My father relented but insisted on my taking lessons from a drum Tutor, Gordon Dougie. I was in despair being forced to learn snare drum rudiments, mama-dadda's and parradiddles, trad jazz was not where I saw myself heading. Funny how life goes I love that style now! I remember throwing several tantrums when I could not grasp what Gordon wanted me to learn.
Back in 1972 I bought my first kit, a red Trixon. It cost me the princely sum of $50.00 NZ, a real bargain!
It had a Ludwig speed king kick pedal and a pair of Premier copper timbales and Premier stands. Cymbals were Zynn 14" hi hats (which turned inside out), a Krut 16" crash and a zyldjian 20 inch ride (with a crack which had been repaired with a hole drilled to stop the tear).
This kit (pre international) featured calf skin heads which by then were becoming difficult to find.
I learned a great deal about tuning!
I found this photo on the net as I have no surviving images of my particular kit.
This kit is very much the same as mine with identical wrap.
From the Trixon catalog late 1960's
I wanted real volume so my next kit was a Hayman like this one. I bought this from someone going overseas in 1976. Again no surviving images though the kit was exactly like this one though a little beaten up.
Seeking yet more volume, in 1978 I bought a Stainless steel on fiberglass Fibes kit from Frank Gibson Snr at Drum city Balmoral. It had previously belonged to Brent Eccles of the "Angels".
From the 1972 catalog
Then in 1989 when living in Helensville I bought a Slingerland kit like this
off Gabriel (our postman).
Slingerland produced a choice of vinyl wraps in 1976. My kit's finish was raised embossed vinyl, patterned in golds the same subdued green tones as in the image below called "Green Aztec."
On reflection this kit remains my firm favourite for tonality. I wish that I still owned it. I improved it with the best cymbals I was ever to own and eventually sold it back to Gabriel to pay an overdue tax bill. I wonder where it is now?
1/2 size red Aria kit 1991 was purchased to get me back into playing at next to no cost. A child's sized kit it was no match for my hard hitting style so it had to go.
Tama Swingstar I bought from my sign writing colleague Mark in 1992.
One other of my colleagues decorated it for me in his traditional Samoan tapa design in cnc cut vinyl over the gloss black wrap. It looked sensational and very Polynesian. Again no surviving pictures. It was a very versatile kit which I learned to play sweetly as well as my harder style.
My last real kit 1998 was a Drum Workshop, champaign sparkle, 4 piece (with Sabian cymbals) just like this one. This kit was purchased from Frank Gibson Senior of Drum City just before he passed away. It cost me close to $5.5K, the most I have ever spent on an instrument.
I didn't get to play it much as in 2001 I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis which badly affected my wrists. It was sold when we moved to our Northland home in 2005. Drums faded into the past for me while I learned a new instrument, the acoustic bass guitar.
