Equipment
Hello there... it's Larry
here. When it comes to talking equipment, I'll be updating this
page personally, cuz I loooooooove to talk gear!!
I am VERY particular when it comes to gear selection, and really do
believe that it's important for any artist to feel completely
comfortable and secure on the instrument they are playing. With
such a large selection of professional gear available these days, I
feel we, as musicians, owe it to the music to select the proper
instruments to help us create. Any of the drummers who I look up
to, do the same.
That's why I play Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Drumsticks
& Mallets, Remo
Drumheads, Puresound
Percussion
Snare Wires, and Latin
Percussion instruments exclusively. I feel
confident that I can find the exact sound and instrument that I'm
looking for with the products made by these companies.
I also use Future Sonics In-ear monitors for live performances and most
studio work. Check out their latest Atrio series... killer
sound
at a killer price. And I'm also a fan of Roc N Soc
drumthrones. Great for us cats who like lots of cushion!
I'm currently refining the setup and waiting for pics to be taken of my
current Broadway show setup, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, but until then, here are the setup
specs for my last Broadway show: PAL JOEY. Also, feel
free to check
out my profile on the www.sabian.com website, as
there is fun interactive diagram there on the setup builder.
Feel free to email me about gear related issues; I'm always
happy to share my insight and experiences.
"PAL JOEY"
PIT SETUP
Here is a photo of the kit I used in the Broadway pit of "PAL JOEY"
Drums: ALL YAMAHA
14 x 5.5 Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute Snare drum
10 x 7.5 Yamaha Beech Custom Tom
14 x 12 Yamaha Beech Custom Tom
22 x 16 Yamaha
Beech Custom Bass drum
Cymbals: ALL SABIAN (from left to right
on the kit)
---
Sabian Light & Heavy Finger Cymbals
---
Sabian 6" Cymbal Disc
---
Sabian 4" HH triangle
14"
Sabian AA Light HiHats or Artisan HiHats
10"
Sabian HH Duo Splash
15"
Sabian AA Sound Control Crash
12"
Sabian HH Splash
20" Sabian Artisan Medium Ride
15" Sabian HH Sound Control Crash
16" Sabian HHX Chinese
Latin Percussion: LP Bell Tree, LP Guiro (mounted on a Claw), LP
Ice Bell, LP Blue Jam Block, LP Rock Cowbell, LP Hi & Low
Blast Blocks,
LP 24 double row bar chimes (mark tree), LP Giovanni Compact Bongos, LP
small triangle.
Heads: All Remo Coated Ambassadors on
top of snare and 10" tom. Coated Emperor on 14" tom. Clear
Ambassadors on
resonant side of all toms. Powerstroke 4 on kick drum.
Smooth white Ambassador (Yamaha Logo) on resonant side of kick drum.
Sticks: Vic
Firth AS5A
wood tip, SD6 Swizzle
malletsticks, HB Heritage wire brushes, M25 Gary Burton Mallets. Vic Firth SBAG2 Stick bag.
Other: Roc N Soc Drum Throne
(round nitro model with back rest),
Puresound Custom 20 snare wires. All
hardware by
Yamaha including the chain drive Flying Dragon Foot Pedal
FP-9310. Vic Firth PAD12
12" practice pad for warming up. ACME police whistles and siren.
This is the basic kit. I will sometimes make slight adjustments
based on a variety of issues. For instance, when it's really
humid in the theatre and the sound isn't moving through the air very
well, I will sometimes use a Yamaha Aluminum or Steel snare for a bit
of extra projection. Also, at times
when I know that I will be in playing the show a lot, I will use Remo
Suede Ambassadors on the tom batters, simply because I love the mellow
tone that they produce. They are very reminiscent of skin heads
of the era, yet with modern day projection, durability and
consistency. But, when I'll be out of the
show a lot, I put the coated Ambassadors back on, simply because they
are
more durable, and are easier for all of my different drum subs to come
in and get a consistent tone, which is important for the sound
department.
