Hybrid (sit-down) Cocktail Drum Set Demonstration and Solo: Played by Scott McDonald

Overview of a Hybrid (sit down) Cocktail Drum Set. This approach cuts down your "set up" and "break down" time in half. It's all about getting that convincing kick drum sound from the floor tom. Once you achieve that, everything else fits into place.

[@justjoon]

Best sounding cocktail drum set on KZbin

[@scottopici]

Wow, thank you!!

[@drum-ape]

100 percent. great playing too!

[@felixkmgalanti9064]

No offence! But in the truest since of the word for purest, this is NOT! a Cocktail Drumset, 2 major flaws, when invented in the 50's, the idea was ALL MOUNTED on ONE! DRUM! so that that the drummer cld play STANDING UP! playing along on the side wth the rest of the band UP FRONT! if so chose to.

[@brunoperez7131]

Extremely well conceived solo. Masterful assembly of rudiments

[@TheBeardedUke]

I was going through searching for cocktail drum set and found your video. I just converted my Kick pedal a few days ago and converted my floor tom to a bass drum / floor tom recently.

[@russellford5597]

This is amazing! Thank you for sharing and confirming that this works a treat. This is exactly what I am now going to construct. Amazing performance too. :-)

[@enriquemundaca8396]

Your concept is extraordinary, I love it!!! I´ll do one for me! Ill send you the video once is ready! chees mate

[@CHABIEPORTNOY]

I can watch you play a solo all day

[@scottopici]

Thank you!

[@timcloutier3729]

Sounds OUTSTANDING. Then again, going by YOUR playing. You could be on a WALMART child's toy kit, and make it sound badass. Seriously though.... Sounds AWESOME!!! 🤘🏻🥁

[@scottopici]

Thank you!

[@danstephensen9032]

You Killed It, bro. Chops, taste and implementation. superb!!

[@scottopici]

Thank you, Dan!

[@tomhendricks3841]

Don't know what to say beside WOW! great kit and your playing is wonderful! Thanks for sharing this post!

[@felixkmgalanti9064]

No offence! But in the truest since of the word for purest, this is NOT! a Cocktail Drumset, 2 major flaws, when invented in the 50's, the idea was ALL MOUNTED on ONE! DRUM! so that that the drummer cld play STANDING UP! playing along on the side wth the rest of the band UP FRONT! if so chose to.

[@MrJosafe]

absolutely sick mate

[@bussboy3740]

This is Fantastic Scott can’t wait to try this , nice video awesome skills and creativity!!

[@scottopici]

Thank you, Steve!

Sounds really good. Thanks for showing us this setup and your playing is awesome too!

[@davidhuckstep9703]

Nice set up

[@scottopici]

Thanks, David!

[@W4RD1N8ER]

Dude! That was fantastic playing bro! So sick I could not take my eyes off of the snare stick such control, I have to try to make my playing as solid as that!

[@scottopici]

Thank you!!

[@tommybell1786]

Outstanding!

[@jaystalls]

this is sick! awesome idea and, good Lord, those chops!

[@TheKevinKitchen]

Sounds really great Scott - and your skill is impressive mate.Most enjoyable

[@scottopici]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@junia001]

That kick sounds 👌🏽

[@adamlock458]

It’s sounds great! Awesome playing too dude!

[@scottopici]

Thanks, Adam!

[@chasman4359]

totally awesome!! they do sound amazing!!

[@wijaiwantawee6215]

Kick sound is awesome.

[@scottopici]

Thank you!

[@AlejandroMartinez-fr6hj]

Killer kit

[@jrcliatt8225]

My favorite Ludwig color

[@daflorettalamv6019]

amazing playing and setup. i want to make a floor tom kick drum like that too.

[@felixkmgalanti9064]

No offence! But in the truest since of the word for purest, this is NOT! a Cocktail Drumset, 2 major flaws, when invented in the 50's, the idea was ALL MOUNTED on ONE! DRUM! so that that the drummer cld play STANDING UP! playing along on the side wth the rest of the band UP FRONT! if so chose to.

