Do Bop kits lose their luster?

[T_Weaves]

I've never really been drawn to them. I could never understand the attraction of 18" kick unless you're doing the schlep on a bicycle or scooter. All I know is every other thread in the buy/sell forum is someone selling a bop kit. Makes one wonder if what sounded like a good idea turns out not to be as wonderful as first imagined. Thoughts/comments?

 

[Ickybaby]

I still own mine. It hasn’t lost its’ luster for me.

Doesn’t mean I don’t own other kits though.

 

[mtarrani]

Mine still have their luster, but I've been seduced by micro kits that brightly shine for my playing style and preferences for small, low volume venues.

 

[TPC]

An 18" bass drum has plenty of oomph for the music I play. And I like the ergonomics of being able to place my rack tom (and left side cymbals) lower.

 

[the_dude]

If it fits the style you play or other circumstances it’s needed why would it lose it’s luster?

 

[Matched Gripper]

I've never really been drawn to them. I could never understand the attraction of 18" kick unless you're doing the schlep on a bicycle or scooter. All I know is every other thread in the buy/sell forum is someone selling a bop kit. Makes one wonder if what sounded like a good idea turns out not to be as wonderful as first imagined. Thoughts/comments?

Listen to Brian Blade, Bill Stewart, Ari Hoenig to hear what bop size drums are for. Also, Dafnis Prieto, even though he’s not a bop style drummer.

 

[Polska]

Not like an 18" BD is some new fad or something. I bought my bop kit for specific venues/situations and it doesn't disappoint. 22" kick for other gigs. I try to take the gear that will help my band sound the best in any situation.

 

[K.O.]

I don't recall "bop" kits really being a "thing" until about 20 years ago. Sure they existed and some drummers used them but they were sort of under the radar unless they were the right choice for the sort of sound or portability that a particular drummer might require.

I think that changed due to two factors. The development of a drum collectors market and the internet. The market tends to go for "rarities" and bop sized sets tended to have sold in smaller numbers than more traditional sized sets. So demand drove the price of sets like the Ludwig Jazzette or the Gretsch/Rogers/Slingerland equivalents up as collectors sought less common items. This in turn prompted discussion on forums such as this one. Folks who'd never given such sets a second thought (myself included) began to wonder about them, maybe even want to get one too (further driving the prices upward which in turn feeds interest) . This also created some buzz in the industry, prompting manufacturers to offer new bop sized sets at different price points, for example the Gretsch Catalina Jazz sets (apparently still selling well enough after 15 or so years to remain in the line with yearly changes in finish options) and, of course, higher end examples for those so inclined. I'd bet very few of the buyers of these sets actually play in an intimate live jazz type setting...but regardless that coolness factor plays into it.

And I'm there too (although I do occasionally play in a "jazz" setting, at least to the degree that my meager talent allows). I currently have six bop sized sets so who am I to talk? (LOL). Of course I have bigger drums too.

So maybe it's just a trend, altbough it doesn't seem to be fading as yet. I'd also mention that use of a microphone can make an 18" bass useable for large venue gigs so if the desire is just to lighten the load a bop set can do that even if you are playing loud music in large venues (assuming you don't have to haul the corresponding PA equipment).

 

[T_Weaves]

If it fits the style you play or other circumstances it’s needed why would it lose it’s luster?

Don't ask me. I've never had one. There sure a lot for sale in our subforum. I'm not casting any aspersions to people who play them. Just wondering why so many peeeps here are selling them.

 

[Tornado]

I can see how a lot of people would buy a bop kit and then decide it wasn't for them. It happens. For most playing situations that aren't small combo jazz, it's probably not the optimal choice. Exceptions and preferences abound, of course.

 

[DrumPhil]

Funny thing: in many of the bop kit sale threads now on DFO, the seller has other bop kits in addition to the one(s) being sold. So it's not that the seller is moving away from a bop kit entirely. Often it sounds like a seller has narrowed down the kit(s) they use and is selling off ones that are not in their regular playing rotation.

 

[dustjacket]

Maybe all those bop kits you see being sold are from those who decided to keep the 4 other ones.

 

[K.O.]

Bop kits are sort of the sports cars of the drum world. They usually are not the only set a drummer owns because they aren"t as practical as others might be (depending on what you need) but they can be fun.

I've gone down the sports car rabbit hole too.

Ownership of either is not necessarily sensible...and yet....

 

[Houndog]

Mine still have their luster, but I've been seduced by micro kits that brightly shine for my playing style and preferences for small, low volume venues.

I didn’t think smaller drums were automatically quieter ?
My micro kit was plenty loud …

 

[rsmittee]

I didn’t think smaller drums were automatically quieter ?
My micro kit was plenty loud …

Learned this the hard way when I sat next to the stage to see the aforementioned Dafnis Prieto, and forgot my ear plugs. My left ear hasn't stopped ringing for the past 4 years since.

 

[ggmerino]

Bop drum kits (e.g., 18-12-14) have been around and popular since bebop jazz started in the 1940s. Bop kits favor higher tunings, which lets the drummer play more melodic lines and gives a more rebound to the head so you can play faster and more articulate. Some jazz drummers (TonyWilliams) would even tune the batter much higher than the reso to get a LOT of rebound and do some incredible stuff. They are also lower volume which is good for smaller groups and acoustic settings. I’d say most acoustic jazz players favor these sizes. Before bebop, drums were really big and loud for big band playing (even bigger than many rock kits). There are also some other typical differences- bearing edge, wood, shell thickness, rims, heads, etc… between bop and rock kits. Can use any drum kit for anything, but I generally use my bop kit for jazz and my rock (22-12-16) kit for rock.

 

[TheDrummerFromAmsterdam]

They have there place and are usefull for traveling light if you don’t play jizz.

But after playing mostly 22 and even 24 they just don’t get that boom and feel (especially on the players side).

As a matter of fact im going back to a big kit on a rack again, two bass drums even this time.

As it doesn’t going anywhere I didn’t want to restrict myself anymore.

 

[cdrummer]

I didn’t think smaller drums were automatically quieter ?
My micro kit was plenty loud …

Agree, it's not so much about volume but articulation. I used a 12/14/16 for many years when I was playing a lot in concert halls built for classical music, and found that the sound came through much more clearly without the boominess of larger drums. That kit (old Ludwig marching drum conversion by Zero Ground Instruments) got lots of comments from people in the audience about how good it sounded. It also worked well for small venues that had floors without carpet for the same reasons.

 

[charlesm]

Rest assured: bop kits have not lost their luster and are still plentifully in use world-wide by those who favor them.

 

[Rich K.]

They have there place and are usefull for traveling light if you don’t play jizz.

But after playing mostly 22 and even 24 they just don’t get that boom and feel (especially on the players side).

As a matter of fact im going back to a big kit on a rack again, two bass drums even this time.

As it doesn’t going anywhere I didn’t want to restrict myself anymore.

You said jizz...heh heh...