Kevin Mooney

There aren’t any general rules for cymbals as there’s so much choice.

Generally thinner cymbals decay faster, but have less cut. You can guess that the opposite is true of thicker cymbals. Also, a cymbal with more prominent hammering will be darker and will decay slightly faster than its un-hammered cousin.

Also, generally you’ll find that any…[Read more]

Chris, towels or light blankets are a simple way to protect drums inside hard cases.

I can’t comment on Gibraltar stands, but I’ve never met a double braced cymbal stand that couldn’t carry two toms up to 14″ in size.

Chris, towels or light blankets are a simple way to protect drums inside hard cases.

I can’t comment on Gibraltar stands, but I’ve never met a double braced cymbal stand that coukd carry two toms up to 14″ in size.

All the major manufacturers will let you add additional toms to their standard configurations. If you buy the extra drums after the fact it will be very pricey, but if you buy a whole new kit they generally don’t take the proverbial.

I made exactly the same decision as you. I came within a week of pulling the trigger on a custom DW, then tried…[Read more]

Great live band jaw dropping musicianship all round.

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You have nothing to worry about.

20″ BDs are lovely. There’s a touch more pop to them that can cut through nicely. They are punchy.

But there’s a reason 22″ BDs are still the standard size. They offer the most flexibility. You absolutely can get the same punch and cut from a 22 with the right head and tuning. Just like you can get a healthy…[Read more]

My only advice would be to follow and learn from those who have done it before and talk about it. Craig Blundell is a great place to start. He’s very honest and has told his entire story.

Trust your ears. If you go back and you still want it, buy it and enjoy it! A Customs are fine cymbals.

Trust your ears. If you back and you still want it, buy it and enjoy it! A Customs are fine cymbals.

You have to try before you buy with a cymbal as important as a ride, or hats.

I would strongly recommend a Sabian AA Rock Ride as a good place to start. A Paiste 2002 22″ ride is also worth a look (I’m not a Paiste guy).

I would take my Dream Bliss Gorilla Ride every time. Great bell, strong ping, with a nice hint of wash for body.

Check out…[Read more]

And I can heartily endorse Dream Contact series cymbals. They are based on 60s Zildjian cymbal profiles, but with a bit more weight to make them a bit more cutting for modern amplified gigs. I have a load of Dream cymbals including 14″ Contact hats, a lovely 17″ Contact crash, and my Dream Bliss Gorilla Ride which will go to the grave with me.

Bright and dry are not natural bedfellows. If you want a defined ping without wash or long sustain, try a heavy weight cymbal with both wide lathing and pin hammering. A Sabian Raw Bell Dry Ride is a good place to start, the AAX version in particular.

Zildjian A’s/Sabian AA’s/Paiste 2002’s are classic 80s style rock cymbals. Bright. Cutting.…[Read more]

You are very welcome indeed!

Thanks for looking for me buddy. They’re too big. I’ve ordered them from Yamaha. It’s cheaper for me to buy them from Japan and post them to NZ than it is for my mate to buy them from Japan.

Nuts.

My preference is and always has been wood snares, and my take is that maple is the most flexible of the wood choices. I love them all – maple, birch, beech, rosewood….but maple is the sweetest for me.

Having said that, if you want one snare to also many jobs, I choose brass for that. Brass has body, cut, and a great tuning range. The Ludwig…[Read more]

Sharklaar, Man In A Box is on our to do list too. Great tune.

Hector1, I’ve just spent the last few days introducing myself to Fish era Marillion. He left just as I was getting into music, so I missed them first time round. Ian’s drumming is very tasty.