Drum Kit Explanation

Tornado Red
Tornado Red Posts: 939
edited August 2014 in The Clubhouse
I'm certainly no musician myself, but I know there are a few drummers on here that can likely answer my question. I was recently watching the new blu-ray of ZZ Top in Montreux last year, and noticed a new drum kit that Frank Beard has. At the front, there are 2 cylinders, one each in front of the 2 kick drums (not sure if they're attached to the drums?) From each cylinder, there appears to be a pneumatic line that runs to a center unit. I'm making an assumption that this is not merely ascetics, that they perform a function. Anyone want to chime in?
Post edited by Tornado Red on

Comments

  • Sci-fi Polk Guy
    Sci-fi Polk Guy Posts: 194
    edited August 2014
    I don't know how it works, but it looks awesome! It looks like the drum outfit that Darth Vader got for his birthday present. How much would a rig like that set you back?
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  • Simplyrandom
    Simplyrandom Posts: 119
    edited August 2014
    I think it may be merely for decoration as he also has a habit of using coil over shocks as rack mounts and wire wheel covers on the front of his kick drums.
  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited August 2014
    Sprays beer over the first couple rows.
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited August 2014
    C'mon George...you really think ZZ is going to waste beer on the crowd??
  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited August 2014
    They look like oil by-pass filters from a diesel semi truck. Love the pistons on top of the cymbal stands,lol.
  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    edited August 2014
    Anyone want to chime in?

    "Paging tophatjohnny! Paging tophatjohnny!"

    He's a stud-horse, award winning ("Best Drummer in the Twin Cities", etc., etc.) drummer who should be able to answer this for us.


    He must be off playing with his new amp that was supposed to be delivered today IIRC. :-)
  • xjghost
    xjghost Posts: 1,080
    edited August 2014
    It's interesting that is for sure.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited August 2014
    Did it do anything that you could see on the blu-ray?
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

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  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited August 2014
    madmax wrote: »
    Did it do anything that you could see on the blu-ray?

    Not that I could tell. I see nothing for support under the cylinders, so it appears they are attached by those brackets through the kick drum. As to whether there's an opening from the kick drum to the cylinder is another question. That centre unit is open at the bottom, but has a drum skin on top, though I don't recall him wacking it...

    One of our drummers will be along to straighten this out I'm sure...
  • krabby5
    krabby5 Posts: 923
    edited August 2014
    Gotta be just for looks. I just showed the pic to our drummer and he said there is no musical reason for the canisters.
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  • xjghost
    xjghost Posts: 1,080
    edited August 2014
    krabby5 wrote: »
    Gotta be just for looks. I just showed the pic to our drummer and he said there is no musical reason for the canisters.

    I was thinking it might be that or some special effect.... ie smoke or something.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,481
    edited August 2014
    google and you will see many pictures of that kit without those kegs and the same tom in the middle just different graphics. It's showboating for sure but my god that must be a stout head on the front of that kick drum.
  • Timothy Smith
    Timothy Smith Posts: 764
    edited August 2014
    It looks like the nitromethane fuel tanks that they used to mount out in the front of rail dragsters and altered dragsters in the 60's.
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  • tophatjohnny
    tophatjohnny Posts: 4,162
    edited August 2014
    The chrome fuel tanks in front of the kicks while mic'd give the sound man or Frank from behind the kit the opportunity to turn the sound into that of a hollow punch with a slight echo. Gimmick..sure, but as Frank ages he has become a lazy player anyway, so whatever he can do to hold on to some of that cool his playing used to possess, God bless the effort. I'm still a fan, but call it like I see it. ZZ Top "Honkin"
    "if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
    *****************************
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited August 2014
    Cool, thanks for chiming in Johnny...
  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,640
    edited August 2014
    Rock star version of the beer hat...
  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited August 2014
    They're for looks. They are Moon tanks. Bonneville salt flat racers and drag racers used to use them for fuel tanks. They held just enough full to make one pass on the salt flats or a drag run. Old rodders used to mount them in front of the radiator grillshell on the bumper. My dad had one on his 32 Ford Five Window Coup. His was just for cosmetic reasons, although he did put sweet tea in it at the rod runs.
  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,567
    edited August 2014
    I thought NOS tanks originally. But maybe they are hooked up to that center pipe. And its a pyrotechnic thing for during shows?

    202639_515031115177451_119240687_o.jpg
    --Gary--
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  • WLDock
    WLDock Posts: 3,073
    edited August 2014
    He's had some large and wild kits over the years.
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  • Like the Beetles said let it Dr
  • Like the Beetles said let it be
  • OleBoot
    OleBoot Posts: 2,065
    Like the Beetles said let it be

    So there we have it. Thanks for clearing things up after 7 years of confusion...

    I've been confused for 30 years.
  • maximillian
    maximillian Posts: 2,142
    Old(er) thread but still relevant. Since the OP image link is broken I think this is the image of discussion:

    069d43ca12d9777f6a6c979bb0ac23bf.png