Togg 15.09.2011 08:19 |
OK, so after some 30 years of slowly collecting parts for the kit I will shortly take delivery of the 26x16 Ludwig Silver Sparkle Classic Maple Bass Drum, the drum has now been finished in the factory and is due to be shipped. This will be the final peace of the Taylor inspired silver sparkle kit which I started building in 1981... Let me explain...in the summer of 81 I went out looking for a bass drum in London having been asked to join a band, I already had a snare so this was going to be the start of the rest of the kit, After walking round London's music shops for hours I fianally walked into Rose Morris in Shaftsbury Avenue and asked the same question, Have you got any single bass drums not part of a kit? I waited for the usual negative response when the guy looked at me and said, well funny you should say that I do have one, a Ludwig...We walked upstairs and I couldn't believe my eyes, there was a 24x14 silver sparkle kick drum... Having recently seen Queen at Wembley in 1980. I naturally had to but it, the only problem was how to get it in the car! So finally after collecting all the other parts of the kit, same size toms, same cymbals etc etc (most of which has had to be made for me I finally got round to purchasing the full size kick.. So by way of my own small celebration I am asking folks which is their personal favorite Roger Kit, Drum sound? Track? For me, it's surprisingly not the Silver Sparkle kit I suspect it's the huge black one from Somebody to Love era Drum sound would have to be You're My Best Friend (Although I gather a lot of the sound of those toms was down to John heavily using EQ) Track would have to be I'm In Love With My Car.... So over to you lot.... |
Sebastian 15.09.2011 11:55 |
Congratulations, first of all. Now, my fave kit: Races album + tour, it's huge! Fave sound: Perhaps Innuendo (album + song). Fave performance: Brighton Rock. |
Rick 15.09.2011 12:02 |
Wow, sounds great. Congrats indeed. We need pics, though! Favourite kit: Also Races, Hot Space (live, duh) is a close second Favourite drum sound: News of the World. Just perfect. Especially Fight From The Inside sounds so damn powerful. Favourite performance: Now I'm Here and Keep Yourself Alive from the 77-81 period |
cmsdrums 15.09.2011 12:38 |
Nice - what a great project, and congrats for sticking with it and completing it after all these years! I do love the Silver Sparkle kit, mainly for how it sounds on the Montreal gigs. Like most others so far, the ADATR Races kit both looks and sounds great; lots of toms, but not just for show as with some other drummers, but all used musically in Roger's playing. In addition, I always loved the Ludwig natural finish Classic Maple kits in the 90's - they looked classy, and sound great both on recordings and live (the sound on the The Show Must Go On ballet performance is stunning). Favourite tracks drumwise? That's hard!! Possibly It's Late (studio); it coould have been standard rock 4/4 time fair, but is thought out with the accented kick drums and hi hat openings on the verses, has tempo changes, and it rocks hard but still with feel and groove. Live, I'd go with Now I'm Here in the mid to late 70s, and Liar in the early to mid 70s. Just to finish on a downer, worst kit by far is the Works tour; the Chrome finish kit just sounds 'odd' and so 'un Roger', and the electronic drums just weren't flexible enough back in the day! |
Rick 15.09.2011 15:11 |
The electronic drums DID sound great on the Hot Space tour though. |
Micrówave 15.09.2011 15:29 |
Let me explain...in the summer of 81 I went out looking for a bass drum in London having been asked to join a band, I already had a snare so this was going to be the start of the rest of the kit,Wait. What? You were asked to play drums in a band and you only had a snare drum???? How did you mesh with the bass player who hadn't yet gotten around to buying strings? |
mooghead 15.09.2011 16:35 |
I have no doubt as soon as your kit is complete you will sound just like Roger Taylor :/ Clown smiley ;-) |
More Cowbell 15.09.2011 17:04 |
Definately need pics! Love that kit. |
DrumSter 16.09.2011 05:46 |
cmsdrums wrote: In addition, I always loved the Ludwig natural finish Classic Maple kits in the 90's - they looked classy, and sound great both on recordings and live (the sound on the The Show Must Go On ballet performance is stunning). Roger didn't use Ludwig drums for Bejart Ballet performance. He played Sleishman drumkit (the same one from the Electric Fire tour) But I agree - his 90's Ludwig Ckassic Maple sounds fantastic! Freddie Tribute's kit is my favorite, by far! Also, I have to say, he sounded very impressive on Tama drumkit in 1994 (Great Music Experience) |
cmsdrums 16.09.2011 06:32 |
