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#1
03-14-2009, 07:57 PM
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Oh dixieland dixieland!
How many of you know that the drum set as we know it today is an american invention, with it's roots in New Orleans about the turn of the last century. Although drums go back to ancient times, the "kit" is fairly new in terms of musical instruments. It appears that guys would play on street corners ...small groups of horns, guitars, bangoes etc...and Since it was not practical to have a percussion section, drummers became inventive and began to assemble stuff together that one guy could play. The first drums were attained from military groups and schools, some drums even dating back to the civil war. The first kick pedal, was a beater attached to a guys shoe. This enabled the keeping of 4/4 time while playing a snare drum. The bass drums in those days being large (often 30" or more) soon became a central unit to which all kinds of wooden blocks and bells could be attached. Marching cymbals were suspended individually on clothes hanger like apparatus. Soon the only limit was the imagination. Drummers found steady work through the 20's in movie houses, providing sound effects for silent films. The funny looking set-ups becames referred to as contraptions, shortened to "traps". The following decades brought several innovations in configuration with toms and larger and dedicated cymbals (rides crashes etc...)
It is in the spirit of the first dixieland set that I one day decded to assemble a set from odd parts (this and that) to come up with something very unique but also functional. I hope you enjoy the following photos and stories. all the best... 
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#2
03-14-2009, 08:10 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie003.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie004.jpg This is the heart of the beast. A 8"x26" marching bass drum. It came from an american legion. It is a WFL (circa 1950) It has the original calf skin heads on either side. It is single tension (as are all the drums shown here). This mens there are no lugs. the drum tightens with a single tension rod that draws both heads together at the same time. No matter how you tighten it, you get a mirror image head tension resulting in a sympathetic and very sonorous tone. This drum has 12 rods. It is simply painted. I used cowbell mounting brackets for spurs. Simple but effective. Keep drum upright LOL. all the best... Last edited by kay-gee; 03-14-2009 at 08:13 PM. Reason: add
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#3
03-14-2009, 08:33 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie005.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie006.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie007.jpg this is lovingly referred to as the "Frankensnare" It came as a cut down 14" Gretsch marching drum shell. 3-ply poplar and mahogany. It was Swiss cheese-ish. Under the paint is a bit of filler. It has wooden hoops (Ludwig I think) Ludwig snares, butt plate, claws and P-85 throw. I had no tension rods to fit it so I cut lengths of threaded rod. Nuts tighten it. I even put some little rubber grips off a toy hockey game to prevent nasty knuckle scrapes on the rod ends. It is painted out, and varnished in. Now has Remo Fiber-Skyn on top. I play it somewhat loosely for that greasy old time New Orleans kind of sound. all the best...
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#4
03-14-2009, 08:46 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie008.jpg
This is a 10"x 14" Gretsch marching snare drum stamped 1953 inside. It is pretty much intact except the gut snares and sheep skin reso head have been removed. It serves as a nice boomy tom. http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie009.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie010.jpg a 9x13 Ludwig marching drum. Painted white inside. I suspect about 1960 -64. I made legs for it out of wood. Using 3 little rubber washers I made from a wine stopper, They kind of suspend on the legs. Funny looking I know but it works! all the best... Last edited by kay-gee; 03-14-2009 at 08:51 PM.
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#5
03-14-2009, 09:01 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie014.jpg
A Ludwig spur-Lok hi hat stand and Speed king pedal. Mid 60's. I beefed up the beater with padding and a sock to about tennis ball size. Creates beautiful boom on the calf head of the bass drum. I kept the calf heads for all these drums. Too impractical in this humidity, so I'm using Fiber-Skyn batters as a reasonable facsimiles of calf. I solved the bass problem with a light bulb as you will see. all the best...
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#6
03-14-2009, 09:04 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
This might interest you. Its for sale near me.
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#7
03-14-2009, 09:04 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie011.jpg
Left to right... a hat clutch fastened in a clamp and S rod cymbal arm (homemade) Leedy and Ludwig L arm holder and L arm I took a Ludwig tom bracket and bolted it to a piece of wood. Can virtually "C" clamp anywhere on s bass drum A Long L arm I made from a hood propping rod from a scrapped Hona Civic. all the best... Last edited by kay-gee; 03-14-2009 at 09:13 PM.
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#8
03-14-2009, 09:06 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
Quote:
all the bst...
