Hello all,
First off, thanks to John for activating my account!
I’ve been seriously considering picking up a Steve Jordan cocktail kit; I live in the city without a car, so I need something I can carry on the train if necessary (or in a taxi, in a pinch). Unfortunately, I haven’t found a single music shop in my city that has the Jordan system in stock, so it looks like I’m going to have to “buy before I try” (something I really don’t want to do, but…) In that respect, I was hoping you could help me out by answering a few questions.
First, transportability. Are there still special bags for the kit? I’m probably going to play sitting down, with a hit-hat and ride as well, so theoretically I’d like to strap the cocktail drum to my back, carry the cymbals in one hand and my hardware in the other. Sound feasible? Nesting the smaller drums inside the larger drum during transport wouldn’t be possible without taking off the head each time, no? I’d love to hear any thoughts you have about portability – any personal solutions, etc.
How sturdy are the side tom/snare mounts? I checked the videos of Steve Jordan playing on the kit and he was digging into the snare pretty hard; I’m wondering what kind of stress that puts on the shell of the main drum or on the mounting hardware itself. Any problems in this area? Any balance issues for the main drum when you’re laying into the side drums?
I’ve heard using the main drum as a snare has drawbacks because the snares go off when you’re using the bass pedal. Have any of you been able to circumvent this in any way? I’d most likely be using the side snare anyway, but I like to keep my options open as well.
How is the bass pedal? Does it respond pretty much like a normal pedal? I’d imagine the response changes depending on how you adjust the height of the drum; does this considerably limit the main drum’s range of adjustment?
Anyway, sorry for the barrage of questions, but if any of you can help me out I'd really appreciate it. I've looked all over the net but I haven't been able to find a decent review of the Club Jordan system yet, so if anyone knows of a decent review, please let me know!
Thanks!
Questions re: Club Jordan kit
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Govon Chogg
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:56 am
- Location: Osaka, Japan
Re: Questions re: Club Jordan kit
Welcome to the forums!
These drums are not exactly light so don't expect to go for long all-in-one trips without some sort of cart or dolly. Especially if you are adding on hardware like a hi hat stand and a stool. It feels to me that with those additions you might be crossing a threshold of portability.
The mounts are all pro Yamaha quality and the shell is very solid. I have not seen any sign of strength or balance issues.
http://drummagazine.com/html/modules.ph ... le&sid=129
There is a ton of info related to your questions in the forums so definitely start searching!
- John
Yamaha used to make custom bags for the Club Jordan but I believe they are discontinued. There are several conga bags out there that will do fine! The drums do not nest (inless you remove a head. Even then you could damage the internal snare if you are not careful) so you either need to get an extra-extra tall bag or get a second bag for the tom and snare. I have a 9x13 soft case that holds the 10" tom and a 12" snare just fine.Govon Chogg wrote:First, transportability. Are there still special bags for the kit? I’m probably going to play sitting down, with a hit-hat and ride as well, so theoretically I’d like to strap the cocktail drum to my back, carry the cymbals in one hand and my hardware in the other. Sound feasible?
These drums are not exactly light so don't expect to go for long all-in-one trips without some sort of cart or dolly. Especially if you are adding on hardware like a hi hat stand and a stool. It feels to me that with those additions you might be crossing a threshold of portability.
How sturdy are the side tom/snare mounts?
The mounts are all pro Yamaha quality and the shell is very solid. I have not seen any sign of strength or balance issues.
Some people mount a wooded (or other material) baffle near the snare end of the drum to stop the air column from resonating the top head. This changes the sound of the drum quite a bit. I don't think that it would work very well if you mostly use the top head as a floor tom though. Search the forums for Baffle and you should find lots of info!I’ve heard using the main drum as a snare has drawbacks because the snares go off when you’re using the bass pedal. Have any of you been able to circumvent this in any way?
