House kit?

[fullcollapse325]

So I'm playin a gig this friday and i have to use a house kit.

I know its a Tama granstar Sizes 13,14,18,24 bass drum

I'm not a big Tama guy and know nothing about these kits except that the toms are huge. I usually play 2 up offset ( 10,12 ) one down (14)

I'm thinking just going 1 up 1 down using the 13 rack and 18 floor tom. Anyone have any knowlege of these kits that can offer me some insight? what to expect?

I really hate playing house kits, hopefully its not terrible. I can use my own snare which is a plus.

[marko138]

Hate gigs where I can't use my own kit. Good luck.

[TamadudeNJ]

So I'm playin a gig this friday and i have to use a house kit.

I know its a Tama granstar Sizes 13,14,18,24 bass drum

I'm not a big Tama guy and know nothing about these kits except that the toms are huge. I usually play 2 up offset ( 10,12 ) one down (14)

I'm thinking just going 1 up 1 down using the 13 rack and 18 floor tom. Anyone have any knowlege of these kits that can offer me some insight? what to expect?

I really hate playing house kits, hopefully its not terrible. I can use my own snare which is a plus.

Where is the place? Sounds like a kit I played recently, wonder if it's the same place. lol

[fullcollapse325]

Stanhope house, i think u mentioned u were playing there! Did you use the house kit? how was it?

[fullcollapse325]

Hate gigs where I can't use my own kit. Good luck.

Dude, I hate it so much. I can see it now, duct tape all over the toms. 10 year old drum heads lol.

[TamadudeNJ]

Stanhope house, i think u mentioned u were playing there! Did you use the house kit? how was it?

I'm with Marko, I hate it too.

Yep! Same place. It's exactly what they told ya. It's in pretty bad shape. Birch shells. You'll be forced to play 14 up 18 down cuz the 13 "doesn't work too well".... what I was told. Have fun tuning them, the heads are in pretty bad shape but no duct tape so that's at least one good thing lol. Even my band complained about the sound.

Also bring your own hardware, pedal, seat, and snare. The kick drum has metal hoops with a recessed ridge on the inside so your pedal may not attach properly. Buy a rubber insert, I believe Gibraltar makes them.

I was very uncomfortable playing them but made the best of it. Hope this helps!

[theblackfedora]

Just out of curiosity, why DO certain venues MAKE you use house kits..?

[marko138]

I'm with Marko, I hate it too.

Yep! Same place. It's exactly what they told ya. It's in pretty bad shape. Birch shells. You'll be forced to play 14 up 18 down cuz the 13 "doesn't work too well".... what I was told. Have fun tuning them, the heads are in pretty bad shape but no duct tape so that's at least one good thing lol. Even my band complained about the sound.

Also bring your own hardware, pedal, seat, and snare. The kick drum has metal hoops with a recessed ridge on the inside so your pedal may not attach properly. Buy a rubber insert, I believe Gibraltar makes them.

I was very uncomfortable playing them but made the best of it. Hope this helps!

That sounds like a horrible situation.

[TamadudeNJ]

Just out of curiosity, why DO certain venues MAKE you use house kits..?

Easier for sound guy. Also quicker set up time if there are multiple bands playing.

[theblackfedora]

Easier for sound guy. Also quicker set up time if there are multiple bands playing.

Oh. At least there's a logical explanation. :P I don't know why I didn't think of that. Sorry. I'm not at the point in my drumming where I gig.

Also, 100th post. Wooo00000oooOOOo00OOoo0o.

[NPYYZ]

You guys are better men than I am. 3 times in my 14 year career of playing the clubs I was asked to use a crap House kit, and 3 time I respectfully said no thanks. Either I play my kit or the band doesn't play. I know sounds a bit snobbish, however I played in top bands , I always had very nice kits and I just refused to play junk.

[drumsetsnide]

I agree with the others that said it really stinks...because it does!!

It's a good thing you can bring your pedal, throne and hi hat.

My advice is to get there as early as you are allowed and tune the drums the best you can then adjust/arrange them the best you can and play them for a bit. At least then you can get a feel for the drums and the sound.

Good luck with the set.

Best of luck with the gig and have fun.

[itchie]

I must living the dream here .. The last house kit I played was a masters time befor that a Brady

[TamadudeNJ]

I must living the dream here .. The last house kit I played was a masters time befor that a Brady

Wow. Yes, yes you are.

[rickthedrummer]

You guys are better men than I am. 3 times in my 14 year career of playing the clubs I was asked to use a crap House kit, and 3 time I respectfully said no thanks. Either I play my kit or the band doesn't play. I know sounds a bit snobbish, however I played in top bands , I always had very nice kits and I just refused to play junk.

I'm with you on this.

It only happened once that I can remember, and I told the club manager that I'll take them down and set them back up when we are done, but I only play on my set.

[groovearteest]

For me whenever i have to go to another church, and our choir has to sing to represent our church, i have to play on that churchs set(for obvious). Luckily i know some of the other drummers and i know that they take care of there set and playing on there set is just as comfotable as playing on my own. But some of the drummers around here basically just play just to play and don't really take care of there set and unfortunately there set will have like broken drumheads on one of the toms, there sticks are all broken, cheap cracked cymbals, drum setup in some awkward position that make it hard to play as effectively as i like etc.

