Here are some of the instruments that I really love to play with.
My pride and joy. I designed the snare from the bottom up and Brian Bernard of Cyclone Drums built it. Made from African Mahogany with a Red Gum veneer. 24ct gold plated hoops, throw off, and butt plate. R1 quick release lugs with a copper plating. 12X7 sizing . Rounded bearing edge on the bottom to enhance resonance and 45 degree bearing edge on the top for nice attack. Magnetic throw off with a three-position butt plate. I designed this snare to be highly versatile and it doesnt disappoint! In one day I was able to do a rock recording session and an R&B gig with the same snare. Of course, I adjusted the tuning accordingly.
This is a Bosphorus 22" Traditional Series ride picked from the vault in Atlanta. It weighs about 2500g. It has great consistency and articulation. It's a little on the light side so its very crashable and can easily get out of hand. I love hearing the semi-dark tones from this ride. In my opinion this ride is very versatile so I do use it in most performances.
This is an unknown cymbal to me. Clearly very old and made in Turkey from the engraving. This cymbal is extremely heavy and extremely loud. If you happen to know more about the engraving or the cymbal please contact me.
Another Cyclone Drums creation. This is a 14x5 Maple snare with a natural finish. A 14x5 Maple snare is the kind of snare every drummer needs in the arsenal. When I first got this snare it had brass hoops. In my opinion the snare was bright and the brass hoops made the brightness a little over the top. I changed from brass to die cast hoops to tame it a little and have loved the sound ever since. I use this snare for music that demands a little more crack. I like my Puresound 16 strand a little loose on this one.
This is a cymbal that is close to my heart. I eyed, dreamed, and lusted over this cymbal for about 6 months before I aquired it. This is an Istanbul 22" Agop Signature ride. This ride is very light weighing just over 1900g. It has very complex tones and a variety of characteristics such as, a very defined wash, very good stick articulation, and dryness. The Agop has a very deep tone from being so light and slightly trashy from being semi-lathed. I like the ride's responsiveness and love the fast decay from crashing.