I have found the pedal to be a bit odd myself. It is very smooth and pro quality but the balance is not to my taste. Admittedly I have not tried very hard to adjust it. Someday soon I will experiment further. Remeber that standing up or sitting high will be a very different experience no matter what. You will most certainly have to adjust your technique a bit!How is the bass pedal? Does it respond pretty much like a normal pedal? I’d imagine the response changes depending on how you adjust the height of the drum; does this considerably limit the main drum’s range of adjustment?
Here is the only one that I know of. It is quite old but decent:I've looked all over the net but I haven't been able to find a decent review of the Club Jordan system yet, so if anyone knows of a decent review, please let me know!
http://drummagazine.com/html/modules.ph ... le&sid=129
There is a ton of info related to your questions in the forums so definitely start searching!
- John
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Govon Chogg
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:56 am
- Location: Osaka, Japan
Welcome, Govon...
Glad you asked us! I'm always happy to talk about my cocktail kit. I gig with my CJ kit fairly often. Here are my thoughts...
There's a little "sleeve" that the legs, pedal bracket and cymbal arm fit into, and you slide that in to the big bag with the main drum. The top of the bag is round, padded & zippered for cymbals (I throw a spare head in there too.)
Drum + hardware + cymbals = quite a load to carry in one bag. There's a shoulder strap and a sturdy pair of handles that velcro together. You might be able to use the two handles to gin up a "backpack" arrangement; I've never tried that.
The second bag holds both side drums and the pedal. There's a round piece of foam that you use as a 'separator' to protect the drums from the pedal's sharp edges. I've still scratched my coated heads with that foam in there, though. The bag has a shoulder strap and is light & easy to carry. It's about a 12x12" cylinder altogether.
I've been able to carry those two bags plus a stick bag short distances without a problem. I wouldn't imagine it to be an issue in a train or taxi unless you have a long walk to or from the station.
Now, adding a stool & hi-hat stand to the mix would make it a lot tougher to carry all of the gear at once. I do some gigs standing and some sitting; I don't use a bag for the extra hardware when I play a sitting gig, but I have a car and making an extra trip is no problem. If you were going to carry all that at once, you'd have to come up with your own bag for that, and stock up on Doan's Pills for the backache you'll have after gigs
The shell is really sturdy. Yamaha doesn't mess around with this stuff. You can hammer that snare and it will 'bounce' a little bit but the main shell doesn't move. The YESS mounts "float" very well. The whole setup is a little top-heavy but I think it's impossible to tip over unless you physically push it.
One thing that did happen was during a recent cold snap. I transported the drums in -5 F weather; when I brought them in my warm house, the wood shells expanded slightly, just enough to create some cracks in the finish (which is polyester and doesn't expand). Yamaha replaced the drum under warranty, so no big deal. That's the only durability concern I had, and it really applies to all drums - be careful in cold weather.
I think you'll find that the buzz is not a huge issue when there's a band playing.
Glad you asked us! I'm always happy to talk about my cocktail kit. I gig with my CJ kit fairly often. Here are my thoughts...
I think the bags may not actually be discontinued. I bought the Yamaha bag set not that long ago; it was in stock at a major online drum shop. The bags are good but not great - I'm not a huge fan of how the pedal and hardware fit into the "system".Govon Chogg wrote:
First, transportability. Are there still special bags for the kit? I’m probably going to play sitting down, with a hit-hat and ride as well, so theoretically I’d like to strap the cocktail drum to my back, carry the cymbals in one hand and my hardware in the other. Sound feasible?
John wrote:
Yamaha used to make custom bags for the Club Jordan but I believe they are discontinued. There are several conga bags out there that will do fine! The drums do not nest (inless you remove a head. Even then you could damage the internal snare if you are not careful) so you either need to get an extra-extra tall bag or get a second bag for the tom and snare.
There's a little "sleeve" that the legs, pedal bracket and cymbal arm fit into, and you slide that in to the big bag with the main drum. The top of the bag is round, padded & zippered for cymbals (I throw a spare head in there too.)
