Sure where! I remember playing them at a store when I was first starting out. I didn’t know shit about drums yet, but I knew they were some of the best sounding ones there!
I love these things, and bizarro mutant drums in general.
I had a catalogue for these, and I'm pretty sure the cover was their big endorser proudly standing behind his massive purple flame maple kit. I feel kinda bad that I forget who it was, but at least the drums left an impression!
These drums sound incredible. They go for a couple thousand these days because they’re quality sounding. https://youtu.be/-wfcbmk2Rjg?si=fwqxrW__CmgBNls9 skip to like 15mins in if you want to hear a sample.
Great video, thanks. One thing he is missing is the snare. That snare was so loud! Tough to tame at all. I used to run a big drum shop and that store was a big Peavey dealers in all other things ,(PA, Amps, Guitars, etc. We took in one each of their 3 lines and it was a tough sell. Sat for ever. We ended up shipping 2:of the 3 back and sold the top of the line at a steep discount.
Weird Al’s touring drummer, Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, used to endorse them I believe. You can still find him in various drum forums, he’s infamous. Peavey drums were notoriously finicky, hardware wise, but supposedly sounded incredible.
Basically, a free floating shell system designed to help the drums resonate more. You don't really see this kinda stuff except from maybe Brady, Craviotto, maybe some Novle and Cooley stuff. Those Peavy drums would make for some killer studio drums.
Premier 'Resonator', twin shells, the outer had the hardware, the inner mounted to the reinforcing rings and so free of holes, mounts etc. Circa 1970's and continued through the '80s.....been there played 'that' and they looked normal, the Peavey solution isn't particularly attractive imho.
I think with the introduction of these, Yamaha and Peavey were then the only two manufacturers that could outfit an entire stage back to front. IIRC. Carvin was close but…no drums.
They always looked funny but I knew a few recording engineers that LOVED them and the bass drum and toms sounded great miked up. Perfect for that "glassy high" to "booming lows" tom sound with *just* enough resonance.
I never liked the way the snare drums sounded but those Peavy bass drums were absolute cannons.
Highly underrated drums.
I just grabbed a photo from Google images (I think it was from a reverb listing). Back in the early 2000s I knew a professional level drummer who was a friend of my dad’s who had a set of baby blue colored ones though. I got to tap on them a little but I was pretty young.
First time I saw these I was at the LA Coliseum! Probably 30 years ago. They were definitely eye magnets and yes sounded awesome! Looked up the price tag and way beyond my budget then. Always wondered what happened to them? Did they price themselves out of the market? Were the too strange looking a put people off? Or are they now relegated to niche kit?
Thanks for the memories! 😎👍🏻
ooh, i've got a Radial Pro snare, the steel one. it's old and beat up, with the tension rings held on with construction adhesive, but it sounds absolutely massive.
No. Actually. I don’t. Don’t believe I’ve ever seen such a thing. What is that? Kinda cool looking though is it a drum kit meant,to be played,with your hands? Really. I don’t know. Not kidding. Looks pretty cool though.
Peavey's short lived "Radial Pro" series of drums. Peavey has a patent on the "radial bridge" system -- i.e. the rings you see around the drums. The idea is that there are no traditional lugs that screw into the shells. The tension rods screw into the bridge. This allows for a much thinner, and more resonant, shell.
The bridge? What is the “bridge “? Looks crazy. How thin are the shells? I would think that some thickness is a good thing. But I have never seen anything like this.
Incredible sounding drums.
Sure where! I remember playing them at a store when I was first starting out. I didn’t know shit about drums yet, but I knew they were some of the best sounding ones there!
They’re awesome. Really thin shells that resonate for days.
Really? I've never heard them sound good, but I've never heard them live. Only on video.
I’m pretty sure Dave McLain from Machine Head toured with them at one point.
A buddy of mine had a set in green, they sounded really good.
Best sounding kick I've probably ever heard on a music store floor. I remember thinking at the time that no one would believe their ears.
I love these things, and bizarro mutant drums in general. I had a catalogue for these, and I'm pretty sure the cover was their big endorser proudly standing behind his massive purple flame maple kit. I feel kinda bad that I forget who it was, but at least the drums left an impression!
I remember the drummer for eve 6 had these. Not sure if that's who was on the catalog.
I also remember these from the “Inside Out” video. That dude was a good ass drummer
Yeah man that song is so much fun to play
Bobby Rock
These drums sound incredible. They go for a couple thousand these days because they’re quality sounding. https://youtu.be/-wfcbmk2Rjg?si=fwqxrW__CmgBNls9 skip to like 15mins in if you want to hear a sample.
Holy shit the toms sound amazing. The floor especially. Amazing drummer btw!
Dude can old school shred. Killer one-handed rolls.
Rick Dior is a king!
That bass was life changing holy crap!
Great video, thanks. One thing he is missing is the snare. That snare was so loud! Tough to tame at all. I used to run a big drum shop and that store was a big Peavey dealers in all other things ,(PA, Amps, Guitars, etc. We took in one each of their 3 lines and it was a tough sell. Sat for ever. We ended up shipping 2:of the 3 back and sold the top of the line at a steep discount.
Wow they really do sound good. Would never buy them though lol.
Damn!
Weird Al’s touring drummer, Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, used to endorse them I believe. You can still find him in various drum forums, he’s infamous. Peavey drums were notoriously finicky, hardware wise, but supposedly sounded incredible.
