I've been playing the drums since I was 11 years old. I actually took snare lessons from a nun during 6th grade. I did the Jr. High & High School band thing, played in a couple "garage bands" and played with a band briefly while in the Army. I was fortunate enough to get into a real live regular gig-playing type band in 1980 and played several years in the local bar scene (a "weekend warrior" though - I had to do a "real" job to support my family). I gave up the bar scene when I went back to college in the mid '80s. But since I minored in music, I played in several different types of bands there and was fortunate enough to study with a couple of very good drumming instructors. I am now in a rock band and having a great time with it. We are finally playing some gigs and becoming established in the local music scene.
Here are some pics of my vintage red drums (with the '66 wood snare) & my two newer snares. Click the thumbnails to enlarge...
I play Ludwig drums (my first Ludwig kit was a '50s WFL black diamond pearl set that I bought with paper route money at age 13) and currently own three outfits - a newer red sparkle Classic Maple set (16x18 BD, 14x14 FT, 9x12 MT - my current gig kit), a 1971 red sparkle 3-ply Classic set (12x18 BD, 16x16 FT, 8x12 & 9x13 MTs), and a '70s set of blue mist 3-ply Standards (14x22 BD, 16x16 FT, 8x12 MT). I don't have the pictured chrome ones any more (e-Bayed 'em). They are all great sets with completely different tonal qualities and I really like 'em. I also own the following snare drums: a 1966 6½x14 wood model, a 1971 5x14 chrome Supraphonic, a 1970s 12x15 stainless steel field model, a late 1980s 10x14 blue cortex covered 6-ply maple, a newer bronze edition 3x13 piccolo model, and a newer 6½x14 tube-lugged chrome-over-brass edition w/die-cast rims (my current favorite). You just can't have too many snare drums. Most of my cymbals are vintage Zildjians from the '60s and '70s with a few newer ones added recently. Click on the thumbnails below for pics of my stuff (when I get them here, anyway)...
Here is a picture of me from aforementioned High School band days (I was a freshman when this was taken).
"What a geek!"
Some Links to Drum Stuff
A link to my band, PANACEA's, web page!
Ludwig Drum Company home of my favorite drums. (Alas no longer made in Chicago since the mid 1980s, though)
The Ludwig Drummer a very cool site with a lot of vintage and current Ludwig stuff and people who play them.
Avedis Zildjian & Company home of the best made (at least in my opinion) cymbals on earth.
The Not So Modern Drummer another cool site for vintage players.