Drum + hardware + cymbals = quite a load to carry in one bag. There's a shoulder strap and a sturdy pair of handles that velcro together. You might be able to use the two handles to gin up a "backpack" arrangement; I've never tried that.
The second bag holds both side drums and the pedal. There's a round piece of foam that you use as a 'separator' to protect the drums from the pedal's sharp edges. I've still scratched my coated heads with that foam in there, though. The bag has a shoulder strap and is light & easy to carry. It's about a 12x12" cylinder altogether.
I've been able to carry those two bags plus a stick bag short distances without a problem. I wouldn't imagine it to be an issue in a train or taxi unless you have a long walk to or from the station.
Now, adding a stool & hi-hat stand to the mix would make it a lot tougher to carry all of the gear at once. I do some gigs standing and some sitting; I don't use a bag for the extra hardware when I play a sitting gig, but I have a car and making an extra trip is no problem. If you were going to carry all that at once, you'd have to come up with your own bag for that, and stock up on Doan's Pills for the backache you'll have after gigs
I agree with John - the hardware is rock-solid. As with most Yamaha gear, you can use & abuse it without fear of things breaking down. The only concern is the cymbal arm will sag a little with a very heavy load on it. I use a 17" ride and a pair of 11" hats (with a very heavy bottom) with no problem, however.How sturdy are the side tom/snare mounts? I checked the videos of Steve Jordan playing on the kit and he was digging into the snare pretty hard; I’m wondering what kind of stress that puts on the shell of the main drum or on the mounting hardware itself. Any problems in this area? Any balance issues for the main drum when you’re laying into the side drums?
The shell is really sturdy. Yamaha doesn't mess around with this stuff. You can hammer that snare and it will 'bounce' a little bit but the main shell doesn't move. The YESS mounts "float" very well. The whole setup is a little top-heavy but I think it's impossible to tip over unless you physically push it.
One thing that did happen was during a recent cold snap. I transported the drums in -5 F weather; when I brought them in my warm house, the wood shells expanded slightly, just enough to create some cracks in the finish (which is polyester and doesn't expand). Yamaha replaced the drum under warranty, so no big deal. That's the only durability concern I had, and it really applies to all drums - be careful in cold weather.
Buzz is a little bit of a problem. There's been lots of discussion of this on the forum - unless you go to a technical solution like a baffle, it's something you have to learn to live with. In my case, my "main" kit has a 6.5" deep snare drum with a 42-strand snare, which is buzz city at nearly every gig, and it's no big deal unless volume is very, very low. It's a similar situation with the cocktail drum snare - just part of the sound of the instrument. If I'm playing brushes, I drop the snares anyway (old-school thing to do).I’ve heard using the main drum as a snare has drawbacks because the snares go off when you’re using the bass pedal. Have any of you been able to circumvent this in any way? I’d most likely be using the side snare anyway, but I like to keep my options open as well.
I think you'll find that the buzz is not a huge issue when there's a band playing.
It's the same as any Yamaha pedal. The difference, like John noted, is that your angle is different whether you're standing or sitting up high. It takes some getting used to. The pedal itself is of very good quality and has adjustable tension, chain drive, etc. Reponse doesn't change that much when the drum is higher or lower unless it's extremely high; I think our tendency as drummers is to naturally adjust. Your mileage may vary...How is the bass pedal? Does it respond pretty much like a normal pedal? I’d imagine the response changes depending on how you adjust the height of the drum; does this considerably limit the main drum’s range of adjustment?
I have the issue of Modern Drummer with the original review of the Club Jordan in it. If John is interested in putting it on the site, I could scan it in and submit it. Amazingly, that issue is about 10 years old now...I've looked all over the net but I haven't been able to find a decent review of the Club Jordan system yet, so if anyone knows of a decent review, please let me know!