A FEW MORE FINAL PERC ADDS

Right-hand Rampart

Like a cowboy or a housewife, my work is never done.

It doesn't matter how obscenely massive my drum setup gets, I always manage to find more toys to add to it.  Then I spend hours and hours and days and days figuring out the best possible way to mount and position the new item so that it is easily accessible, visually pleasing and fits within my 5' x 7' parameter.  This is no easy task, as I am quickly running out of space and my arms will only reach so far.

So obviously the "Mini-Fortress" has now officially become "The Fortress (II)."  It's sort of like when Coca-Cola brought back the original formula and the new Coke became "Coke II," except in this case the new version doesn't suck and there is no reason to bring back the original Fortress.  This new setup is far superior, so there is no need to even mention the old Fortress except for comparative analysis or historical purposes.  All of the components of that previous setup have been sold off, given away or lost (except for the single crotale, with which I will never part so don't even ask).

My "Right-hand Rampart" is a good example.  In the old days I used a modified and customized cymbal stand comprised of three different makes and models to fashion a ride cymbal stand that would stack a crash cymbal above it (a method I copied, of course, from N.P.).  This eclectic assembly has now been replaced with a newer, sturdier stand capable of holding up much more than just a single crash.  This updated configuration involves additional clamps and arms that support the ride, a crash, two chinas and two sets of chimes.  A second equally-as-complex structure positions another crash, a china-type and an ice bell.  So in the picture above, the six cymbals and percussion items you see are all held up by two tripods that touch the floor.  This formation was not achieved effortlessly; many hours were spent experimenting with all kinds of stands, brackets, mounts and boom arms, arranging and rearranging over and over again until I was satisfied with the positioning and the overall appearance.

Left Side Percussion Tower

Many more hours and innumerable re-workings were required to build what I call the "Left Flank Percussion Tower."  All of the secondary percussion instruments pictured here are held up by a single tripod.  That's a lot of "junk in my trunk," my good man, or perhaps "spank on my flank."  I am not completely familiar with the percussionary patois of the vernal variation.

I must have rearranged this confounded configuration a thousand times before I came up with what you see here...and it is very likely that soon after I post this entry I will change it around again. It seems my mind never stops pondering possible permutations for perfect and precise percussion positioning.  It's probably a personal problem produced by the postnatal pleximetry practices of my previous pediatrician but please, I prefer not to posit such presumptive postulations.

Since nothing has changed in the drums or cymbals departments, I will only list here the various ancillary instruments I have scattered about my layout.  These are the fun little "toys" I use to add strange and exciting new noises to my repertoire.

SPECIAL OPS WEAPONRY:
aa.) Crotale
bb.) Tambourine
cc.) Cowbells
dd.) Bar chimes
ee.) Bar chimes
ff.) Ice bell
gg.) Bar chimes
hh.) Triangles
jj.) Satellite
kk.) Tambourim
mm.) Jam blocks
nn.) Timbale
oo.) Pandeiro
pp.) Cowbell
qq.) Bell tree
rr.) Jam bells
ss.) Wind chimes
tt.) Finger cymbal

There may be a few items here of which the average person has no knowledge, so some more detailed descriptions are required.  However, I am tired of this post so I will write about them later.  You may list any items in particular you would like to know about in the comments section.