[Olimpass]

I like the challenge of a different kit. It brings out different mojo for creativity IMO. It can be very uncomfortable though. I do not like to play on a kit that someone just bled on...lol. Those open mic nights where some random drummer smacked his hand on the snare rim and bled on the drums and sticks. Usually as long as the cymbals are good, a junk kit can sound kinda cool.

[kay-gee]

I like the challenge of a different kit. It brings out different mojo for creativity IMO. It can be very uncomfortable though. I do not like to play on a kit that someone just bled on...lol. Those open mic nights where some random drummer smacked his hand on the snare rim and bled on the drums and sticks. Usually as long as the cymbals are good, a junk kit can sound kinda cool.

I think I agree with this. Even though, there's no place like home, it's kinda fun to get around a bit. I believe in the end it's the drummer that makes the drummer, not the drums.

all the best...

[ntn2it]

My PDP MX kit was a "house kit" at a Christian music festival that I played at quite a few years ago. All the backline equipment was provided by Guitar Center. By the time I got to play it, the heads were shot. They had divots in them and it sounded pretty crappy. The sound "techs" at the festival used a utility knife to cut a huge hole in the front bass drum head that was ragged so the could mic it up. I got there early and had a bit of time to tune them as best as I could. So glad I brought my own cymbals and pedals. The cymbals that were supposed to go to this kit were stolen before we got there by another drummer playing on a different stage, so I was left with some crappy Sabian B8 and cracked Zildjian ZBTs. I busted out my A Customs and threw theirs off the back of the stage.

After the gig, I went up to GC and told them that when that kit comes in from the festival, I'd be willing to buy it and offered $300 if they would replace the heads with ones of my choosing. They took the deal, and I ended up with a slightly used kit with brand new Evans EC2/Remo Black Ambassadors. At that time these MX kits were selling for $1200.00.

Not all "house kit" stories suck. Most of them are what you make of it. Bring your own hardware and throne, snare and cymbals. Actually bring most of your stuff and if you need an extra stand, you'll have it handy. You won't regret it. Have fun and "drive 'em like you stole 'em!".

[fullcollapse325]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I'm thinking just bringing my own rack tom. I dont even care if it doesnt match at this point. I cant really imagine using a 14 inch rack tom. My floor tom is that size lol.

[fullcollapse325]

14" rack toms ROCK! If they are on a snare stand...

I think this one is like a 14x14 its huge man.

[drummer]

I would usually bring my own kit anyway. I would tear the house kit down and set mine up.
On fly dates, you have to use the rental kits. That's the exception. You then don't have a choice.

[Drumbledore]

I must living the dream here .. The last house kit I played was a masters time befor that a Brady

To quote from "Life Of Brian"....

"You lucky, lucky b&%3$*d!"


Last time I had to use a house kit, it was an ok Tama....something like a Rockstar or some similar range. Anyway, was glad I brought my seat, snare and stand, hi-hat stand and other bits of hardware and cymbals, because the top section of the Tama hi-hat stand, thanks to some bright spark, was so covered with gaff-tape that there was no way I could lower it. The seat was treated in a similar way....it's top section was gaff-taped to the max, and being a shorty, there was no way I was going to be sitting on that.....I'd swear my feet would be dangling down trying to reach the damn pedals. The snare stand couldn't be lowered to a comfortable height for me.....my old Pearl snare stand that I modified years ago allows that.....and that Tama snare was just horribly tuned, so my Starclassic was definitely what I was going to .play. The toms had to be retuned.....in fact with one of them, the tom holder-block was coming away from the shell, simply because no-one could be bothered or knew how to screw it back in. So I did that before I put the batter head back on. Ended up having to play that kit for a month's residency

[theblackfedora]

To quote from "Life Of Brian"....

"You lucky, lucky b&%3$*d!"


Last time I had to use a house kit, it was an ok Tama....something like a Rockstar or some similar range. Anyway, was glad I brought my seat, snare and stand, hi-hat stand and other bits of hardware and cymbals, because the top section of the Tama hi-hat stand, thanks to some bright spark, was so covered with gaff-tape that there was no way I could lower it. The seat was treated in a similar way....it's top section was gaff-taped to the max, and being a shorty, there was no way I was going to be sitting on that.....I'd swear my feet would be dangling down trying to reach the damn pedals. The snare stand couldn't be lowered to a comfortable height for me.....my old Pearl snare stand that I modified years ago allows that.....and that Tama snare was just horribly tuned, so my Starclassic was definitely what I was going to .play. The toms had to be retuned.....in fact with one of them, the tom holder-block was coming away from the shell, simply because no-one could be bothered or knew how to screw it back in. So I did that before I put the batter head back on. Ended up having to play that kit for a month's residency

+1,000,000 for quoting Life of Brian.

[Zeta]

I never have played a good house kit. luckily its only happened 2 times.

1st open mic night on an Orbitone (just like my first kit) completely tuned wrong and stuff bass drum.

2nd time was a festival a few months ago. a beat up tama rockstar with destroyed heads. played it 1 up 1 down.