LEGEND

13 June 2018 - I’ve always wanted a 13” snare since I played one in Shinji’s Soundcreation studios back in 2005. Since then, I’d read a lot about the Pearl Omar Hakim Signature a lot on the internet. Legend has it of being 13” x 5” of lively funky poppy goodness at any tuning. But local availability had always been few and far between. Both JB Music and local want ads hadn’t had them for years, and it seems people who own them don’t let them go easily.

Three weeks ago, I spotted a mint condition Pearl Omar Hakim signature snare in the Facebook marketplace. The price was right, and it came with an SKB hard case. But the seller was from faraway Meycauayan. After two failed attempts for a meetup in Quezon City I gave up. Just then, I saw an Facebook marketplace ad for another one, right inside of UP Diliman. It wasn’t as mint as the first one, and it didn’t come with a case. But it was cheaper, and accessible. So I closed the deal and sped there as fast as I could. I gathered that the seller is a session musician who at one point was in a band of a friend. The reason for selling, which was posted by his brother who lived in the UP campus, implied he was quitting. But the seller himself said he had one too many snares already.

So I’m now the third owner of this drum (Serial # OH 070228). I’d say it came in “fair” condition. First, the good news. The shell is round, finish is very good, bearing edges and snare bed are smooth, and the throw off is solid. And now for the not so good news. The hoops had some pitting. So a WD40 and aluminum foil scrub smoothed out most of it. Two lugs have hairline cracks. Fortunately, they're not in an area that will be stressed when screwed in and under tension. The tension rods are sort of matte, the threads are difficult to clean, and there’s one odd one. So I'm still deciding if it not being shiny will bother me enough to buy new ones. I dearly wanted to put a coated Ambassador batter and Ambassador snare side, but the local distributor hasn't had 12"s or 13"s since last January. So I again ended up with the more sober Aquarian TC batter and CCSN combo.

I practiced with it only briefly this afternoon, so I'm still finding its tessitura. Each tuning from low to high has a happy, excitable character, but with unique timbres as tensions increase. So to my ears, this drum lives up to its legend.  Now I have to figure out how to setup four (!) snare drums in one setup. 

2018 UPDATE

It’s been three years since my last post, and there have been some additions since then.

Cymbals came first. In November of 2015, I bought two new cymbals. Two events led me to these. First, something clicked when I got a chance to play a set Kerope cymbals early that year. I felt they finally delivered the oldskool dark and trashy sounds which regular K's promised but never took to the max. And then I heard Antonio Sanchez’ cymbals on the Pat Metheny Unity Group album. They were so radically different from anything I had heard and played before that it took me a while to warm up to the sound. But once I did, I was hooked. Unfortunately, the price for admission to these wonderful sounds are frightening, or so I thought. I was window shopping one day at Lyric Music main branch, and was about to leave when the salesman directed me to the Silken display. I had heard about Silken before, but my first impression was that this was just another cheap, small, funky cymbal brand (which I think was already closed shop). I was unimpressed with the Sebring, Avus, and Borealis series, but one hit on the 20" (1980gms) Trois blew my mind. It wasn't only dark and trashy, but CRAZY-BOINGY-GONGY-TRASHY. I guess it's what you get when a Chinese cymbalsmith tries to appropriate vintage Turkish cymbal sounds. About the only thing right about my first impression was the price, less than half of big name brands, and another half off due to the store's Super Sale. I didn't have enough cash on me, so I had it reserved until the weekend. I went back bright and early that Saturday morning, and left the store not only with the 20", but with an 18" (1500gms) too. After decades of filling my cymbal collection with bright sounding cymbals, I now made space in my kit and my mind for the opposite.