[@skatasterfi]

Fuck yeah dude. I'm going to adopt this style. Absolutely love it. I'd like to get all the same of all this stuff. I've got the gear now but it wouldn't sound a thing like this haha despite the fact I couldn't begin to play like this. Wow man, just the camera mic? Sounded good

[@jimilove7773]

I did this with a Premier kit ! love it!

[@scottopici]

Glad you like the results and thanks for checking the video out!

[@mypetdrgn]

Awesome! I think I’ll cut my floor tom so the top half won’t be quite so dead... I just prefer the open sound of which I can dampen if needed. I would have liked to see how you attached your “rack tom“ Thanks for the video! Great playing too!

[@scottopici]

Thanks. I use the top head of the floor tom more like a 2nd kick drum, making the rack tom the only official tom sound and tune it as low as possible. The rack tom attachment is a strange one; The clamp (an early 80s Premier tom holder) is attached to the hi hat stand, I then have a lightweight snare basket, that the arm fit through the tom holder. It certainly wasn't ideal, so I soon scrapped that configuration.

[@thebeatfreakz4278]

Nice chops bro! I can tell you got some skills~!!

[@pdxfunk]

That sounds really good. Also, nice playing! I'm inspired to do this with the 16" floor I never use on my Oak Custom kit.

[@rubencasarez17]

My set is a stand up Cocktail set & I've built & a Hi-hat Stand that plays standing up as well.

[@scottopici]

That's great, Ruben. I have tried to incorporate a working hi hat to a 'stand-up' cocktail kit, and have not found it workable with my playing style. Thanks for reaching out!

[@gabesimpkins9387]

Maybe a bad question but I'm not a full time drummer...what hardware is holding the 13 inch tom? I'm going to try to put something together like this! great work!

[@scottopici]

I had to watch the video again to remember! Lol. It was a custom piece that had an old snare basket attached to an old Premier tom holder that I had lying around. Now I just use a regular snare stand. Thanks for checking the video out!

[@ivanbriones4056]

sweeeeeet! im thinking of making one i have an extra 16in floor tom.

[@upon3pr]

WOW!! The sounds and playing are superb! Really nice to hear a cocktail kit get it like that! Bravo sir! I just picked up a Billy Blast after a few years with a Peace Manhattan, an upgrade but different and still getting used to it. How'd you get the kick to sound so good?

[@scottopici]

Sorry for missing your message, Paul! I usually catch them right away. I use a Evans Emad head (for toms, not kick drum) for the bottom head and tune it as low as it can go before it starts sounding farty. Then the top head can be a normal style Evans G2, or Remo Emperor, tuned low, but not as low as the bottom head. I use the removable muffle rings on the top head, and add or remove as necessary to get the sound I need. It didn't hurt to use an AKG D112 mic to get the full bottom-end sound on the recording either!

[@felixkmgalanti9064]

No offence! But in the truest since of the word for purest, this is NOT! a Cocktail Drumset, 2 major flaws, when invented in the 50's, the idea was ALL MOUNTED on ONE! DRUM! so that that the drummer cld play STANDING UP! playing along on the side wth the rest of the band UP FRONT! if so chose to.

[@No_thanks780]

Great sounding kit.

[@toddlittle9095]

Scott, awesome set up and playing. How do you have the bass pedal anchored? Can't fully tell but it doesn't look like it's attached to the floor tom in any way.

[@scottopici]

You are correct. The DW pedal I am using has a base plate that I applied velcro to the entire bottom of. It does not move whatsoever when playing.

[@azebatdrummer7461]

Top

[@DanielAvalos]

Hey Man, excelent solo and nice Kit, I was searching for a good kit with good sound and your is really amazing. Question: There are sponge inside the floor tom?

[@scottopici]

I use an Evans EMAD for the bottom head. That has the removable rings. I use the thinner muffler that is included.

[@freespirit8745]

Hi, really good stuff (kit + playing). I've been meaning to ask: is it harder to play a reverse pedal, rather than a normal one (speed mostly)?

[@scottopici]

Great question; yes, it's very different from the conventional way, and takes getting used to. Not so much speed, but just the way the beater reacts off of the smaller sized drum head. It bounces back much quicker. Thank you for the kind words!

