Get a shitbox kit and then spend the bulk on your ride and crash.

My dream kit would be:

Zildjian K custom dark hats (have these)
Zildjian K fast crash (probably 16”)
Zildjian K custom dark ride
Kick+toms: Ludwig maple shells w/double coated emperor heads (one rack, one floor tom)
Snare: either a Ludwig black beauty or a Tama SLP

Yeah that’s another idea. Also there are always electric kits but I can’t reconcile myself to that.

A month or so ago I bought the Fender Mustang LT25. It’s a great little modeling amp. I recommend to beginners who want to mess around with different sounds without having to deal with buying pedals.

Do not go electric. They make great silent heads and cymbals now.

I’d go for a used kit, put new heads on it it, tune it really well (pay to get it tuned if need be) and spend more on cymbals. Used hi-hats can be okay, they can take a pounding and last years. Get silent heads and cymbals you can use if worried about sound volume.

And if you want to sound big without pissing off your neighbors, put drum triggers on the silent heads

Talk to me about the strings you use. Brand and gauge.

I'm a D’Addario guy and, until recently, always went with 10s for Gibson and 9s for Fender. Still 9s for Fender, but I just put 9s on the standard and 8s on the special. Gotta tell ya, I like it. It takes a little of the boom out of the low end strings and makes it more focused; tight.

GHS boomer 10’s on all electric.

9’’s feel to flimsy for me these days but I probably utilized them for a majority of my teens and early 20’s.

Actually been contemplating stepping up to 11 or maybe even doing a mix and match

Also GHS boomer 10s. Pretty sure I learned in like 1996 that’s what PJ was using, so I never looked back.

I guess brand doesn't matter as much as gauge. Lighter gauges do feel flimsy until you get used to them. But the tighter bottom end makes it worth it, for me. Lighter strings were the way to go, until SRV came along. A little while with the 9s and bends are easier to keep in key.

Ernie Ball Super Slinky 9s

When I was playing Jaguars/Bigsby'd Telecasters, I used to religiously use Thomastik-Infeld flatwound "Jazz Swing" 11s.

Since reverting back to using a more trad Telecaster, I've gravitated to Pyramid roundwound "Nickel Classic" roundwound 10s.

I really miss the wound G from my old flat sets though, so I have a set of D'Addario EXL110w ready to go when I get around to it.

Ernie Ball all the way for me.

I tune quite low on most of my guitars (drop B is my main tuning) so those usually get Beefy Slinky (11-54). Guitars tuned a little more normally get Power Slinky (11-48). I've got a baritone that i tune to drop A or drop G and that gets Not Even Slinky (12-56).

Drop B? Jesus. Just get a 7-string guitar.

hell naw. my neanderthal brain barely understands 6 stings, throwing a 7th in there just wrecks me. I've owned a 7 string before.

Seriously though if you set up and intonate for it correctly it's not a big deal. C-standard/drop B is pretty common in doom/stoner/sludge circles.

Are those the circles in which you travel?

They are. This is the band I play in if you're curious



I mean i do have a couple of guitars I keep in E or Eb standard for when i want to play different stuff. It's not all heavily down tuned but that's where the bulk of my day to day playing lies.

That was pretty cool. Usually, I’m not turned on by that style, but I kinda dig that tune.

Heh, thanks. We get that a lot actually.

Thinking about getting this:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... attenuator

Gets fantastic reviews and sounds like it will do exactly what i need.

I absolutely love my Marshall SVC 20 but at 5 watts its still so fucking loud. I dont really ever get the chance to turn it up and enjoy those sweet spots.