Ok, so I am late to this party but still I am glad to be here.
I play drums in the GWG Band with Walt. I want to address a couple of things here with regards to the "Holy Grail" string from earlier (much earlier).
A lot of drummers especially in cover style bands look to duplicate certain sounds much like a guitarist would try to emulate a particular sound. It is very difficult with more modern-day drums to duplicate the way that old vintage drums sound. Sure there are little tuning tricks that we can do to get closer but, as you guitar gods know a Mosrite just "sounds" like a Mosrite and a Fender Stratocaster sounds like a Strat and does not sound like a Mosrite or a Gibson.
The older drums were built with different precision, different materials and different technology. I find that trying to get the exact Mel Taylor sound out of my current day Yamaha Stage Custom kit is really a waste of time because it will never get there. Just like you would never get a Les Paul-Gibson to get to sound like a Strat. All that being said, for me its more about paying homage to the style and spirit of the music and the way it was played more so than trying to duplicate the exact sound. Now, if money was no object for me, I would definitely welcome a good old vintage set of Gretch Champagne Sparkle drums to bang on with the boys and I would bet the sound would be a heck of a lot closer than what I am getting now. Hmmmmmm Christmas is only a few days away.
Stix Out