you can get felt strips from any fabrics shop! Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc!

Super Classic is 22-13-16, with the bass mounted cymbal holder. If your kit is 20-12-14, it is a Down Beat. If it is a 20-13-16....

I have it on pretty good authority that the Motown drum set had a Sunday Detroit Times newpaper stuffed into the bass drum. Have no idea what a copy of the Sunday Times would have looked like in the mid 60s, however.

I also heard that set was mismatched. Rogers, Ludwig and maybe something else, but definitely at least those two brands. The snare sounds like a Supra to me.

I have no idea what they used, but you are on the right track with the experimentation. You should try all kinds of different placemnents to see what is ideal for you. What worked for any of the Motown guys may not suit you directly (different room, mics, board etc...), and therefore be an ever elusive sound. I would just recommend using the spirit of the recordings and create your own sounds.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

My kit was advertised as a superclassic when i bought it; but it's got 13" & 16" toms with a 20" kick and mounted cym holder.... I guess that makes it the ugly sister of the two?..

I've bought a big sheet of felt and experimented a little with placement. I've achieved a nice sound with a strip on the batter side, the resonant side without felt. Not sure how it'll sound mic'ed at the studio though.... May be too ringy. A strip on both sides was definately too dead. Think I'll play around at the studio - better arrive early ay!

Not sure I wanna start filling the drum with newspapers... still, they did get a sweet sound so perhaps there's a secret in there...

Hoppy - that's good advice. Think I'm getting there...

Thanks!

I talked once to Clyde Stubblefield (ex James Brown),and I said I had heard that the house kit at Motown was a Rogers kit.

He said,no,it was a Ludwig.

BTW........I only use 100 pure virgin (!) wool strips in my bass drums.......

I swear I can hear a difference over poly! So,no fabric stores for me!

I just use one in the back,and leave the front head wide open,no muffling on that one.Sounds great about every time!

Al Drew's Music has (had?) large rolls right from the Rogers factory.

I bought 2 rolls of them once,and am almost out!

Slug percussion out of Chicago sells pure wool strips also.

FYI : The best wool in the world comes from New Zealand,so maybe I should hunt some of that out! Bet that would make your drums sound amazing!

Blair

Don't forget to tune the drum up in a "jazz" tuning for a more authentic early Motown sound....

Here's an article published in "Modern Drummer" that I think you'll find interesting: http://www.moderndrummer.com/updatefull/200001778/%20%20Secrets%20Of%20Motown

Very cool article. Might I mention a great DVD that EVERYONE should check out at some point? Its called "Standing in the Shadows of Motown: the story of the Funk Brothers". I highly recommend it to any fan of classic motown. ;)