New Sleishman Bubinga Acoustic Kit
Well after a twelve year exploration into the digital world of electronic drums and percussion largely fuelled by necessity of available resources, I am heading back into the universe of acoustic drums. Don't get me wrong I am not abandoning electronic drums, in fact I recently purchased another SDX for my Superior Drummer 3 library. However, the resources are now available to me such that I can add this acoustic instrument as another voice in my studio.
It is true that for a few years now I have yearned to play an acoustic instrument again, and my overall circumstance is such now that I am able to do so. This will be a huge boon to my current in the box studio, powered by my Vdrums in terms of recording my drumming performances. I now have a dedicated room in my house where I will be able to play and record my acoustic kit using a Behringer Wing Digital mixer connected to an S32 Behringer stage box with 32 ins and 16 outs via a AES50 ethernet cable. This will afford me to close mic all the drums, have a pair of overheads as well as using a variety of room mics, front back and stereo sides.
I will have both palettes available to me now as a drummer, acoustic and electronic, and no doubt will choose which instrument to use depending on the musical context of the project I am working on.
So with so much gratitude to Don Sleishman whose pedals and drums have been pivotal in guiding and informing my musical drumming journey for the past four decades, and whose son David Sleishman having stepped into his father's shoes having taken over the company is building and luthering some of the most amazing, integral and innovative drumsets on the planet today, I am now once again playing Sleishman drums predominantly Bosphorus and Meinl cymbals. This Bubinga kit is I would say is in the super pro range category, and I am profoundly happy and grateful to have an instrument of this unequalled quality available to further my musical journey and exploration. These drums are without doubt the most tonally, integral, responsive and inspirational drums I have ever played and owned.
These Sleishman drums in my estimation represent what I consider to be the Stradivarius of the drum manufacturing world, because of their completely innovative free floating system which allows the shell to respond and resonate completely free of any impediments which tend to qualify all other drum manufacturers to date. My kit is made from African Bubinga wood which is a hard wood that comes from the rosewood family. The toms are made from seven plies of Bubinga, eight for the floor toms and bass drum and ten for the snare drums. The toms , floor toms and bass drum feature a maple reinforcing hoop top and bottom inside the shell which enable a unique bearing edge to be cut which along with the unique free floating system also contribute to the rich and powerful tonality and sound of these drums.
The size are as follows:
8x8, 10x8, 12x8, 13x8 toms, 13x12, 14x12, 16x14 and 18x16 floor toms, 20x18 bass drum and 12x7, 13x7 and 14x6.5 snare drums.
You can check out Sleishman drums via the link below.
https://www.sleishman.com/sleishman-drum-company/custom-build/
Sleishman Bubinga Kit Playing Demo from The Quorn's Sleishman Drums Unpacking Video
This is an audio highligth reel from my unpacking video of my new Sleishman 12 Piece Bubinga Natural gloss finish drum set I received a few days back.
The original unpacking video is an hour long and aimed at drum set and especially Sleishman drums enthusiast, as I tell many stories about my relationship to Don Sleishman over the last four decades, his influence on my drumming journey through his twin pedals and unique free floating innovative drum design, and the particular drum set I ordered, all the while doing the actual unpacking of the drums.
I also play the drums as a reveal at the end and share my gratitude to two gentleman who passionate generosity of heart and spirit has gifted drummers like me beyond measure over the course of many decades. Thank you Don for your passionate genuis benefitting the lives of thousands of musicians, and to his son Dave for taking up that legacy and continuing it with such passion and integrity.
Introduction Video to my Sleishman Bubinga Studio Kit
This video covers the complete background and set up details of the actual kit, first elaborating on the drum set, then the cymbal setup. It is an explanation and elaboration of the logic behind the set up and how it has informed my technique , musicality and vocabulary, all based on begining to play the Sleishman twin pedals many decades ago.
Don Sleishman is the original inventor of double pedals which he did in the late sixties. He patented his design which followed the idea and symitry created when playing two bass drums, which puts the snare drum in the middle of both bass drums. Don acheived this with a single bass drum, therefore because of his pattens, most companies designs that came after him tended towards an offset pedal which used a universal joint to put an extra pedal inside the hi-hat stand, and therefore did not acheive the symmetry that Don had created.
That symmetry informed my entire approach to playing the drums. It led me to use a cable hi-hat on the right hand side to play open handed and subsequently moved me to develop the idea of circular motion drummingclockwise and counter clock wise, on both the rigth and left hand sides.
The symmetry I have created in my setup is to facilitate the circular motion playing style and it has its roots all those years ago with Don Sleiman Twin pedals which create unparralled symmetry.