Welcome to the family

I recently acquired a new addition to my family of snares. A 1966 Ludwig Pioneer snare. All original hardware and both heads are also original as well! I am its 3rd owner. This is a one-trick pony in terms of sound but that is also what makes it so unique. It is very similar to what Ringo played with the Beatles and it has that distinct old school sound. Perfect for a studio project in my near future. More pictures coming soon.

Silverfox Drumsticks Clawstix

Trying out a new pair of Clawstix from Silverfox Drumsticks tonight.

Boso Bamboo Drumsticks

Boso drumsticks are not a gimmick. Boso's innovative and environmentally friendly sticks are the real deal. I  first heard about them from a friend on Facebook and after a quick visit to the well designed Boso website, I placed my order for 2 different pairs:

Natural Bamboo (5A)
The Natural 5As are much lighter than the Strata or any other hickory brand in general. This was perfect for last night's gig where the venue was acoustically boomy and playing softly was necessary. The Naturals felt great in-hand, well balanced and with just enough toothy grain for a confident grip. Hickory sticks always seem too smooth and hard to grip lightly without fear of them sliding out of my hands completely. The bamboo fibers of the Boso sticks provide a natural grip even before the fingers have had a chance to warm up.

Strata Bamboo (5A)
Third set, time to get a little loud and funky for the dancers. The Stratas are heavier than the Naturals – similar in weight to hickory and they felt great the entire set. The extra weight provided for more volume and the toothy grain of the bamboo provided perfect feel. These are my stick of choice but a future order will include the 5B size. I normally find the typical 5B sizing to be a little too thick and heavy so I'm hoping Boso may eventually provide something in between the 5A and the 5B.

Some of these things are not like the others

Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference. Boso stamps a "B" on the butt ends of their sticks so you can easily spot them in a crowded stick bag. Brilliant.

I highly recommend perusing the Boso website to learn more about why bamboo is highly sustainable and environmentally friendly. I'm not endorsed by Boso and I purchased the sticks myself.

Boston Crusaders Fundraiser Gig

Had a great time helping raise money for the Boston Crusaders with One Moe Time. It was the first full gig playing with the strap drive converted DW 5000 pedals as well as playing with a new pair of Boso bamboo sticks. The strap drive felt so much smoother and responsive than the chain drive which means I may never go back to a chain drive again. I have documented the entire conversion and will post that when finished.
The drums I played at the gig (pictured below) are my Yamaha Maple Customs (pre-Nouveau) with vintage natural finish – 20x22, 7x10, 14x14 and my 6x14 Tama Starphonic Brass snare.