Jeff Porcaro Kit History

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I'll throw a monkey wrench in here.

I was told by a pretty reliable source that Jeff had a complete Brady kit (that the Drum Doctor kept) and that Jeff was using it on quite a few of his dates in his last few years. Those HUGE drum sounds on Kingdom Of Desire sound like they "could" be a Brady kit, or at least they sound like the Brady sets (real crisp, bright, and for the lack of a better term very "Hi Fi" sounding) that I have played in the past. A West coast session drummer also told me that Jeff used his Gretsch's on almost everything he recorded (I'm not sure how much I buy that though.)

Anyone else hear these same claims about the Brady's? Could offer some info? Or better yet, has seen or played these Brady's that I've heard about?

Great picture of a young Jeff above!
Thanks!!!!

Missing the GROOVEMEISTER!

Mark
 
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When I saw Toto on their Hydra tour, Jeff was playing Ludwigs with the first tom and cymbal mounting rack I ever saw. I read an interview in MD around that time that it was a homebuilt rack he put together with another guy that later morphed in to the original Pearl rack.
 
Hold the Line video from 1978. Jeff is seen on his black Camcos at the very beginning:
&feature=related

From 1979. Jeff playing his Thermogloss (or Maple Cortex?) Ludwig Power Tom kit when he was a brief endorser.

jeffporcaro5.jpg
 
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coastie said:
When I saw Toto on their Hydra tour, Jeff was playing Ludwigs with the first tom and cymbal mounting rack I ever saw. I read an interview in MD around that time that it was a homebuilt rack he put together with another guy that later morphed in to the original Pearl rack.
Click to expand...

That other guy was Paul Jameson. It was made out of rectangular steel box tubing welded into the rack shape and used Ludwig double mounts for mounting drums. I think I have a picture in an old MD somewhere.
 
BonzoBonham said:
Hold the Line video from 1978. Jeff is seen on his black Camcos at the very beginning:
&feature=related
Click to expand...

Cool, I had forgotten about that video. I remember the knock on Toto back in the day was that Foreigner had Lou Gramm, Boston had Brad Delp and Toto had what's his name!
 
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Here Jeff is in 1980 playing a Vistalite kit but I can't quite make out what the toms are to his left as they don't look like Vistalites to me.

 
DolFan54 said:
Sonorholic said:
That 's a great picture. He was playing a black Ludwig set when I saw him with Boz Skaggs.
Click to expand...

Here ya go!



There used to be a clip of Rufus & Chaka w/ Porcaro playing his black Camco kit but it appears to have been removed!
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Was that Les Dudek on guitar ? Great song, great drummin, great drums. Wonder if the Tempo-Watch-Bleeper-Winker was invented yet ? Jeff's pushin it, but letting it breathe. Truly a gifted player, Ludwigs or not.
 
DolFan54 said:
Here Jeff is in 1980 playing a Vistalite kit but I can't quite make out what the toms are to his left as they don't look like Vistalites to me.

Click to expand...

He played that same kit in the "99" video as well. Although in a 1-up, 1-down configuration.
 
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Now I know there really was a reason I took off all those bottom heads, lost lugs and rims etc. I wanted to be like Jeff....LOL! Not to go OT but in the Boz clip of "Lowdown" looks like the Boz almost came in a measure to early. He steals a look at Jeff to make sure. What a production that must of been. Spent some serious dinero on that tour. I miss Boz Scaggs and I really miss Jeff Porcaro. His drumming is flawless as ever.
 
nomsgmusic said:
I was told by a pretty reliable source that Jeff had a complete Brady kit (that the Drum Doctor kept) and that Jeff was using it on quite a few of his dates in his last few years. Those HUGE drum sounds on Kingdom Of Desire sound like they "could" be a Brady kit, or at least they sound like the Brady sets (real crisp, bright, and for the lack of a better term very "Hi Fi" sounding) that I have played in the past. A West coast session drummer also told me that Jeff used his Gretsch's on almost everything he recorded (I'm not sure how much I buy that though.)

Anyone else hear these same claims about the Brady's? Could offer some info? Or better yet, has seen or played these Brady's that I've heard about?
Click to expand...

I can confirm this is accurate. Jeff owned a BRADY kit - it was the Jarrah Ply / Silver Gimlet kit that was our display kit from the 1992 NAMM Show. He took possession of it shortly after the show in January and used it quite often in those 7 months before until his untimely passing in August. I know there was a Ray Charles session in there somewhere towards the beginning of 1992, as he brought CB along to it.

Possibly the best example of Jeff's Brady kit was the track "Calling Elvis" by Dire Straits.

Check it out:

 
coastie said:
When I saw Toto on their Hydra tour, Jeff was playing Ludwigs with the first tom and cymbal mounting rack I ever saw. I read an interview in MD around that time that it was a homebuilt rack he put together with another guy that later morphed in to the original Pearl rack.
Click to expand...

i saw them on the Hyrda tour as well. i don't remember the rack unfortunately.
 
coastie said:
When I saw Toto on their Hydra tour, Jeff was playing Ludwigs with the first tom and cymbal mounting rack I ever saw. I read an interview in MD around that time that it was a homebuilt rack he put together with another guy that later morphed in to the original Pearl rack.
Click to expand...

Like this?
 
So I guess we wre all in agreement, Vinnie got ripped off?
 
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