My Pork Pie Zebrawood kit

[SpazApproved]

So it's been 4 months in the making and worth every day of wait!!!

This is my first BRAND NEW and CUSTOM kit made to my specifications!!!
I've started off my build with a 7pc kit.
I do already have a couple of plans for down the road.

Here are my finished sizes for now: (yes I will add down the line)

7x8 Rack Tom
7x10 Rack Tom
8x12 Rack Tom
12x14 Floor Tom
14x16 Floor Tom
18x22 Kick
7x13 Snare


What we've all waited for... the pics:
came home to this!



was scared of all this mess


then saw this and smiled!!

[SpazApproved]

Funny story... Bill is super embarrassed but they put the bass drum heads on backwards haha



so sexy!! 22x18 Virgin kick!!

[SpazApproved]

all these pretty maids in a row...

[FlyByNight]

WOW. Incredible finish. It'll look even better set up!

[jedi]

Beauties Zack !! Congrats !!

[isaacvining]

Wooooooooah those are some attractive circles!

[MDK]

Gorgeous, bet it sounds great too

[SpatzST]

awesome! record sound, thanks!

[marko138]

Wild finish. Good stuff!

[OldeEnglishD]

Sweet looking set!

[Ricardo]

So they arrived................great !
They look as good as we all expected.

I remembered your original post on this kit choice and I went back there to see what I could find out about your options..............this quote was relevant :

"The wife saw this kit while I was looking into new kits and said I ABSOLUTELY HAD to buy it. But I wasn't sold on the sizes until I called Pork Pie directly and today I officially signed with Pork Pie as he was so great to chat with on the phone. He's going to make the kit to any specs I want."

Given that Gretsch, Ludwig & DW can do the same, what were the differences that caused you to choose this drum-maker ?

Just curious.

[SpazApproved]

Given that Gretsch, Ludwig & DW can do the same, what were the differences that caused you to choose this drum-maker ?

Just curious.

It is a good question... I know most of you guys feel DW is over rated but someday I hope to own a true DW kit, that is a dream of mine. Not my PDP/DW but full on DW. I'll never be able to order my own 1 off custom cause that's crazy $$$.
As far as Ludwig... no offense guys, but I'm not much of a Ludwig fan. I think if I was in my late 60's and grew up with them it would be a different story. But I find most of their product to be.... well old school.

BUT...

I'm a HUGE Pork Pie fan. I LOVE his snare drums. I have 6 of his snares in my collection. I was super impressed that I called the phone number listed on his website and I was immediately greeted by Bill directly. I was super surprised to not have some representative or some automated something.. I've called DW a hundred times and I always get someone different, or a recording and etc being a much bigger company. But to talk 1 on 1 with the owner was awesome. And then we had a wonderful 45 minute conversation about my career and he was interested in what I was doing it made me feel super good inside. So when he said he'd love to work with me that was just the icy on the cake. That really said to me, hey this guy is a down to earth builder who cares about his customers. So it was an easy decision for me to build my first custom kit with Pork Pie Percussion.

He even gave me his personal cell phone and said call or text anytime about anything and never hesitate. And I do and he response every time!

Great product will go a long way, but GREAT customer service will go even further. And he had awesome customer service and was excited to make his first set of shallow depth toms for my personal kit.

[Ricardo]

I was super impressed that I called the phone number listed on his website and I was immediately greeted by Bill directly. And then we had a wonderful 45 minute conversation about my career and he was interested in what I was doing it made me feel super good inside. That really said to me, hey this guy is a down to earth builder who cares about his customers. So it was an easy decision for me to build my first custom kit with Pork Pie Percussion.

As I suspected, it was a combination of 1-on-1 personal service and the prices of competitors.................I understand completely.

I am very fortunate that I was able to custom-order my Gretsch shells to my specs in 1977 and, with the few times I have needed attention, I got it quickly.
I have been gigging with the same drums for 39 years..............got a gig tonight, in fact.

