YES!! My first new kit in eleven years since the Granstar miracle of 1994. The picture above is (most of) my new
Sonor kit. Ain't she a beaut? This is the 3005 series which is all maple. The finish is called autumn fade.
I'm thrilled! The kick is like a cannon. Here's the specs; 10" rack (on back order), 12" and 13" racks, 16"
floor and 22X17.5" Kick. I left the factory heads on, because if you tune 'em right they have this great "wet" sound.
I've played two-ply hydraulic heads for 15 years, but I think I'm going back to single ply heads (it'll force me
to change 'em as regularly as I should. The batter side of the kick I replaced with an Aquarian Superkick II.
I'm using remo rings on the toms but the 14 X 5.5 is wide open tuned high and tight to ring off the back wall. Drives
Danny crazy. Sweet!
Zildjian cymbals grace the kit. I just bought an old cracked pair of 14" New Beats that sound delicious in the
blues. The other hats are 'A custom' along with 16" and 17" crashes, an old Zildjian A Series Ride and
10" splash. I also use a Sabian 15" crash and 14" mini-china on occasion. Accessories include a mounted Rhythm
Tech tambourine and 6" and 8" Toca mini timbales.
My studio kit for the next record is a black laquer Tama Granstar Custom II set (birch shells). At full
set-up I play 10", 11" and 13" toms across the rack with a 16" Floor tom. The kick is a 24". Snares include a
Sonor 3000, Sonor 2001, and a seldom played Tama Basswood 5 1/2 X 14,
The sticks are Pro-Mark 707's with nylon tips. The heads are Pinstripes. The hardware and rack (when I use
it) are Gibralter.
My old Tama Swingstar has found a new home with one of the kids in my youth ministry group that is learning to play.