Then came snares. I had been listening to and watching a lot of Robert Glasper and Cory Henry since last year, and noticed a lot of smaller, high pitched snares. No matter how high I tensioned my one and only beloved 14" steel snare, I couldn’t get the same kind of pop. But things changed when I walked casually into JB Music Trinoma on the 4th of November 2017. I was not planning to buy anything because I was saving for family Christmas gifts. But everything in the store was on clearance, 40% off for that weekend. So I started digging for a bargain. There was also a "new old stock" Pearl 10x5 maple going for about US$100. I had never seen one like it in the flesh or on the internet. It wasn't an M80 or a Firecracker or a popcorn, but it was made in Taiwan. It came with Ambassador batter and reso and an ISS mount. While the price was tempting, I would have needed either a new stand or tom arm + clamp, which would add another US$30. All these were already too much for an impulse buy. Then I saw a Pearl “Short Fuse” 10”x5” Poplar snare (SFS10/C31) for the equivalent of US$55. I though it was a steal because it already came with the L-rod and clamp. The problem was that the stock reso head was torn, and none of the other music stores in the area had a replacement. I was ready to pass on it when the salesperson remembered they had another one, which they had to dig under the stocks to get to. So I had lunch first, and when I came back they had found it.  I added an Ambassador 10" batter, and the total bill was just US$60. The sound literally "pops." I still can't get over how something so small and cheap can make such a musically amusing sound. It’s now the cutest part of my kit, next to my 8" mini china. 

But that was just the intro. In 16 May 2018 I saw another small snare in one of my Facebook marketplaces. It was an early 2000s Pearl SensiTone Custom Alloy Steel 12”x5” “Power Soprano” (STS1250 Japan a.k.a. S-5012 U.S.A.) snare. The SensiTone series are heavy duty, well designed/crafted drums that can take the rigors of the professional musician. They can be expensive, but are worth every centavo IF you can afford them. So then this showed up in one of my FaceBook marketplaces going for a song, I had to have it. This one was rare because it hardly shows up in internet drum fora, and has been out of production for more than a decade. The seller said his singer-wife (must be a “biyahera”) bought it for him in Japan just 2 years ago, so I suspect she got it second hand there. The batter head was toast, so I bought a new one. The strainer was still nice and smooth but had excess oil on the joints. The reso head and the puresound snare wires were ok. The Superhoops had spots of rust underneath the chrome. The outer shell and lugs had minor dust and pitting. The tension rods were not all the same length, and one of the lugs was missing gaskets. In short, signs abounded that this drum had led a colorful and interesting life. But these didn't deter me. I knew they could be cleaned because I'd done it before. So after completely disassembling it, the shell and hardware went into a Coca-Cola bath, were stripped with aluminum foil, and polished with car wax, and all the tension rods were replaced. The result isn't immaculate, but I don't mind. I just hope all this preening will extend the life of this wonderful instrument. The sound is everything I hoped for. It takes a wide range of tuning, and can go from sensitive and soft, to loud and explosive, much like my old 14" snare but much higher in pitch and more focused because of the heavier hoops. The left side of my kit just got a whole lot more interesting. I'll be looking into other positionings though, because I"m not sure my back can deal with the twisting.

As it stands, my kit is a mashup of old and new, shiny and rusty, cheap and not cheap, cute and frightening, sonorous and cacophonous parts. To me, music needs contrast, dynamics, and even contradictions. This latest round of additions just concretized that idea. 

CYMBAL STORIES

70s AVEDIS ZILDJIANS

In 1970s MetroManila, the only quality cymbal brand available in stores was the Avedis Zildjian. K Zildjians didn’t arrive until 1980, and Paiste’s were outrageously expensive and could only be bought in Hong Kong. Everything else were just cheap, brass cymbals like the ones that came with my first drum kit in 1975. They sounded terrible, dented with each hit, and looked more like an expressionist sculpture within a year. I was in college, and thankfully managed to put away some money from gigs. So I began my mission to buy decent cymbals. Salonga’s Music in Cubao became my suki, and I visited them twice a month. 

1. Avedis Zildjian Crash/Ride 20" (new acquired 1975 for PhP550.00) 2020 gms - This was the first quality cymbal I bought. I went in assuming I had one chance at a quality cymbal, so this would be it. It had the nicest swell I ever heard, and I still think it does. Everything else about it was neither here nor there. It was not a particularly good ride nor crash. I’ve considered selling it a number of times, but each time I discover something cool about it. Its taken a long time to appreciate everything it can do, and I’m still learning. 