Take note of the
creative use of multi-clamps throughout the setup. LP Mount All
Brackets are INDISPENSABLE in the pit! They allow me to get many
different types of percussion mounted all around my kit, in the
smallest and most convenient places.
There is a specific
reason for EVERYTHING that I have chosen to play in
the pit. I often get asked questions such as, "Why do you use
such small crash cymbals?" Simple... both for sonic reasons and for
SPACE reasons. Often times, Pal Joey included, the orchestra pit
is SMALL
and I have limited amount of space available. Therefore I choose
smaller crash cymbals not only because they take up less space, but
they also aren't as loud... and volume can be a major concern in tight
quarters where other musician's ears are within INCHES of my crash
cymbals! The more I can do
to compact my drum setup, and control the volume, the better, for
everyone involved. (also note how the cymbals
are so close together and layered ontop of each other... another space
consideration.) Most other choices are based on musical reasons,
tho; for instance the use of a 16" HHX Chinese cymbal in this
show. It was absolutely PERFECT to recreate those old vintage
Chinese cymbals from the 1940's. Many people asked why I was
using such a small Chinese cymbal, and even tho it did help with space
concerns, once they heard it, the compliments never stopped.
Lastly, because of space issues in this pit, I was forced to play
timpani and glock parts on an electronic sampling pad. The
programmer for the show chose a model that I was not a fan of, but when
I'm in this situation I prefer to play any triggered parts on Yamaha
electric drum pads. They are consistent, reliable and provide a
good rebound/response.
The now discontinued
Yamaha Beech Custom drums have become
the choice in the pit for me, for several of
the past Broadway shows I've played. They have just enough
resonance to be warm and full sounding, yet stay out of the way...
Which is VERY
important for close-miked pit situations. Sound designers go
crazy with drums that ring for days, and I personally hate to muffle
the drums at all. So, I tend to steer towards beech. It's too bad that the Beech series
never
really caught on, and Yamaha was forced to discontinue them, because
they are a perfect balance between the worlds of Birch and Maple.
Now that Beech drums are
harder to find, I steer aspiring players and peers towards the Birch
Custom Absolutes for pit work. The new Absolutes are great with
the Aluminum die cast hoops... and the tone is really pure and
focused. My friend has a set of them in the pit at West Side
Story and they sound amazing.
For a detailed spec list and photo of the setup that I used for the 12
time Tony Award winning show "THE PRODUCERS", click here.
At ASSASSINS (the
last Stephen Sondheim/ John Weidman show I did) I
went with the good old Recording Customs. Sondheim wanted a
controlled tone coming from the drums (since I was up in the air, built
right into the roller coaster that was the set!) and a more
"traditional" look, (piano black with the long lugs) and they were the
perfect choice. See the photo of this crazy setup
in my photo
gallery.
A NOTE ON SNARES; I have been using Puresound Snare Wires for
the
last six years, and can't say enough good stuff about them.
Simply...they will improve the sound of ANY snare drum. Do
yourself a favor and go get a set of them, and throw them on one of
your snares. You will be AMAZED at the difference. They are
so consistent and allow you much better control over your snare sound,
articulation and dynamics of the drum. Give 'em a shot. And
when I'm playing rock gigs... I will usually use the new BLASTERS
model. They are LOUD yet still remain musical and
sensitive. I just love 'em!
Ok, enough rambling... Here
is a breakdown and detail of a few other setups
that I have been using:
TOURING KIT SETUP
I usually tour with a 4 or 5 piece kit. Depending on the artist,
I will use a Maple Custom Absolute or Birch Custom Nouveau. When I play rock & roll or pop
stuff with artists, (or my old band HOLDING BACK ENTIRELY) that's when
I typically
pull out the Maple Custom Absolutes. They sound massive,
loud and warm, and give me maximum sustain. I ALWAYS get
compliments on my drum sound with the
maples. They are just killer. My sizes will stay
pretty similar tho, as they just fit my body well, and I like the sound
and control I can get from these sizes.