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#9
03-14-2009, 09:16 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie012.jpg
Ah cymbals. What to choose? Since mounting all the cymbals to bass drum, it seemed logical to stay small. Top row Lto R...15 inch Avedis Zildjian hi hat bottom used as a ride. I usually dangle a piece of bathroom chain on it for a lttle sizzle. It really "swings" A 12" Paiste signature Splash (crash) A 10" A zidjian splash (recently aquired from a member here) Bottom row...a Paiste 602 hat top and a Sabian hat bottom. Talk about trashy LOL I literally found it in a trash bin behind a music studio. Notice finger tip size chunk missing...actually prevents air lock and chicks nicely. all the best... Last edited by kay-gee; 03-14-2009 at 09:24 PM.
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#10
03-14-2009, 09:27 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
this is fun!!!
__________________
Yamaha DTXtreme III FrankenXpress w/ various pads and cymbals Pearl Eliminator w/Vater Bomber Roc-N-Soc Motion Vater 7A Sugar Maple Simmons DA-200S Sony MDR-7506 MacBookPro Core2 Duo 2.33,4gb,500gb w/SD2, Reason 4, and LE9 http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss358/Charlygo/
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#11
03-14-2009, 09:28 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie013.jpg
Some extra percussion stuff, some of which I attach to the drum. Collection includes hand cymbals, claves, a guiro block (big purple) bells tambourines etc... all the best...
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#12
03-14-2009, 09:35 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie022.jpg
This is a stool given to me by a photographer back in 1982 when I was on the road. It can raise from 18" to 27" without a single wing nut bolt or anything. I cant figure out how it works but it is great. all the best...
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#13
03-14-2009, 09:44 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
Put it all together and it looks like this...
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie020.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie021.jpg all the best... Last edited by kay-gee; 03-14-2009 at 09:47 PM.
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#14
03-14-2009, 09:50 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
Nice pix, nice story, nice thread, NICER drums!
__________________
Yamaha DTXtreme III FrankenXpress w/ various pads and cymbals Pearl Eliminator w/Vater Bomber Roc-N-Soc Motion Vater 7A Sugar Maple Simmons DA-200S Sony MDR-7506 MacBookPro Core2 Duo 2.33,4gb,500gb w/SD2, Reason 4, and LE9 http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss358/Charlygo/
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#15
03-14-2009, 09:51 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
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#17
03-14-2009, 10:00 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
Got any videos of you playing those?
__________________
www.myspace.com/harley1_davidson
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#18
03-14-2009, 10:06 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
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#19
03-14-2009, 10:11 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
as mentioned I put a light bulb in the bass to keep the heads tight on humid days. It has an added benefit. The night time is the right time LOL
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie024.jpg all the best...
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#20
03-14-2009, 10:12 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
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#21
03-14-2009, 10:14 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie001.jpg
the set breaks down to this. A hockey bag the bass drum and a couple of light stands all the best...
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#22
03-14-2009, 10:20 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
some other stuff
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/dixie023.jpg A goat skin drum with a hole chewed through it (thank-you potcake hound) an african beat box, cheap pair Toca bongoes, A piece of Junkanoo paraphenelia, fire bell and a couple pairs of homemade wine cork mallets (play beatifully) all the best...
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#23
03-14-2009, 10:22 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
So you can see...you guys ever come to visit...we can get down and make some beautiful noise!!!
That's it for now....I hope you enjoyed the show. Someday a video will be available, but not now. THE END all the best...
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#24
03-14-2009, 10:41 PM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
Absolutely amazing! I want to do that now! lol
__________________
Tama Starclassic Birch in Emerald Sea Fade 24x18, 13x10, 18x16 Mapex Black Panther Phosphor Bronze 5.5x14 Evans EC2 Clears (or Coated Emperors) over Evans G1 Clears Remo Coated Controlled Sound Over Hazy Ambassador Snare Side Dream Contact 14" Hi-Hats, Zildjian Avedis 21" Sweet Ride, Zildjian A Custom 18" Projection Crash, Wuhan 18" China Vic Firth 5As and 5Bs/Sound Percussion 2Bs "Da head of the drum doesn't matter, it's da head of da drummer that matters most..." -Phrogge
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#25
03-15-2009, 09:18 AM
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Re: Oh dixieland dixieland!
Amazing collection KG. I would love to sit behind one of these kits with some old jazz/ragtime cats and cook. If I'm ever in Mass., I would love to come check it out in person. I LOVE OLD DRUMS
__________________
1971 Ludwig 3-ply Maple 7-piece shell set in Oyster Black Pearl w Supraphonic Snare 1968 Mica-Sonic Deluxe 9-ply Luan Mahogony 4 piece jazz set in Aqua Satin Flame 2004 Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz 7-ply Phillipene Mahogony 4 piece in Nitron Marine Pearl Lot's of old Zildjian A's, some K's, a few Sabiens, and a few Paiste 
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