10/11/07 - Another update on the previously mentioned signature drum which was discussed in the update below. I heard back from Dave Rollans, the individual with the connections on Carter's signature snare currently under development by Yamaha. It seems that the snare will actually feature a brass shell instead of aluminum as originally thought. Carter was toying with two different prototypes in that size, one aluminum and one brass. He has settled on the brass shell apparently. Carter played the brass shell prototype at the band's Las Vegas shows this year. It featured a matte chrome finish over the natural brass finish. Another update is that the snare might feature a yellow finish when complete, a color which Carter is leaning towards. Perhaps it's the Dennis Chambers inspiration inside him. First a purple Dunnett Ti and now a yellow Yamaha. Hmm, I wonder if Carter is a Minnesota Vikings fan?
You can download a high resolution shot of Carter's kit from the 3/23/07 show (Las Vegas Night 1) by visiting here. This shot gives you a glimpse of the brass shell signature snare prototype (with matte chrome finish). Photo credit goes to WeeklyDavespeak.com.
Check out a preview of what the new snare might sound like by listening to the Dave Matthews Band's Live Trax Volume 9 release which was recorded on 3/23/07 and 3/24/07 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It can be purchased here. You can download and listen to a small preview clip of Carter playing the snare during the song The Maker here.
Continued thanks goes out to Dave (and his secret connection) for the juicy details that we're all so eager to hear about!
10/06/07 - Recently at the Coors Amphitheater in San Diego Dave Rollans, a fellow drummer and Carter fan, was fortunate enough to meet the man himself, Carter Beauford, duh! He got invited onto his tour bus and was able to talk drums with him for awhile. Dave was kind enough to share some of what was talked about with me. One of the things that was mentioned was Carter's new Yamaha signature snare drum that has been in the works for quite awhile now. Some of the specs were discussed and it was revealed that the snare will be made from aluminum and will feature a 6 1/2"x14" shell. It's a change of pace for Carter since his past snares have been carbon steel, bronze, and titanium. Some other features include tube lugs and die cast hoops. There's still some finishing touches being applied to the snare before production. The snare has a possibility of being revealed at the Winter NAMM show in January. If the final changes haven't been made in time for that then it'll probably be revealed at the Summer NAMM show instead. All of this information is subject to change, there are no guarantees. But to date these are the most solid details we've heard about the signature snare drum.
Some other things Dave clued me in on were that Carter is really digging the new Armand series of cymbals from Zildjian (check the update below). On tour he's been switching his hi-hats between 13" K Custom Dark and 13" A Armand hats. Also Carter's been changing up his main crash arrangement from his normal 17" and 18" K Dark Medium Thin crashes to 18" A Armand Thin crashes. In addition Carter's 10" A Custom splash has been replaced by a 10" A Armand splash. So it seems that Carter is giving these new Armands a workout!
All the changes above have been made to the drum kit diagram. I also added a miscellaneous section for some of the random information that doesn't fit anywhere else. I've received a lot of questions about what kind of gloves Carter has been wearing on tour. You can find the answer in the new section. Fore!
8/10/07 - During the band's recent stop in Boston Carter had a chance to visit the Zildjian cymbal factory in Norwell, MA. The Zildjian news article can be found here: http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/news/newsDetail.ad2?newsID=1553. After reading the article I wouldn't be surprised to see cymbals from the new Armand Zildjian Series pop up on his kit. Here recently Carter's kit has proven to be the test ground for Zildjian prototypes and new line of cymbals. I'm sure that Carter can give the new line a run for its money. In addition to talk about his recent visit it was also mentioned that he might be participating in an online chat session after the Summer tour is over. This will be the first time that Carter has held any one-on-one chat session with his fans and other drummers. Lets keep our fingers crossed in anticipation that this actually takes place!
3/27/07 - I just received initial word from a friend that recently attended the DMB Las Vegas performances that Carter's cymbal arrangement has changed yet again. I'm still going over the details and specifics. I'm not sure if Carter was playing a different arrangement just for this set of shows or if this change is permanent. In the past Carter has been known to play different or stripped-down kits for shows outside the band's normal touring schedule. I might wait until the actual summer tour gets underway before making any official changes to the diagram. Either way I'll keep you updated.
2/18/07 - Zildjian recently announced two new A Custom EFX crash cymbals (16" and 18") at the Winter NAMM 2007 show. These new cymbals feature laser generated "cut outs" which give them a fast response with a quick, dry, and trashy sound. Both sizes feature the A Custom brilliant finish. I am led to believe that the previously unidentified cymbal with cut outs on Carter's kit was an early prototype of this cymbal. After looking at several concert photos I am fairly certain that this cymbal is a size 18". The diagram has been updated to reflect this change.
2/15/07 - I am proud to announce that the Dave Matthews Band official homepage has decided to include the drum kit diagram on their site. I consider it a great honor and privilege. The diagram has slightly been altered on their site to fit into the overall design. You can find the diagram here: http://www.dmband.com/member/carter (click on "equipment list" on the left hand side). Still I encourage you to visit this page instead for the latest updates and changes as they occur.