Drumming again in Tampa

Hi, John here. 50 year old fart.Here's my story.
I started playing in 1972, On an imported kit my folks got me at Sam Ash. I grew up on Long Island. I think the kit was way ahead of it's time. It was made by an Italian Company called Meazzi, (not sure if they are still around) But they do have a pretty long history. My kit had pressure sensitive mic pads built in that just touched the batter heads and transferred the heads vibrations to an on-board mixer where you could adjust the tone and volume of each drum before you sent the signal off to an amp or PA system. I used to have the Mix guy bring up that funky sound during a part of my drum solos. Kinda like a Roland kit before Roland even thought of it. The shells were good quality birch and used Die-Cast hoops with claws that grabbed the hoop. Changing heads did not require removing the tuning screws, just loosen them and they moved away sort of like a reverse Yamaha Nouveau lug. I played a double bass 8 x 10 and 9 x 13 toms on a stand. 16 x 16 and 16 x 18 floor toms and a 5.5 x 14 birch snare. Zildjian 14" hats, 22" heavy ride, 16 med crash, 18 med crash, and a 20" med sizzle crash- ride. I had a band in High School called Blue Steel, we did rock covers and some of our own stuff. We were pretty good for local kids, we had good equipment. Both guitarists played Marshall full stacks. Ernie on a black custom Les Paul with triple Humbuckers just like the one Peter Frampton plays, Alan on a custom shop Strat in blonde stain with a maple neck. Steve the bassist on a Precission Bass with an Acoustic 871 (I think) head and a set of custom folded reflex bass cabinets with 15" and 18" drivers. Plus a good PA system and even a light system including Flash Pots like Kiss. We all played until 1979-80 when I decided that I'd rather be Drag Racing. I sold it all (cheap)and dumped my money into a 1970 Trans Am. That later turned into a very large corporation, 8000 sq ft building and 10 employees, building 200 mph+ professional Drag cars for customers around the nation. In 2000 I got bored and burned out and sold it all and made the move to Tampa by 2004. In 2007 I decided to get back behind the kit so I assembled my present kit which is a very large Ludwig old school Octa-plus style deal with a mix of brand new drums and some great deals I was able to get through EBAY. I use 2 18" x 22" kicks double headeds toms in 6", 8", 10", 12", 13", 15", 16"x14" and 16"x16" with the 16x16 sitting on the left side under the hats. The 15 and short 16 are mounted on a low stand and serve as floor toms to the right. All the rack toms are on rims mounts and cascade down from above the hats to the ride similar to Neil Peart's kit. I still use Zildjian's 14" A custom Mastersound hats 21" A Custom ride. 16", 18" 20" A custom crash's a 20" ZHT left hand ride and 8" and 10" A splashes, and a 14" and 18" whuhan China stacked on one stand. I use stock Ludwig ebony front kick heads with Evan's EMAD's with the thinner ring on the back. Evans G1 coated snare with a Hazy 300 bottom. Evans EC-1's on the 6, 8, 10, with G-1's on the bottom. Evans EC-2's on the 12,13,15,and 16's with EC Resonants on the bottoms. I just had Brian at Cyclone Drums.com recut my bearing edges and work over the snare beds of my snare, and between his masterful work and the Evans heads, the kit now has a very warm articulation and unbelieveable sustain. I can honestly say his fine attention to detail and the great heads Evans produces give me a larger tuning range and much better sound than the kit previously had.