Largest kit ( number of drums) that you regularly giiged.

[noreastbob]

I played a nine piece set of fibes in the mid seventies. Twin 24" basses, four up two down. I don't remember exactly how many cymbals but at least four and hats. Way too big and spread out for anyone over the age of 25!
Now days it's a seven pc Collectors, 8 with side snare, with a 20" bass and 11 cymbals and hats if I'm all in... but I'll go one up, one or two down and leave a few cymbals home too.

 

[Twakeshima]

toms: 10, 13, 16, 18, - a set of three rotos, three concert toms: 8, 10, 10

 

[Twakeshima]

This one, I did have roadies sometimes, mostly me. Missing are the rotos and sampler.

Sick! I’ve always wanted a gong drum- what size is that?

 

[multijd]

5 piece with 3 cymbals and a couple of cowbells for a Latin jazz gig.

 

[tgregorek]

Well, if I have room 8,10,12,13,14,15 rack toms, 16,18,20 floor toms. 24” kick 14 cymbals. So if we don’t have a song on the list that uses the 8,10 or the 20 I’ll leave them. If I don’t have room I take 2 up 2 down.

 

[hector48]

3 up, 1 down, 3 crashes, small china, ride, and accent cymbal above a crash, hi hat, snare, and BD.
While it sounds like a lot to me, I pack it in pretty tight, since I'm short.

I just joined a classic rock cover band, and have a use for everything in the kit.
However, I feel like a show off having this much gear, when I see so many 1 up 1 down kits with 2 or 3 cymbals.

Does it really look like "too much" by today's standards ???

 

[langmick]

Sick! I’ve always wanted a gong drum- what size is that?

20" Starclassic. I had to be pretty specific about miking and mixing on it with the FOH guy.

 

[toddbishop]

four drums, three cymbals, hihats

 

[swarfrat]

Is this a big kit or a small kit?

 

[Deafmoon]

The large kits I gigged with were back in the 70's & 80's. Although the drums were big, I had roadies set-up, run mics and cables and tear down at the end of the night.

The first large kit I gigged regularly with was a 7 piece Ludwig Stainless Steel set in 1976 24, 13, 14, 16, 18 + 2 Chrome Rotos from that era 14" & 16" over the twin Floor toms of 16" & 18". Seven Drums & 10 cymbals with this kit. A. Zildjian with the exception of the China which was UFIP. If memory serves it was 20" Ping Ride, 18" UFIP Thin China, 18" Medium Crash, 18" Medium Thin Crash, 17" Medium Crash, 16" Thin Crash, 14" Quick Beat hats, 6" & 8" Spash cymbals.

The second large kit was even bigger, a 10 piece Tama Aqua Marine Superstar from 1980, yes I was a Lenny White fanatic! The kit had 8,10,12 Concert Toms, 14, 16, 18 double headed toms, 24" bass, 16 & 18 Chrome Roto toms and 14" snare. Cymbal setup was the same as previous.
After this kit in the mid 80's I switched to a 6 piece Pearl and I played that kit in various 4,5 & 6 piece configurations gigging right til 1998. I switched to a Gretsch 4 piece kit after that and though years and color have changed, I stayed with a 4 piece Gretsch through today.

 

[Twakeshima]

20" Starclassic. I had to be pretty specific about miking and mixing on it with the FOH guy.

How did you end up micing/mixing?

 

[TorchmanRG]

Used to do a 7 piece with 5 or 6 cymbals in the 90's. Then I got old, fat and lazy. 4 piece with 3 cymbals and hats does nicely these days.

 

[langmick]

How did you end up micing/mixing?

I used a Beta 52, D112 or similar, I carried two with me, stuffed up inside close to the head, but off center. Some guys would want to mic from top or keep the mic outside the drum. Then I'd ask for added lows and some reverb. It can sound papery if not one right, it should be able to liquify the audience if one correctly.

 

[Monday317]

My preferred kit is 10 & 13 x9 toms; 16 x 16 floor; 24 x 14 bass and differing snares.

I’ve sat in with bands and house kits that were 12, 14, 20 or 13, 16, 22 and didn't feel uncomfortable.

Each to their own.

 

[CC Cirillo]

3 up, 1 down, 3 crashes, small china, ride, and accent cymbal above a crash, hi hat, snare, and BD.
While it sounds like a lot to me, I pack it in pretty tight, since I'm short.

I just joined a classic rock cover band, and have a use for everything in the kit.
However, I feel like a show off having this much gear, when I see so many 1 up 1 down kits with 2 or 3 cymbals.

Does it really look like "too much" by today's standards ???

View attachment 473225 View attachment 473226

Hey, Hector48, that doesn’t look like too much to me, and I’m one of those one up/one down two cymbals guys. Hell sometimes I’m even a no up/no down one cymbal guy. If your rig works for you, it works.

 

[Funkeecowboy]

15 or so years ago when I first started playing multiple gigs a month I would take a 6 piece kit (two up, two down) and 5 cymbals (Hats, 2 crashes, 2 rides). After a year of that I changed to a 4 piece kit and 4 or 5 cymbals depending on the gig and have gigged mainly 4 piece kits since around 2008.

 

[KillinBill66]

Never more than one up one down.

 

[K.O.]

Three up and two down with a single bass drum was the most I've ever used on a regular basis. After about 3 years of doing that I pared down the two smallest toms and that has been my standard rig (1 up, 2 down) for most gigs ever since. I do still have the other drums of course so I could go back, but I'm probably more likely to axe the second floor tom at some point as I zero in on 60 and smaller/lighter becomes increasingly desirable. I don't haul those 900 series Yamaha stands around anymore either.

 

[DWSlingerland45]

8 - it was an 80's Ludwig Rocker kit 22/12/13/16 /18 with Tama Swingstar 10 and 14 added on. Plus a snare ... Drums were white cortex so nobody noticed the mismatched brands ... Back when my back was also young Lol

 

[pwc1141]

Biggest was 5 piece with 2 rides, 1 crash and hats. But each piece was small in a very portable Taye Go-kit. Since sold that and moved back to a 4 piece more conventional bop kit with same cymbal set up.

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