MusicRadar

The bass drum is a remarkable instrument. You’d have to hear its deep-throated roar to believe it

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• Review
• Manufacturer's Description

The delivery of an Ayotte kit is always a reason for celebration. For starters it happens rarely, so it's a bit of an occasion. Secondly the drums are always phenomenally good. Like world-class good. So let's see how this lot measure up shall we?

Funky threads

The short answer is that they measure up as follows: 22"x18" kick, 12"x10", 14"x11" and 16"x14" toms (all with all-maple shells) and a 14"x5½" Keplinger steel snare. And they all look mighty fine. The wonderful aesthetics of the kit involve a number of factors (in fact pretty much every aspect of the kit contributes something to the beauty of the whole), but naturally it's the stunning translucent deep purple finish that immediately gets the mouth watering.

Hardly show-offy, the finish implies the kit doesn't need to flag up the fact that it's special. It's like a classy Sophia Loren compared to some custom drum-makers' OTT Jodie Marsh-isms.

Glancing around the kit presents your eyes with a feast of fabulousness. All the metalwork is alluringly designed - the unusual Tune Lock rods/lugs allow for quick head changes and look smartly funky, while the hi-tech looking bass drum spurs have the appearance of a surgical device. Even such potentially clumpy aspects as the tom cradles (or 'Suspension Bridges' as Ayotte would have it) are curvy and cool.

In short, there's little about the Ayotte that doesn't impress from a visual point of view.

Hoop-la

Of course, one of the other instant eye candy features (but which is actually more about pleasing your ears than your mince pies) is the presence of wood hoops on all the toms. An Ayotte trademark, the hoops are a bit of a drumland icon as far as we're concerned. They do add a bit to the price, but their unique, organic looks immediately set Ayotte kits apart from the rest of the crowd.

The fact that all tension rods necessarily sport bass drum-style claws simply adds to the quirky appeal.

All of the above has concerned itself with the kick and toms. But the Keplinger snare that accompanies them is equally worthy of excited hyperbole (a matching maple snare is also available, at slightly less cost). The drum is, as mentioned, a regular 14"x5½" - but in terms of weight it's anything but standard. This is one phenomenally heavy beast, thanks to a 3mm brushed stainless steel shell - the finish gives the drum a purposeful air - and the (by now expected) wooden hoops, which again lend their groovy oddness to proceedings.

Such is the size of the hoops that a slight alteration in technique might well be necessary, simply because they stand proud of the batter head to a greater degree than standard triple-flanged or die-cast types. But the fatness that they bestow on backbeats, and on rim shots in particular, justifies the effort.

Let's get physical