"""""""This loading, unloading, setting up, tearing down, loading again, unloading again thing with acoustic drums for every gig is wreaking havoc on my aged bones. I want, need, desire the ease of an electronic kit.""""""""
don't you just love that feeling you get hours before a gig, where you're dreading to load your gear in your truck, haul it, set it up, play 2-3 hours to tear it down and bring it back home at 2 AM to net $60 and free beers ( if you're lucky it's an actual paying gig) ?????
for me, the guitar stands, the basses, mic, mic stands, pedals and my amp, and I'm good to go...... but for a drummer... geezus! you got your rug or carpet pad, your kick drum, foot pedals, cymbal hardware, hi-hat, cymbals, rack toms, floor tom, snare and all the cases to haul the stuff in..... you need a freaking U-Haul.....
Electronic drums: BTW I have a Roland TD6 that I use at home to record and to mess around with... only the snare has the mesh head, the rest of the "toms" are the regular Roland pads... cymbals are electronic too... the TD6 has a wide variety of sound options...it a very decent set that I picked up on Craigs a few years back ....for $400. ...i remember picking it up on Super Bowl Sunday when the 49ers played the Ravens and lights literally went out in New Orleans....
One of my drummers has the TD20, his was probably $7K, but his kit has everything... even the cowbell..... when he actually uses the set for gigs he's able to keep his kit assembled to avoid a compete tear down and set up....
Good luck on your search.