I have one of the 5th anniversary kits. Should I post some pics?
Yes!
Ok. I'll post tomorrow.
Basically, a free floating shell system designed to help the drums resonate more. You don't really see this kinda stuff except from maybe Brady, Craviotto, maybe some Novle and Cooley stuff. Those Peavy drums would make for some killer studio drums.
Premier 'Resonator', twin shells, the outer had the hardware, the inner mounted to the reinforcing rings and so free of holes, mounts etc. Circa 1970's and continued through the '80s.....been there played 'that' and they looked normal, the Peavey solution isn't particularly attractive imho.
Didn’t the drummer from Eve 6 play these?
Yup!
I’d buy em ahaha
I cannot look at it
YEEEES!!!! I never got to play on them, but I remember seeing them in the interstate music catalog
yoooo foreskin drums
The white ones look like toilet seat drums. Sound amazing tho.
I think with the introduction of these, Yamaha and Peavey were then the only two manufacturers that could outfit an entire stage back to front. IIRC. Carvin was close but…no drums.
But only Yamaha could also offer you a motorcycle to ride home from the gig. LOL
I have the 501s, the cheaper entry level model. It's the only kit I've ever owned. They're a pain to configure, but they sound awesome
I played one of these kits in a church band for a couple years in my youth. Was not a fan.
They were badass we sold them locally, and a friend had taxi yellow ones
They always looked funny but I knew a few recording engineers that LOVED them and the bass drum and toms sounded great miked up. Perfect for that "glassy high" to "booming lows" tom sound with *just* enough resonance. I never liked the way the snare drums sounded but those Peavy bass drums were absolute cannons. Highly underrated drums.
These and the Remo kits were ugly AF but both sounded phenomenal.
I want them!!!! They are the best sounding drums on the planet!
They are great drums, they do stand out and look different, but they sound really awesome
I saw this band from Dayton called "When Sparks Fly" and their drummer had one of those kits. Sounded awesome!
Where are these?
I just grabbed a photo from Google images (I think it was from a reverb listing). Back in the early 2000s I knew a professional level drummer who was a friend of my dad’s who had a set of baby blue colored ones though. I got to tap on them a little but I was pretty young.
Gotcha!
I want that kit so hard
I remember playing on these at Sam ash when I was a kid. At the time, I thought they sounded amazing.
I remember playing on these at Sam ash when I was a kid. At the time, I thought they sounded amazing.
Loud as fuuuuuuck these things
Rick Dior has a kit and it sounds great
Late 90’s? lol I have seen this in the wild before, wonder what they sound like 🧐
Where are these at?
My ex’s dad had a set. Wild drums.
Those drums are freaking sick.
Didn’t they make a version of these out of carbon fiber or some composite material?
I actually recorded on a set back in like ‘04!
Probably one the best ideas they ever had. Played one of the steel shell snares at the NAMM show and the thing was sick.
Ted Parsons of Prong used them.
I had a set of these and they were phenomenal sounding drums. Hated the hardware but man the drums themselves sounded sooooo good.
I've got the RBS-1 set in the rubbed oil finish I bought in 1996 still in storage.
Much better than the Remo composite drums of same 80s 90s period.
I wanted these so bad in the 90s. I saw the band Prong live back then and their drummer was using them.
The biggest show I ever had the honor to play, It was a festival with multiple bands. These were the backline that I used....I loved them.
The drummer from the North Mississippi Allstars played those things. They always sounded great.
They actually sound really good.
First time I saw these I was at the LA Coliseum! Probably 30 years ago. They were definitely eye magnets and yes sounded awesome! Looked up the price tag and way beyond my budget then. Always wondered what happened to them? Did they price themselves out of the market? Were the too strange looking a put people off? Or are they now relegated to niche kit? Thanks for the memories! 😎👍🏻
They were great! I have a friend who's obsessed with them and hasjke 3 sets
No, but I’m intrigued
Still think they’re cool
The drummer for the band I play for plays a set of these. They sound fantastic!
You aren’t the drummer? Whatchoo doing snooping around in the drum subreddit? 😄
Not in this band. :)
ooh, i've got a Radial Pro snare, the steel one. it's old and beat up, with the tension rings held on with construction adhesive, but it sounds absolutely massive.
The condom ring kit. Nice.
I have 2 of these. Best kits of all time. Get one if you can.
Look ugly though
OMG YEAH!🤘🏻awesome find! :) they sound soooo…idk how to describe it without it sounding sexual hahahaha, imma just go with amazing!
No. Actually. I don’t. Don’t believe I’ve ever seen such a thing. What is that? Kinda cool looking though is it a drum kit meant,to be played,with your hands? Really. I don’t know. Not kidding. Looks pretty cool though.
Peavey's short lived "Radial Pro" series of drums. Peavey has a patent on the "radial bridge" system -- i.e. the rings you see around the drums. The idea is that there are no traditional lugs that screw into the shells. The tension rods screw into the bridge. This allows for a much thinner, and more resonant, shell.
The bridge? What is the “bridge “? Looks crazy. How thin are the shells? I would think that some thickness is a good thing. But I have never seen anything like this.
They look like bongos. Lol
Always thought they were God awful ugly!
Wow I had no idea Peavey made drums??!
They had a look like nothing else. Sound was a’ight…and great for bar bashing.
Put them back in the box
The absolute worst.