2. Avedis Zildjian New Beat Hihats 14" (new acquired 1976 for PhP650.00)1220 gms /  780 gms - I lusted for a good high hat after watching a US Navy jazz band perform at Abelardo hall. The “chif” of his hats was the antithesis of my beat up, bent brass hats. So on one monthly visit to Salonga’s Cubao, I came upon these. It was so different from the other New Beats in the store, and others I have played since. Light and airy with a total absence of “clanginess.” I found out only recently when I weighed it that the top was indeed a rather light one. I’ve always held that every Zildjian cymbal is unique. My New Beats are as unique as you can get. 

3. Avedis Zildjian Medium Ride 22" (new acquired 1976 for PhP780.00) 3300 gms - After I got my New Beats, I was back in Salongas looking for a ride. But for a long time all of had were 20” mediums, and I didn’t want another 20” cymbal. Late in the year, a shipment of three large 22” mediums arrived. Unlike the other two which were shiny and immaculate, this had ugly patina and stains. But the sound was special, so special that one friend later dubbed it “the infinite ride”. I once tried putting tape on the underside when I wanted less wash. When I took the tape off after realizing the wash was what made it special, it left adhesive marks which made it even more ugly. I’ve played a few other really nice ride cymbals, but I will never replace my 22”.  

4. Avedis Zildjian Thin Crash 16" (new acquired 1978 for PhP650.00) 800 gms - I had just joined the UP Jazz Lab band in 1978 and felt a need for a high, quick crash for trumpet accents. In one of my regular visits to Salonga’s Cubao, they pulled out three of these models for me. The price was right (about PhP 600.00) and I still had some money left over. I chose the one which appealed to me the most, which I think was the lightest. Many say that late 70s A ZIldjians started betting heavy in response to the increasing loudness of rock music. But by today’s standards, this is practically “paper thin” in weight. When I played it at band practice, the two other drummers drooled over it. They eventually rushed over to Salonga’s and got the other two. Unfortnately at the final concert of the semester, the cymbal stand fell off the riser when one of the trumpet players nudged it. The cymbal turned inside out, and it suffered from a tiny nick at the edge.  A knock on the bottom righted it, but the relative pitch got slightly lower and had less sustain. I had Steve Gadd sign it when he visited the country in 1980, so all my friends have since called it “Steve god.” The nick never got any bigger, but it developed a keyhole, became warped, and I think the sustain has decreased even more since then. I’m surpised it’s still in one piece, considering it was my main crash while I played in a power rock band for many years. It’s still a main part of my kit, and is my go-to crash for quick accents. 

CHINAS

In 2008, Johnny Alegre invitied me to play a few gigs. At the time, my drum kit were disassembled in a bodega, and my cymbals had spent most of their time in their bag. After the last gig just after Christmas, I decided to take them out and rehabilitate them. I thought about adding to my cymbal set, but felt my Turkish collection was complete. So began my quest for China cymbals. 

Stagg DH Mini China 8" (new acquired 2009 for PhP890.00) 130 gms - A new music store opened close to my house, so I stopped by one day just to window shop. The store carried Stagg cymbals, a European company which importated cheap cymbals from China. Nothing really grabbed me until I came upon this mini-China. It as the cutest thing I had ever hit, and babies in the family love it. It was not until I saw Omar Hakim use a splash next to his snare that I figured out where and how to use it. 

Stagg SH China 16" (used, acquired 2009 for PhP2000.00) 900 gms - My next target was a crashable China. I saw this in a sulit.com ad, and figured I couldn’t go wrong for the price. I met up with the young man who was seliing it one late night along Congressional Avenue. He needed the money for tuition, so I didn’t bargain with him anymore. Although it was quite thin, the stiffness prevents it from opening up. I have thought of selling it, but have kept it for gigs that demand abuse, or for a stack.  

