hey everyone. after some thinking, ive decided to try out for a drum corp (santa clara vanguard?) next summer, so i'll be needing some equipment. well im debating on a quintet or sextet because of the money issue. i'll have to work another month for a sextet. what do you suggest? the main question, however, is does the package come "playable" or do i have to attach the heads and fix the drums in place? i'm doubting any teacher at my hs will help me since he hates my guts (i learn too fast and start jacking off while everyones still kinking out the rudiments). i have really no idea how to assemble a tenor, so if te drum do come as parts, i'm in a little predicament right now.

also, are there good tenor books you can suggest? i will be kind of new playing tenors (refused the tenor spot on my drumline because of the teacher), so any help will be appreciated. i will be buying the bill bachman book, but will this help me be good enough to be in a drum corp? thanks everyone

Depends on who you get them from. If you buy Dynasty, they will come completely assembled. If you buy Pearl, you will need to assemble the "right half" and "left half" - which is just 1 bracket, it is easy.

Bill Bachman's book is great, but I would also suggest buying his DVD "Reefed Beats". This will be a great help in actually seeing what he talks about in the book.

Something to think about...why are you having issues with your teacher? All the technical skill in the world will not get you on a line if you can get along with people.

you will also need to buy a carrier or a backbar. (doesnt come with the drums) but yes the post above is right the drums come in halfs, you will have to assemble the middle spacer (between 1 and 2). you will also have to assemble the back bar to the drums. which is sold seperatly. and the spock(s) as well.

as far as how many spocks, its up to you. SCV only uses one spock. but if you buy two you can always take one off.


as far as books, i'll let other people pimp them. but no book will give you the skills to make a top 12 div 1 drum corps like SCV, these books are simply guides to steer you the right direction.



little advice on SCV, if you start "jacking off" like you do at school, at SCV. dont count on getting asked back after the first camp. talent only takes you so far, attitude is what they look for. so maybe learn your music take a Ritalin, and relax and wait for everybody to catch up with you. then maybe your instrcutor will be more willing to help you

ahh well everyone has a rocky relationship with our band director. i think its his arrogant attitude and he degrades everyone except his "select favorites" who have no lives and lives in the band room playing piano or something at lunch. personally, i would not sacrifice my social activity for this since i play piano at home.

i think i'm going with six. might as well add one more which can be taken off. i have the job to do it so its no problem. also, i think i'm buying the Pearl because of the excellent reviews. however, are there any instructois how to assemble it? and is there any difference between the magnesium and aluminum carriers? they look and should feel the same since it's only a harness.


and trust me, i know i will not fool around at camps. at my school i'm usually stuck with people who can't play eighth notes in time. imagine re-learning the c-scale for two weeks. i believe anyone in this board will go crazy as well. i know i will be the underdog in the 2007 auditions, so no worries.

There will be instructions with the drums and the carrier. If you get stuck, PM me and we can set up a time via phone and I will be glad to talk you through any assembly issues. I don't have a personal pref on mag vs. alum but alum is usually cheaper. Here are a couple of prices:

http://www.music123.com/Pearl-RMMVTQ-MagVest-TUBE-Quad-Quint-Carrier-i83010.music

http://www.music123.com/Pearl-RMALTQ-Aluminum-TUBE-Quad---Quint-Carrier-i97205.music

ahh thanks snizare1985 for ur help. its nice to know there are still people who are thoughtful of others. however, my lab fees for high school caught a grand total of $270, so i basically lost half my money to buy my tenors! i'm soo mad since i have to work another 2-3 months to get my money back! i'll still research the tenors, but as i'm stuck with the money issue, this is gonna take a while. thanks everyone!

As far as the backbar and carrier is concerned I highly recommend the MagVest. It is much more comfortable and to me seems to be sturdier. Yeah, it costs more, but it is worth it. My idea on buying my equipment is I rather buy the top of the line stuff rather than buy something to get me buy and then spend more to upgrade.

Yes, the Pearl tenors will come with instructions on how to assemble the drums. It is pretty easy to figure out as well.

Also, I want to suggest one more thing, since you have quite some time until you get your drums.

Don't rely only on other peoples opinions, try out different brands for yourself. Just because SCV plays Pearl, and there is good reviews on them, does not mean you will like them.

Like you said, you're fairly new to tenors, check out all the options first.
About books and things of that nature, I only use them for literature. I learn all my technique from videos and instructors. That's the best way to learn technique I think. So watch some videos online somewhere and try to go from there.

If I may also suggest, why not get a Quadropad from Vic Firth, it's a whole lot cheaper, not to mention quieter. You can save up for your fees at SCV if you get in.

Lord knows it's very expensive.

Good luck k1rkl4nd, I hope it works out. If you need some advice on something related to anything tenors, give me a shout and I'll see what I can do for you.
Take care.

As much as I hate to drag topics out of the cellar, I figured I would answer the question about the carriers.

Aluminum in more durable, but heavier...

Magnesium is lighter and stiffer (will feel sturdier), but more brittle and prone to cracking...

Hope this helps.

Steve