Vinnie's new cymbals

[groober]

Not trying to be the internet disagreer guy, but chocolate and nutmeg? They sound like balanced cymbals to me and that's about it.

Right now I'm playing Mango, Papaya and Tibetan incense ...

[druid13]

I was definitely wondering about the band aids as well....I might have to switch up the next time I get a cut or scrape to whatever he is using...improve my tone.

[Randy Walker]

my feeling is his drums sound much better than his last kit "gretsch". there's a nice warm tone to the kit which he hasnt had since his Yamaha days

[ChrisCawthray]

Regarding the late-career brand switching...

I don't remember where I heard this (this is not my original thought), but it seemed a pretty valid speculation: Vinnie's new gear may reflect a change in how he is actually hearing the instruments. Meaning, if he has experienced hearing loss/damage over the years, the more "sparkling" tones of Paistes and the bite of the Ludwig drums might actually, to him, present themselves as a fuller sound to his current set of ears.

VC will sound amazing to his audience on any brand of instrument, but how he sounds to himself might have necessitated these changes.

[Julián Fernández]

Not sure about the hearing loss thing but I was surprised he was playing hard with no protection... Makes me wonder if veteran drummers struggle with several hearing loss really.

[Rodge]

When did you see him playing without ears protection ?
He uses in ears monitor with Sting, and he was indeed using ears protections with Jeff Beck.

But back in days with Patitucci, and during the 90's with Sting and everybody, no protections, it seems that with Karizma too he was not wearing ears protections, and he was hitting VERY hard indeed.

[Julián Fernández]

In this new vid...

[amoergosum]

Not sure about the hearing loss thing but I was surprised he was playing hard with no protection... Makes me wonder if veteran drummers struggle with several hearing loss really.

From a Howard Stern interview with Dave Grohl (2011):

HS:
Is it true that you are almost deaf from playing rock music?

DG:
My left ear is almost gone.

....
HS:
Doesn't that scare you that you might be deaf?

DG:
Yeah, sometimes. But it's kinda nice....like if...you know...my kids are running around and they're going bananas I sleep on this ear 'cause this one is gone!

[nomsgmusic]

Not sure about the hearing loss thing but I was surprised he was playing hard with no protection... Makes me wonder if veteran drummers struggle with several hearing loss really.

Yes, unfortunately most do. I have worn protection for a great deal of my 20+ career (and I have even been very vigilant about my ears and protecting them) and I have had some loss. Age could have something to do with it... But to answer your question, of the many "pros" that I know and associate with, most admit to some amount of hearing loss, and most blame it on "guitar players." HA! There is one "big time" veteran drummer that I know very well, that even wears a hearing aid, and just turns it off on stage.

Wish it wasn't true, but it is.
MSG

(and I was with Vinnie for a couple of early Beck-Vinnie gigs, and the EXTREME volume was (!!!) an annoyance to Vinnie, and he WAS wearing plugs.) And (off topic) I still don't trust in ears, the SPL must be HUGE! Custom plugs and let the stage volume go "where it may" for me.

[Cheggs]

Not sure about the hearing loss thing but I was surprised he was playing hard with no protection... Makes me wonder if veteran drummers struggle with several hearing loss really.

Jojo has pretty sever hearing damage - could barely hear a word I was saying & I was only a metre in front of him haha