+1.I' like to echo that sentement.I haven't met John either,but you can tell when a guy is just a class act.He always has great info,and is ready to lend a hand at the drop of a hat.Damn glad to know ya John.;)

Steve B

That is an interesting link RogerSling. When I have some more time (like that ever happens) I may have to investigate. When I hear the phrase "trimming NURBS surfaces" I get all tingly inside. "I am Spartacus!" ...that is funny.

Hey Quint,

It's a very cool online video training site for a deep set of creative apps. You can play in the world of 3D and video game design or just hang out in the photo area. Seriously slick and great for expanding the mind.

For the record, you can get FREE 3 year lic of a huge amount of Autodesk titles. They are continuing to provide the FULL PROFESSIONAL versions to students and tinkerers. Super sweet.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program already in progress.

50 since April 2012.

First kit was a huge Slingerland that was too much for a dumb 15-year-old. I would have settled for my cousin's Gretsch 12-14-20, but he didn't want to sell.

I'm a pretty basic player, but I'm told that I'm solid and others I have played with like how I leave space, which isn't to say that I can't be heard.

I've clicked more than once to see the stats and read the stories.

Will be 57 in November.

Started playing drums in the 6th grade band with a pawn-shop bought Beverly snare drum (after one year of keyboard lessons).

In HS, was big into marching percussion and became the drum major of the marching band as a senior. Started playing the set as a soph. when I bought a 50s Gretsch WMP set. Went through the "garage band" stage, then when a senior I caught on with a very serious 9-pc "Chicago" style of band made up mostly of music majors at Washburn University in Topeka. Bought my Pink Champagne Ludwig Rock Duo set during this time, as the group was "sponsored" by Midwestern Music in Topeka and I got it for dealer's cost!

After HS, went to Ft. Hays St. (Hays, KS) as a music education major and was the drum major of the marching band in the fall of '73. Studied percussion that year under Mitch Markovich.

Entered the "stupid years" of my life when I started playing with a very popular local DJ & front man and dropped out of school after one year. Quit him, bounced around with several bands which included a stint on the road with a band based in Topeka, the small club circuit in KS, MO, IL, IN, OH, TN, KY, etc. American Federation of Musicians member, of course.

Back to Hays, and formed my own band in 1977. BUT -- met my the girl that became my wife (BTW, our 35th wedding anniversary is today!!) and my life finally started becoming STABLE. Bought my Pearl Wood-fiberglass set (that I still own) in 1978. Got saved (yes, some of you would call me a Jesus Freak!) and ended up leaving my band around 1980 and started studying to enter the Ministry.

Finished enough schooling to get my "papers" with the Assemblies of God in 1982 (took my first church as pastor later that year), was ordained in 1985 and finished Bible School in 1989. BTW, my Pearls got "saved" too and I played them in church for 21 years!

Got burned out of full-time pastoral ministry in 2003, and resigned as pastor. Worked several years as a manufacturing supervisor, and stilled played the drums in church (and did fill-in preaching) on a part-time basis. Then was laid off in this poor economy in 2008, then for good in 2010.

So, started in working on vintage drums during that layoff time. I now work as a computer/network "techie" at the local school district (at half my manufacturing pay!); do fairly well with my "part time" drum business, and yes, I still preach and sing. I mostly do fill-in and special services just in the SE Kansas area...

Wow! I clicked on that link and stopped dead. Being the Luddite minded goober that I am, I was afraid if I clicked any further I'd crash and get "the virus".

Billnvick,,,happy anniversary!

Jeff C

Ya I keep checking (clicking) back also, but isnt that why John started the thread?

I'm 34 been wanting to drum all my life. Started about 3-4 years ago. Always played guitar and wrote music in bands since I was 16. Never could afford that drum set. When I got married and got a house I realized. I could have some drums!!! It also helped having a house set for practicing with the band. The vintage bug hit me when I saw a set of early 70's blue sparkle Ludwigs on local CL with an array of other stuff for a low price. I went and grabbed them and was hooked from there. Been playing and buying restoring sets since then. I realized I couldn't work on guitars and what not because I didn't like the electrical aspect but the drums stuff I could do. I am a terrible drummer and yet I know my place and love it! Love these old drums.

I'll be 43 in November. I was kind of a late bloomer: I didn't really start learning how to play until I was 21.

I'm pretty much self taught. I am a 4/4 surf beat drummer at heart; I'm not a technical drummer, and playing with understated simplicity has served me well over the years. My body has started to break down a bit (I currently have not one by TWO bulging discs in my neck), and I can't play really fast punk like I used to. But despite my physical issues I can still play a bit, and I'm still having fun with it.

This is a fascinating post and I too have added to the "click count" reading all of these wonderful stories.

I had always wanted to play drums from back in the kindergarten days. Played on pots, pans and coffee cans until fifth grade when I joined the school band and got a Ludwig Standard Acrolite. (still have it) A year later for Christmas my parents purchased a 20-12-16 with matching snare Premier Olympic kit. As a side note I also got very interested in stage lighting about this same time. A year after that I was asked by the local junior college to play tympani in the pit orchestra of their summer stock performance of Man of La Mancha which starred a young Scott Bakula. That was really cool; just me, the awkward seventh grader, and a bunch of college music majors.

I went on to play in every type of band you can imagine from rock, pop, country, jazz (piano/drum duet, 4 piece combo, 18 piece big band) pretty much anything. Like Purdie, I was playing two to three nights a week by the age of 15 in night clubs, lodges, resorts, school dances, etc. In my spare time I developed a lighting rig that I rented out while playing gigs. I went on to Southeast Missouri State Univ and majored in music education meanwhile playing two to four nights a week in any type of group I could find.

After college I went out on the road as drummer and musical director for Dan Peek who was one of the members of the band America. He abruptly retired and I was called to Nashville to be the drummer for an up and coming band that was to be the next big thing in country music. They were kind of a cross between Alabama with Little Feat. It turned out that, even though the band was really good and was on the verge of signing a major label deal, the core members did not like the lead singer and all of a sudden the band fell apart. That would have been around 1986. Within a couple of hours I received a call to provide lighting and become production manager for an upcoming tour and I felt that would be a good move for the change of pace and a consistent paycheck. While I made no decision to stop drumming professionally, I just never really went back. I played a few sessions with some really great and well known musicians, but otherwise, that was really it for my playing career.

I eventually moved on into show design and live event contracting and have now traveled the world producing shows and doing design work. In 2005 I produced a tour that was going to require backline and realized that the cost of long term renting from traditional sources was quite prohibitive so I just bought everything. It was a kick to go out and buy drums, cymbals, hardware, bass rigs, guitar amps, keyboards and all the associated cases in one fell swoop. Those rentals have turned into a nice side business that more than pays for itself and keeps some of my crew guys gainfully employed in their down time. Occasionally I get to go out as well for the fun of it like I did this past weekend.

I started recognizing an interest in vintage drums about three years ago and the bug bit me. So here I am. By the way, as to the handle tnsquint; 'TN' is for Tennessee and 'squint' is a road nickname for any lighting technician. (apparently we spend a lot of time looking up and squinting) It has nothing to do with drums whatsoever.

Thank you for starting this thread Purdie. You are a fine man indeed!