Hey guys, it's a pleasure to write this blog for all of you. Hopefully, you'll find it somewhat entertaining, or at least interesting.
I'm asked often about why I play such small drums. My current set up has a 20" kick, and 10", 13" and 15" toms. I started favoring the smaller sized drums years and years ago, when I would play nothing but basements and rented out VFW halls, rooms that never had a band PA. When I watched the other bands, I never heard the drums cut through the guitars. I figured the larger drums were getting lost in all the thickness of distorted guitars, so maybe smaller drums would play in a different range and have a chance to cut through. For a while, I even used an 8" tom.
As time went on, I got comfortable with my kit set up that way, and saw no reason to change things when mics started showing up on my drums.And as for the kick, a 20" kick just sounds tight.I thought it would give the faster, more intricate stuff a better chance of being more well defined.
In the end, though, it all comes down to taste. I really like the way those sizes sound.But I admit, it didn't hurt when I could fit all that stuff quite easily into my VW Golf ! Maybe that is the real reason and I'm just trying to sound smart now.
• Justin Foley
