect to any of the above because I know this is all according to personal opinion and they will all be different. Some things are factual with out a doubt but we still have to deal with what we can do with means we have to do them and thats the bottom line. I wont ever knock a lower level players equipment because he might like his economy set and thats all he will ever get, even though I know there is better out there for him. If he likes them more power to him, and he prolly knows there is better but he is content with what he has.

peace to all your opinions its what makes the world interesting.

[Facundo]

Hey Guys,

Truth be told, it is all about chops, touch, knowing how to play the room and not the drums. Years ago when I was a teenager want to learn to play, I used to hang out a dance studio where the best drummers in Philly used to come to play for the dance clases. Everyone one could not play at the same time so you could only set in if you were good enough. I noticed early on that the top drummers never brought their own drums so they would always end up using drums either the beat up drums laying around the school or one brought by a want-a-be like me. While some got very upset not being able to play and having their drums used by one of the experts, I willingly gave mine up. I did so because it tough t me what my drum as cheep as it was ( an old tack head ) could really sound like! Believe me, that was a real education because they made my drum talk and sing with dynamics I had never dreamed possible.

I make this point for two reasons. Anytime you have students, they should bring their own drums and let teacher teach on their own instraments. In the proper hands any drum can sound good no matter how bad it may be. I have seen this same senario again and again over the years. Ever notice the sorry looking drums you see on some of the recordings from Cuba? Take those same entry level drums. as you call them, to Cuba and let the locals fire them up! You will see, it's about chops, touch, knowing how to play in a group. I mentioned knowing how to play the room as well. This is in my estimation, one of the hardest things to learn or even become aware of. It boils down to being able to invoke the acustics of the room to best compliment what you are playing. Those over tones that often come up in posts that some drums seem to have can all be controled by the proper touch. One of the reasons I personally don't like most gimbe playing is becaue too many don't understand the dynamic posibilites of that drum and play it too lound in very live rooms and all I hear is organized noise.

Yeah, we would all like to have the best drum we may or may not be able to afford. However, can a new driver really appreicate and make use of the driving qualities of a BMW? Conga drumming for me, involves more of your inner self than playing any other instrament and what is a good drum is a very subjective assesment. Sorry for rambling but I just had to get that off my chest. My two cents.

Facundo

[Bataboom]

you said a mouth full Facundo I couldnt have said it better.
Example.... there are a lot of African rhythm songs that are awesome and are recorded from
a carved out tweneboa tree, not a 400.00 remo kpanlogo djembe or ashiko just as an example.
Not always did the earth have these high tech high cost high mighty brands out there.
I dont knock getting the best you can affrord but when the best you can afford is right above the bottom line then make that work and learn to like it is all im saying. And thats the mian reason I decided to not sell my Luis Conte after all, I dont have to spend more money just to sound better this drum sounds great and thats all I need.



Edited By Bataboom on 1140643009