Stagg Traditional China 18" (new acquired 2011 for PhP 3400.00) 1360 gms - I knew of Wuhan Lion cymbals reputation as super cheap and super trashy. But they are the real deal because they were in fact made in the city of Wuhan China, the capital of cymbal and gong making in PRC. I also knew that Stagg had relabeled them as their “Traditional” Chinas. So when I saw a music store ad offering them at 40% off, I just had to check them out. The store had three of them, and as usual, I chose the thinnest of the lot. My wife paid for them as a birthday gift. 

Stagg Lion China 16" (new acquired 2012 for PhP 2800.00) 1060 gms - A year after I got my 18”, the same store went on sale again. I had fallen so in love with my 18 that I decided to get a 16”. As usual, I got the thinnest of three in the store, and my wife again paid for it as a birthday present. 

Paiste 2002 China 22" (pre-owned, made 1982, acquired 31 July 2013 for PhP8,500.00) 2420 gms. SN: 22 1602 - The first China I ever played was a Black Label Paiste 2002 China 20” at a reherasal studio. It was simply awesome, bright but with a hugh bottom. But Paistes cost an arm and a two legs, so I never thought of buying one. After I acquired my Staggs, I got a crazy idea of getting a bigger one to function as a ride in an all China setup. I saw an ad in the philmusic.com classifieds for this 22” monster. The seller said he was the second owner, and the hole had been enlarged due to a crack. I had to put together a system with a steel sleeve and rubber grommet to mount it in a standard cymbal stand. I also mount it bell up because I don't want to risk cracking the hole again. Aside from that it was in good condition. The sound strangely lacks shimmer, has a gongy bottom, and has clangy ping. But the mid-frequencies roar like the wind of a category 5 typhoon, and crash-riding it too long will make you deaf. I got it anyway because I have a penchant for unusual sounds. It sits next to my 70s A Zildjian medium ride 22 as an alternate ride. I think of it as the scariest cymbal I own.

21st CENTURY AVEDIS ZILDJIANS

At the end of assembling my China collection, and over thirty years after my last A Zildjian acquisition,  I began adding to my Turkish cymbals again. 

A. Zildjian A Custom Projection Crash 18" (pre-owned, made 2009, acquired 10 July 2013 for PhP6,500.00) 1520 gms. SN:  ji 37042 073 - I’d always been intrigued by the legendary 18" medium-thin A Zildjians because I was looking from more power than my 16” thin. But I never got down to getting one for reasons that escaped me. I had also been quite impressed with the A Custom Projection series, having recorded them before. So when I saw this used one on sulit.com, I asked both Raimund Marasigan and Mike Dizon if this was worth it. They both advised me to jump on it, saying the price was nice. Raimund in particular gushed about it, reminding me that he had used one in the later Eraserheads albums, and still had it in his regular setup. I also then remembered that Kaka Quisumbing had a 16” Projection that sounded great on “Talaarawan.” So I negotiated the narrow backstreets of Vasra QC to a run down house, with a legion of small children watching my every move. It was my first non-A series Zildjian and at first I was afraid it was fake. But I knew it was the real deal when I played it at home the first time. It was an early birthday present to myself. 

A. Zildjian Thin Crash 18” (made 2013, acquired new 26 December 2013 for PhP7,800.00) 1330 gms. SN: ac 57441 023 - The buzz over the 2013 revamped A Zildjian line was in full swing at drummerworld and cymbalholics forums since early that year. The word was that Zildjian R&D director Paul Francis finally heeded purists demands and decided to drop the weights of A’s to 1970s levels. That Christmas, I wasn’t really looking for a new cymbal though since I had just gotten my Projection crash a few months back. But my suki in JB Trinoma took me aside and showed a newly arrived A thin crash 18”, saying an accounting error had it at 50% off. It was love at first hit. It reminded me of my 16” thin before it got hurt. I came back the next day and chose what I suspect is the lighter (again) of two in stock. It has a lower pitch and a wider timbral range than my 18” Projection, so they are different enough to set up simultaneously. 