12 x 8 rack tom
15 x 14 floor tom
22 x 16 kick drum
14" snare drum will be very gig specific, but I'll usually start with a
5.5" deep Maple Custom Absolute Nouveau, or Manu Katche
Brass. With HBE, I've used one of the new LOUD series snare drums
by
Yamaha, which features an Oak shell. I like to use the Vintage
wood hoops on this drum for a meatier, warmer sound.
If I add drums it would likely be a 14 or 16 floor tom, or a 10 x 7.5
rack tom (as in the photo below). When space is not
an issue and I want to use two rack toms, I will always mount them in
this position so it leaves space for me to mount either a ride cymbal
or a remote hi hat in the space just over the kick drum. It's
just where my arm likes to fall naturally, so I'd rather put a cymbal
there instead of a tom tom; a bit unorthodox compared to how most
people set up 5 piece kits.
I've also been known to put the second floor tom on the
left side of my hihat, or add a second snare drum there. I find
it really fun to play more
open-handed fills that way. It creates almost a "triangle" of
toms. Extra snares that I'd use could be anything from a 10 x 5
Musashi snare, to a 14 x 6 Vintage Series Maple Snare. (brand new from
Yamaha in 2008... features a 4 ply maple shell and reinforcement hoops
for a really thin-shell, warm, vintage vibe.)
3 or 4 TOM TOURING KIT SETUP
Cymbals will be mostly 17" & 18" crashes: Vault Crashes,
AAXplosion Crashes, HHX Studio Crashes or the new Legacy
Crashes are
really nice as well on more acoustic gigs.
FYI, my second favorite hats are the HHX Groove Hats. I use them
for most loud, amplified music and definitely anything with a rock
edge. They are dark, yet cutting and funky. I just love
them. I have a pair of 14"s for regular rock gigging &
recording
and also my latest hearthrob... a monster pair of 15"s that I used with
Holding Back Entirely. Extremely warm yet cutting and HUGE
sounding.
It helps me get in touch with my "inner Bonham"...
But I digress... (Can
you tell I LOVE my Sabians?)
My other current cymbal choices when I'm playing with HBE are:
(from left to right) 19" AA Sound Control Crash Ride,
22" AA Crash Ride, and an 18" AAXplosion Crash.
In general for my pop/rock gigs, rides tend toward a 21"
HH Vintage Ride or the newest gem by Sabian: a 21" HH Vault Crossover
Ride.
(What a truly gorgeous cymbal this is... warm and dark, crashable yet
with a cutting ride sound. An amazingly versatile ride.) When I
want a second ride sound, I'll add a 20" HH Jazz Ride or the new
20" HHX Legacy Ozone Ride or 20" Vault Artisan Medium Ride or an often
overlooked beauty... a 20" AA Sound Control Ride. (I have 4 of
these, and simply love them! Another Sabian innovation and
genius... the sound control flanged edge!)
Quick note on ride cymbals: any of you jazz or acoustic players out
there OWE
IT TO YOURSELF to go and check out the Vault Artisan Rides from
Sabian. If there is such a thing as a modern-day, perfect cymbal,
this is
it. They are limited production and very labor-intensive, so it
can be hard to find a store with more than a couple in stock... but
they are worth the search AND worth every penny! Buy one, and
take care of it, and it will last you for your entire drumming lifetime.
Heads: I'm pretty
much a Coated Ambassador guy, unless I'm REALLY hitting
hard, then I'll switch to Emperors on the tom heads, but will ALWAYS
have a coated Ambassador on the snare. I just love the clarity
and the natural feel of them. I would always rather play for tone
than volume, so I like the Coated Ambassadors for that reason.
They just give me the most tone out of each drum. I like to hear
the drums sing and play them wide open. That said, I'm a big fan
of the coated Powerstroke 3 and 4 heads on the kick drum batter.
Really round and BOOM-y! Great low end with those heads.
Lastly, for smaller gigs around town and rehearsals, I'll use my Yamaha
Hip Gig
drumset.
