I was first introduced to percussion at age 8 with a practice pad. Needless to say, I was not impressed. It didn’t make any noise and I became bored quickly. After 12 months of begging and pleading, my parents bought me a set of bongos. I commenced to destroy them within a week. Finally at age 10, I got my first set of Stewart’s (Black Pearl), which consisted of a bass, a snare, one rack tom and one floor tom. They also managed to afford one crash/ride cymbal and Hi-Hats. I was in heaven. Over the next few years I graduated up to a larger (and louder) set of Premiers. I really don’t think that my parents expected much to come from my obsession but I had high hopes.

 

Guided By Voices came together when Bob, Mitch and I began playing together in late 1982 and at that time I was still playing the Premiers. We recorded Devil Between My Toes, Sandbox and an assortment of other songs that were released on Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia. I took a four-year hiatus from Guided By Voices from 1988 to 1992,  which found me in other musical projects and also miserable. I never really felt complete doing anything other than GBV.

 

 

In 1991, I purchased my custom-made (in Saugus, Mass. near Boston) set of Eames. I ordered them through Hauer Music, a music store I had been dealing with since 1971. Everyone there knew me from coming in and buying everything from sticks to drum heads. I had decided to keep my 1983 Premier snare and ordered just three drums, which were 12 ply birch and consisted of a 14X13 Rack Tom, 18X16 Floor Tom and a 24X16 Bass. Three drums for a mere $2,890 and this was in 1991. I chose Yamaha hardware, as it runs the length of the drum and looks great. Joe Mac with Eames only makes drum shells, therefore the hardware was my responsibility. The cymbal stands are also Yamaha with a mix of Sabian, Zildjen and one Paiste 24” ride purchased in 1988. Everything is in mint condition.

 

 

In 1993, we put out several 7” records for various labels such as Engine, Domino, City Slang, Anyway (Columbus, Ohio) Simple Solutions and Get Happy (Germany). These records include titles such as Static Airplane Jive, the Nightwalker/Freedom Cruise spit, Fast Japanese Spin Cycle and Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer. In 1994, Bee Thousand was released and the following year Alien Lanes came out, both receiving both popular and critical acclaim. In 1996, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars was released, which had us traveling from Chicago to record with Steve Albini and then to Memphis, where we met up with Kim Deal of The Pixies/Breeders fame. All of these records were recorded on the Eames, as they were very easy to mic and projected enough volume to be heard. I have played more than 150 shows in the U.S. and abroad, and always used my Eames for many of the same reasons I chose to use them in the studio.

 

 

So you might ask, why sell them if they are so great? Well you need to understand that I do so with great reservation, as I have sentimental feelings attached to them. Great memories of lugging them in and out of studios, bars, clubs, halls and stadiums, and always feeling secure that they could take a beating and sound great while doing so. I guess I believe that there is someone out there who will appreciate them as much as, if not more than, I do. Someone who can appreciate their history, where they have been and what was recorded on them. My hope is that the RIGHT person will buy them and use them to the fullest. I have two grown sons who could care less about my drums or anyone elses, so obviously they’re out. My wife and two young daughters are really not interested in purchasing them, for some unknown reason. Therefore I’m turning to the public, who I believe are knowledgeable enough to know a bargain when they see one.

 

 

What’s really cool about this kit is how new they look after all these years. I tend to be a little obsessive-compulsive concerning my drums, which translates into the kit looking and sounding great. I also was smart enough to keep them in hard–shell cases versus the alternatives. I have decided that anyone in the U.S. who purchases them, I would be willing to “hand deliver” them to the buyer at their convenience. It saves on shipping/handling charges and I would enjoy meeting the person that is as enthusiastic about percussion/nostalgia as I am. It also gives me an excuse to travel for a worthy cause and “shoot the shit” about drums, drumming and anything else that comes up. Thank you prospective buyer for considering my offer.

 

 

Sincerely,

Kevin Fennell