DrumSter wrote: cmsdrums wrote: In addition, I always loved the Ludwig natural finish Classic Maple kits in the 90's - they looked classy, and sound great both on recordings and live (the sound on the The Show Must Go On ballet performance is stunning). Roger didn't use Ludwig drums for Bejart Ballet performance. He played Sleishman drumkit (the same one from the Electric Fire tour) But I agree - his 90's Ludwig Ckassic Maple sounds fantastic! Freddie Tribute's kit is my favorite, by far! Also, I have to say, he sounded very impressive on Tama drumkit in 1994 (Great Music Experience) ------------------ I didn't realise that was Sleishman kit - it is lovely! The Freddie Tribute kit is also one of my favourites; the sound actually in the stadium was superb, especially the kick drum - just a shame they didn't really duplicate that on the recordings :-( I have the Japan 1994 tracks on a grainy old VHS in mono sound so can't really appreciate that TAMA kit at it's best; I preusme that was a general kit set up for all drummers, rather than Roger actually choosing TAMA? Finally, I do also like the sound of the Magic Tour Yamaha kit; although very different sounding for Roger, it was good - quite fat, dead toms, and a good snare. I remember watching the video as a 15 yr old who had jsut started drumming and salivating over the lovely shiny new Zildjian Z and K series cymbals!! :-) I really wish one of the drum maufacturers would develop and sell a Roger Taylor signature series snare (something like a tweaked and modified ludwig Classic Maple) ; if any one drummer is recognisable from his snare sound it's our Roger, yet some of the drummers that have sig series ones really don't deserve them (in my opinion). I remember in a Fan Club magazine a few yeasrs back Jacky said that a CD of Roger drum samples was in production, but sadly, like a lot of promised things, this never came to light. I wonder if this would ever be resurrected (Joey Kramer or Aerosmith di one a while back which is rpetty good). |
Togg 16.09.2011 09:01 |
Arh yes a Roger signiture snare would be amazing... Yes I was asked to play in a band with ANY drums actually... mates from school, we still play together today 30 years later, fingers crossed pic inclosed of the kit with the current 24" kick... |
DrumSter 16.09.2011 09:38 |
cmsdrums wrote: I have the Japan 1994 tracks on a grainy old VHS in mono sound so can't really appreciate that TAMA kit at it's best; I preusme that was a general kit set up for all drummers, rather than Roger actually choosing TAMA? Actually this set was used only by Roger all through the show, other drummers kits was placed on the right side of the stage. Roger played Tama set, but he had his Ludwig Classic Maple snare (from his FM Tribute kit) Maybe he didn't want to take his whole kit to Japan, so Yoshiki (Tama endorser) supported him with specially built Tama drumset? It has Roger's size of toms etc. |
99jaystang 16.09.2011 20:48 |
Love the BIG Sleishman bass drum I heard in concert during Q-PR tour in 2006 in Buffalo. That baby had a great thump to it. Along with the rest of his Maple Ludwig kit. Also liked the 86' Yamaha kit because of its Noisy slappy snare sound and floor toms, but wasn't to keen on the rack toms. |
Togg 19.09.2011 02:27 |
Personally I hated the yammy's in 86' does anyone know why he switched back then from Ludwig? They did sound ok in the stadium but I never liked the look of them and just find them too dead on the dvd's. I too loved the maple kit, I remember going right up to the stage at the tribute concert after the show to look at it in more detail, also managed a good look at the cross christmas concert later on. I have always wanted to know what kit her recorded each album on, I have always sort of assumed that he recorded with the kit from the previous tour each time, so the Game was the black kit, Hot space was the silver sparkle, the works was the Chrome etc... |
Togg 20.09.2011 02:48 |
Below is my best guess as to which kit was used to record which album, if anyone can add to or amend with accurate info feel free... Queen Ludwig black kit matt finish ish... Queen 2 Same as above Sheer Heart Attack Same as above ANATO, Ludwig Maple two tone stain kit ADATR, Ludwig Black gloss finish ultra large kit NOTW Ludwig Black kit larger toms sizes but smaller kit in total Jazz Same as above, plus Gretch jazz kit The Game Ludwig Black kit Hot Space, Ludwig Sliver Sparkle kit The Works Ludwig Silver Sparkle kit AKOM Ludwig Chrome kit The Miracle Ludwig Chrome kit Innuendo Ludwig Maple kit MIH Sleishman kit, Ludwig Maple kit, Cosmos Rocks DW Green kit, Sleishman kit |
Togg 21.09.2011 09:11 |
Sebastian, I have just checked your site regarding studio instruments, the drum section in particular, where is the Pearl kit seen in the making of One Vision? the chrome kit is Ludwig and the electronic kit is a Simmonds kit. Also the info regarding the Premier and Trixon kits being used, where does that come from? I have been reading pretty much everything about Roger and Queen in teh studio for 30 years but not seen any mention of those kits. the only Premier kit I have seen Roger use was early shots of him on TV probably top of the pops or equivilant show |
Togg 01.11.2011 05:15 |
New 26x16 bass drum shots |
Togg 01.11.2011 05:16 |
The big kit... |