A. Zildjian Armand Splash 10” (pre-owned, made 2007, acquired 3 March 2015 for PhP2700.00) 280 gms. SN: jg 01671 139 - I couple of months before my regular Science, Technology and Society lecture on cymbals, I chose a piece to play in which the original drummer used some nice glassy sounding splashes. So I went looking for a nice cheap one on the internet. This one popped up in philmusic.com a week before the lecture.  The owner was a hobbyist whose medical career  had overtaken his drumming.The price was a third less than the going rate (which I think is too high) so I snapped it up immediately. It sounds kind of stiff in the driver’s seat, but it gets glassy at a distance. It goes great with my 8” Stagg. Suffice to say, it was a hit at my lecture.

THE WHOLE FAMILY

THERE'S A LION IN THE HOUSE!

Like many musicians, I suffer from "GAS" or "Gear Acquisition Syndrome". This is just another example of consumerist masochism, or discontentment with what one has, specially when "new" products are brought to the market. So I've been thinking about my drum set recently, and what parts I had/have wanted to either replace, upgrade, or augment. My GAS is relatively mild. I've grown to love my set, and have no plans of selling any of the parts in favor of something new. I've got this old skool mentality that every musical instrument is sacred, and has some kind of soul. So I treat them all with dignity.

I hadn't bought a cymbal since 1978. But in 2009 I was unexpectedly seduced by the sound of a tiny, unassuming 8" Mini-China from an unheralded company, Stagg. Not only was it the cutest thing I had heard, but it was also so ridiculously cheap. I had only known Stagg as a European company that rebadged and sold cheap (as in low-quality) musical instruments made in China. But this didn't enter my mind because its the sound that mattered, not the pedigree. Suffice to say, I succumbed to its charms. Buying it led to getting a second China, a second-hand Stagg 16" SH China from a student needing the money for school. It was the only cymbal I acquired without playtesting. I'm just lucky that the sound appealed to me, and was unique compared to other Chinas I'd heard.

A year later it dawned on me, what if I put together an all-China setup? I told Abe Billano about it, and he jokingly said "maraming magagalit sa iyo", owing to the fact that the trashy, punctuated sound of China-type cymbals are an irritating antithesis of the shimmering, sustainy sounds of Turkish-style cymbals that most popular musicians are used to. It remains an insane albeit intriguing idea though, one which I hope to achieve one day.

Last week, I read a post on the local musicians board about a guy who bought an 18" Stagg Lion China for an outrageously low price. I've always been intrigued by Chinese-made China-type cymbals. I felt that if you want a REAL China, get one actually MADE in China, which exactly what Lion Chinas are. So I went down to the store, and asked to play-test it. They brought out an 18" and a 16". The 16" was gorgeous, the 18" slightly less so. Unfortunately, they had only one 18" in the store. So I called them back later, asking to inform me when they had more stocks of the 18" so I could choose one I liked. By chance, I passed by another branch of the store chain a couple of days later, and asked if they had the same thing. They too said they only had one left. So I checked it out in context, together with a 16" Lion, and a 16" SH like mine. Their 16" was just OK, the SH was crap, but the 18" was roaringly glorious. I even had the sales person turn up their sound system so I could hear it together with some music. It sounded even better. My wife told me she would get it as an advance birthday present. So we made a quick dash for an ATM, and I snapped it up. I put it up immediately upon getting home, and it sounded just as glorious as in the store.

There is one more cymbal I want to round out my China collection. This time it would be something that would function as a "ride". One candidate would be another Stagg or a Wuhan, preferrably a 22". But this is hard to find locally because the importer doesn't bring this size in. Another would be an A.Zildjian Swish Knocker. This is rather expensive when brand new, but I've seen some second-hand ones on philmusic.com for half the price. I hope that if one goes on sale again, I have enough money to get it. The last option is a long shot. Back in the 70's, I played a 20" Paiste 2002 China that blew me away. I've always wanted one, but they are even more expensive and rare than the Swish Knocker locally.

So there is a new "Lion" in the house. Hearing it roar is sweet.

NEW ARRIVALS

Say hello the the new arrivals.

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

So ....... this is what it comes down to. Cleaned metal and wood, new heads, some new lugs, new ride and hihat stands, and new cymbal felts.

Yes, we are having fun now.