Zack................I hope you have many great years with your new kit.

[SpazApproved]

As I suspected, it was a combination of 1-on-1 personal service and the prices of competitors.................I understand completely.

I am very fortunate that I was able to custom-order my Gretsch shells to my specs in 1977 and, with the few times I have needed attention, I got it quickly.
I have been gigging with the same drums for 39 years..............got a gig tonight, in fact.

Zack................I hope you have many great years with your new kit.

Thank you! I also hope for many great years with this kit!

39 years... now that is awesome! My Sonor kit I received at 4yrs old and still practice on it which makes it 29 years old.

[Johnny G]

I have visited their shop and in L.A. Bill was out sick for the first time in like 12 years I was told, so did not get to meet him. Shawn was a great host and spent about 45 minutes hanging out with me and my son. We talked drums, music, and found out his parents work for the same hospital I do. Small world.
As I watched the craftsman drilling and assembling the kits, I couldn't help but notice meticulous attention to detail. The guy measured for the lugs at least four times before putting the shell under the drill press. Every completed drum on the shelf was gorgeous.
I had a pork pie snare but, gave it to my brother as a gift. I love my brother, but I do wish I had that snare back.

[MDK]

any pics of the inside of the shells?

[SpazApproved]

any pics of the inside of the shells?

I can take some photos tonight for you.

[Spiderjig]

Awesome looking kit !!! Is that a veneer covering or are all those layers of wood molded together, very custom look, Congrats Man !!!!!

[Lefty]

Very nice kit. I bet you're in awe right now. It's not very often that you get a new kit, especially like that one. Congrats.

[EyePea]

Darn that thing looks nice.

[cabasner]

Spaz,

Beautiful kit! I hope you are as happy with them as you were when anticipating their arrival. What's the tone report?

I know you were really thinking hard about the bass drum size, and that you ended up with the pretty 'standard' 22"x18". I'm sure you've already set them up, and I expect that you are happy with the sizes. I spent some time myself when deciding on a bass drum size for my DW set. I am shorter than you (5'6") and really worried about how significant a 2" difference would be. My former kit had a 20" diameter, 18" deep bass, and while I really wanted a 22" bass for the sound, I was worried about how the toms would sit, height-wise. I ended up with a 22"x16" and even with 10"x8" and 12"x9" mounted toms, and the 22" bass sitting atop a Dixon Bass Drum Lift under it (I really wanted to avoid having to mount my bass pedal to the drum rim) I found the height to be no issue at all.

So, let's see more pictures, and hear what you're thinking. It's a beautiful set of drums!!

[Zickos]

Beautiful kit. The first picture reminds me of a story (Oh, no, not another story!). I used to own a gift and candy store that specialized in gift baskets. I shipped them no matter how large. I had a customer one Christmas who ordered a $200 basket for her mother and requested that she see it before I shipped it. Well, I got into a time crunch and she didn't have time to come in, so she said she would tell her mother to take a picture when it arrived. Some weeks later she came in my store with a glaring look on her face. I could only imagine what the shipping company had done to my beautiful creation. She looked at me and said "Do you know what my mother did?" She then proceeded to show me a Polaroid of her mother sitting in the living room next to a very large box and smiling. Afterwards she must have opened the box and took apart the basket never having taken another picture. My customer never saw the basket. The mother followed her daughters request to the letter. I guess you have to be careful how you phrase your instructions.

[inthpktplayer]

Congrats on the new kit. PP makes great drums. Cool finish. They will sound great. Enjoy.

[drumstix]

Hanging out for some pics of it all set up. Looks mint man!

[SpazApproved]

Sorry I've been so busy doing house work
(we bought a new house and just moved in last month)

My goal is this weekend to finally set up the kit!!!
I'm super excited and I'll get plenty more photos and some sound clips.
It is a veneer over Maple shells.


I'm still debating to go rack or not. I'm thinking not this time.
I'm also debating to not use my 8" and just do a two up two down.
So we'll see!!