This kit is ideal for NYC; it fits easily in the trunk of a taxi, and I
can carry it into the venue in one trip and they sound great!
They are also perfect for rehearsal room situations (as seen above) as
it's easy to keep the volume low with them, AND they take up a very
small amount of space. (Very important in the small clubs and
rehearsal rooms of NYC!) I almost always throw a small
bedsheet in the bass drum, as I can move it around for the desired
dampening to "tune it to the room" that I'm in. And when I want to rock it out... a
mic on the bass drum and one overhead is all I need. It's
amazing. Not to mention the White Marine Pearl finish, is just
gorgeous. I love this kit, and highly recommend one for any
gigging drummer. Works out great for me.
For
more info on the Hip Gig, check them out here: Yamaha Hip Gig Website
I'll also bring out an assortment of Latin Percussion
instruments. I always have their LP Claws (great for mounting
auxiliary percussion) egg shakers, Softshake, Shake-It, Cluster Chimes,
Black Beauty Cowbell, hi-hat mountable Cyclops Jingle Rings and Jam
Blocks. (note the cowbell mounted on my hihat stand on the
Hipgig!) And I sometimes bring out just a LP Djembe in lieu of
any
other drums. I can get so many different sounds out of these
beautiful instruments. As for cymbals, I'll lean towards the 13
or 14 HHX Evolution hats, or HHX Manhattan Jazz hats or HHX Legacy
hats; 20" HH Jazz Ride or Artisan Light Ride, and
an 18" Duo Ride or 17" HH Thin Crash. Again, this can vary widely
based on the gig. I might show up with a 10" china splash and a
15" HH Sound Control Crash, or an 18" HHX Ozone Crash with a 12" AAX
mini china stacked on top of it. Cymbals are like snare drums, in
my book; A person can NEVER have too many of them to choose
from! You can change the entire color of your kit, just by
changing the snare drum and a few cymbals. I also find that
different instruments will give me further inspiration when playing, so
I love to mix it up. And I'm lucky enough to play with other
musicians who LIKE the fact that I keep things spicy and
exciting! But keep in mind... I always make musically appropriate
choices... so please don't get the impression I'm telling you to bring
your 22" china cymbal to your next gig with Patty & her Polka Party
Sisters! Always play what's right for the music. Nuff said.
So I use all of that good stuff, along with a bag full of wonderful
sticks, mallets, rutes and brushes by Vic Firth Vic Firth makes
the highest quality stuff out there, and I'm honored to be a part of
their family. Even back when I was a little punk kid just
starting out, I was always so particular about the straightness AND the
pitch of each stick, not to mention the weight of both sticks needed to
be the same. I always found that Vic Firth had what I needed,
right off the rack in my local music store. And with the amazing
selection they have available today, there is a specific stick or rute
or brush or mallet to fit EVERY musical scenerio. I'm a big
advocate of NOT getting stuck with the mindset of having to play the
very same model stick on every gig. You wouldn't do that with a
snare drum or a cymbal, so why do that with a drumstick? Every
gig is different, and I love to have a huge variety of items to create
different sounds and textures at all times. You will find that
you will have a different "attitude" when you are holding a different
stick/brush/rod, and I use the amazing selection of Vic Firth products
to help me out, both sonically and mentally; Rock gigs I'll lean
torwards a thicker/heavier stick like the Extreme 5BN; Pop stuff I'll
go with the round tip and solid shaft/taper of a AS5A or AS5B; and
Jazz-type gigs I'll go with the Weckl Evolution stick or even the good
ole standby SD4 combo. And as for Rutes... I LOVE LOVE LOVE the
new Tala Wands developed with
Steve Smith. Absolute genius.
You'll never get a better touch or rebound from any other
manufacturer's rods. Please... check out these new Tala
Wands. You'll be glad you did.
Now go out there and
MAKE SOME MUSIC!! And check out the excellent websites of all the
companies that I'm so proud to be affiliated with, on my LINKS page.