[@OogaB0oga]

Hey Scott, quick question: did you use the counterpart reso-head for the EMAD bass drum head as your floor tom's top head, or is that a legit floor tom 16" top head? I'm gonna convert my old set into a cocktail kit soon, and I'd like to know wether I should buy a new set of actual 16" floor tom heads. Thanks!

[@scottopici]

The top head of the floor tom is a normal 2-ply head (with a zero ring). Thanks for checking the video out!

[@OogaB0oga]

@@scottopici thx!

[@Heisemberg000]

Great drumming.

[@scottopici]

Thank you!

[@scottopici]

@@Heisemberg000 My favorite Country to visit! I am in the wine business. What Region are you from?

[@Heisemberg000]

@@scottopici Sardinia. Best wine in italy

[@TheHECTORPLAY]

Me gustó mucho.

[@scottopici]

Muchas gracias, Héctor!

[@benjaminross2371]

Spot on!

[@the_foliot]

Who are the 4 haters, really. Lol this is dope, man. Definitely trying this. Lol

[@scottopici]

Haters are everywhere! Lol. Thanks for watching!

[@eddyfree33]

Scott McDonald a lot if times people accidentally hit the thumbs down and dont ever realize it . Ask me how i figured that one out. Great sounding kit and masterful playing.

[@kennyabsalonson4829]

what heads or muffling technique did you use to make the kick sound so good?

[@scottopici]

I use the Evans 16" EMAD with the removable rings for the bottom head. If you take some time tuning both top and bottom heads as low as they can possibly go (top head slightly higher in pitch), you can get it to sound like a really nice kick drum.

[@campingkidsadventures8131]

You need to check out this new drum set called SmackPac @smackpac on KZbin it’s very cool. Nice video sounds amazing

[@REPUBLICANSAREBEYONDSTUPID]

Man what’s your secret to getting your hands that fast?

[@scottopici]

Hi, here comes one of the most boring (but true!) answers; master the top 20 rudiments, inside and out, fast and slow (slow is harder than fast!). Practice on a pillow (no bounce); this will develop your wrist- control and the muscles in and around the wrist.

[@bradleysuarez4]

Ritcheous!!

[@jerrylehti7230]

n ice playin nice kit

[@xetradax2679]

it is the same space my 5 piece kit takes

[@scottopici]

Okay.

[@alexmoorejr424]

Is that and on bottom?

[@scottopici]

Can you re-phrase that question?

[@alexmoorejr424]

@@scottopici I’m sorry I meant is that a emad2 head on the bottom of the Tom and if so did you have to get special drum rims

[@scottopici]

@@alexmoorejr424 , no there are emad2 heads available for both regular metal rims and wood hoop rims.

[@alexmoorejr424]

@@scottopici what heads were you using

[@scottopici]

16 in Emad2 on the floor tom bottom head. Clear Emperor on top (both toms). Coated Ambassador on snare.

[@semydrums57]

I would like to see a demonstration with a groove, not a solo.

[@felixkmgalanti9064]

No offence! But in the truest since of the word for purest, this is NOT! a Cocktail Drumset, 2 major flaws, when invented in the 50's, the idea was ALL MOUNTED on ONE! DRUM! so that that the drummer cld play STANDING UP! playing along on the side wth the rest of the band UP FRONT! if so chose to.

[@scottopici]

Thanks, Felix. Yes, I do know all of the facts you mentioned, that's why I put "Hybrid" in the title when I made this video 6 years ago. I went more with the "space saving" aspect of the Cocktail Drum Set. I do explain my intention in the video pretty clearly.

[@felixkmgalanti9064]

@@scottopici Correct! You did say, "Hybrid". Which many purest call an "Frankenkit". May I assume that you refer to it as "Cocktail" because you are using a floor tom as a bass drum standing up "bottom to top as vs lying down, or "back to front" wth pedal underneath as vs in back? Final question if I may, why not an actual Cocktail Kit?

[@scottopici]

@@felixkmgalanti9064 , Yes, because a reverse kick pedal is used on the underside of the floor tom. Why not a real cocktail kit, because as I'd mentioned in the beginning of the video, I like to utilize all of the nuances of the hi hat, which I need to sit down to be able to do.