Drums:
Eames birch drum shells, handcrafted by Joe MacSweeney in Saugus, Massachusetts. One of the many nice things about a custom set of drums is the ability to dictate the sizes, as the drums are built to order. My main Boston-area workhorse kit consists of:
This Eames finish is called Cherry Wine. Joe is a true ARTISAN in every sense of the word. From hand-selecting the birch, to the last coat of satin urethane, Joe's hands are the only hands involved in the process. I've often told Joe "I hope to be able to play these drums almost as well as you've built them." The shells on this workhorse kit are all 9-ply birch - Eames 'Naturaltone' series. I had them outfitted with Ludwig long lugs; Yamaha tom arm & brackets, with the 12" tom utilizing the Yamaha Y.E.S.S. system; Pearl LB-40 floor tom leg brackets & legs; Dunnett 'Gull Wing' spurs, and a Tama Starclassic MTB30 bracket used for fixing the ride cymbal arm to the bass drum. My 20" bass drum is outfitted with solid heads & felt strips, with a Shure 'Beta 52' microphone installed inside on a Randall May arm.
Snare drums change depending on a variety of factors... musical situation, room, venue, etc. The snare drum in this photo is an Eames Master Model 'Monster' - - 7"x14" 24-ply birch in Black Lava satin, with 8 tube lugs, 2.3mm triple-flange hoops, a modified Ludwig p86 strainer, & Puresound 16-strand classic snare wires. This is the finest snare drum I've ever played, and the drum that can cover nearly any gig.
Some other beloved snares include:
All are outfitted with either Puresound 16-strand or Pearl 20-strand snare wires. Snare chord is the orange Ludwig type, which I buy in bulk from Jack Lawton - www.lawtondrum.com.
Cymbals:
Zildjian. Cymbals also change depending on the gig, but often I'm using the following or some combination thereof, which I've found can cover many different types of gigs: [L to R, drummer's perspective]
Hardware:
Yamaha single-braced snare & hi-hat stands. Ludwig 1400 (old school) flat-base cymbal stands, except for the main ride cymbal, which as noted above is mounted on the bass drum using the Tama Starclassic MTB30 bracket and a custom-made stainless steel L-arm with either a Ludwig or Danmar top. My throne is actually an entry level Tama HT25, which is light & easy to pack into the trapcase, yet sturdy enough. However, I did have it modified with some extra nuts & bolts (literally) which locks the height permanently for me and also prevents any internal wobble. I also had the seat reupholstered by my friend Angelo who'd recently done the same for the seats of his vintage Porsche. Angelo had some leftover Porsche leather, so now my buns feel... Schön! Why not just by a better throne, you ask? I did, and I keep it at home on my practice kit. It's too heavy to lug around! I find that much of today's popular hardware is excessively heavy. Unless you are playing on a very bouncy stage, and/or you have a lead singer who relies on gymnastics, you really don't need that double-braced 1500 lb. boom stand!
Pedal:
DW 5000 NX (nylon strap-drive) with either a Danmar square felt beater (Zoro model) or a Yamaha rubber beater. The NX is the reissue of the original DW, which was essentially a copy of the old (and excellent) Gretsch 'Floating Action' pedal. I used to believe that the original really couldn't be improved, but today I stand corrected. Drum Workshop's NX version is very much improved. Stronger, sturdier, yet still a fold-up pedal that packs easily into the trapcase. It's the Bionic Man of strap-drive pedals. {"Isn't it pretty to think so?" - - E.H.}
Sticks:
Silverfox 5A or JX models.
Heads:
Almost always medium-weight coated single-ply, for both batter and resonant. There are several good brands out there...you know who the popular contenders are.
