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Ron Tello Culley
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690587159
From the now defunct Rontello.com, 2008
"Thee BIGGGEST Drum Set in Nevada" An Original Creation by Ron Tello, Nevada Builder, Owner, Operator & Big Spender
I'd say that 97% of all the components of this Kit has been purchased on eBay. The other 3% came from other on-line dealers. The concept of the BIGG Nevada Kit originated in the Summer of '06 when I bought the 8-pc Pearl Double-Bass Export kit from Musiciansfriend.com. Gloss Jet Black.Add: (No longer in stock). That was the beginning.
First, I "accessorized" by buying new cymbals and crap online, then I discovered eBay & continued buying more of everything, non-stop, until August '08. Now that I have at least 1 of everything, run out of spaces to put them and broke my Bank, these are Good Reasons to give the "Bucket Head" Obsession/Hobby a break, step back & enjoy the view. Sometimes I play them, LOL! This Project was originally dreamed-up/designed to fill up the whole front end of my Studio...16'X16'X9'...2304 cubic feet of pure ChromeWoodBrassGear Majesty!!! Well....heh-heh....it didn't workout that way, OK?
How this Gloss Black project became Chrome is a short story: My Store was coming in & I hadda downsize accordingly to the constraints of the interior measurements. No matter...I made a Monster all-the-same! It is up, nearly complete & I ain't taking it down.....................yet!
WHAT IS THIS? It is a Creative Art Project & I have lots of experience in this stuff. And since I had the perfect situation to "blow my head out" with it...I figured: "GO FOR IT"!!! I hadn't played Drums in nearly 15 years....it looked like My TIME had come again! And yes, IT DID. More, this "HEAP" is a "Roadside Attraction along the Information Super Hiway", and on Route 233 in Montello, Nevada. I think I can make a buck offa it. Proudly, I admit it is "a vulgar display of excess Drum Gear"; an exhibition of wealth; an overt symptom of Passionate Eccentricity for the Drums, the State-of-the Art Gear, the Drumming Artform and the "Live and On-Stage Experience". (I used to be Remo Ron, SoCal.) My Kit was something destined to be unique, unconventional, awesome, original & something else to be proud of. Something to do. An investment in Greatness. Big projects tend to be deterrents from a life of grueling over a Day Job. That's what it is! This is what I say. It's all I can offer at this time.
HERE COMES THE FULL SKINNY. NOTE: All drums are in Chrome Finish unless otherwise indicated. All drums are equipped with NEW Remo brand CS clear Black Dot heads (EVERY garage Drummer's wetdream, I know....), unless otherwise indicated. All tom-toms are mounted with Pearl I.S.S & BT-3 bracket systems, except: a) the original Ludwig Power toms; they are on the original Ludwig Bass Drum hardware, b) the Octabans, c) the LP Mini Timbales & DW Mini-Tymps, d) the Roto-Toms, e) the North Drums & f) the BlackHawk Popcorn Snare...they have their own brackets. MAINFRAME Comprised of 16 various & assorted Gibralter & PDP brand "Rack Systems", including 2 "Towers" & 1 "V"-style. Also, a ton of various Rack parts & accessories purchased separately. Drum and Cymbal mounting hardware included with the Racks, AND more were purchased separately from many eBay/online sellers.
WHERE IT STARTED FROM The primary set which began this Chrome project is a circa 1980's Ludwig kit: 22 x 14 Bass (Standard Ludwig batter head; Custom Design "Maltese Cross with Skulls" resonant head); 14 x 4 1/2 Snare; 12 x 10 Power tom; 13 x 12 Power tom;16 x 16 floor tom; Speedking pedal; No Hi-Hat & Throne.
EVERYTHING ELSE
LP brand Mini-Timbales 6 x 2 1/2 8 x 2 1/2; DW brand Mini-Tymps 8 x 2 10 x 2; Pearl brand Export Series (discontinued) 8 x 6 & 10 x 7; Generic 10 x 10 (silver); Slingerland 13 x 10 & 14 x 11; Pearl Export Series 14 x 11; Clear drums: Ludwig Vistalite 14 x 14; Ludwig Vistalite Concert Tom 12 x 10; Fibes 12 x 7; Ludwig Concert Tom 6 x 5 (Black); Ludwig Concert Tom 6 x 5 (White); Pearl EX 10 x 7 (Purple); "Peace" Brand Octabans 6 x 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 (Gloss Black aluminum shells; original transparent blue heads); Remo & Generic ROTO-TOMS 6, 8,10,12,14,16,18 (Featuring custom-made in-house Mounting Hardware); Generic floor tom 14 x16 (silver); Ludwig floor tom 18 x 16; Pearl Export Series Snare 14 x 4 1/2 (red; original factory Pearl heads); Pearl Parade Bass 26 x 14 (Remo plain white heads; blue); Pearl Bass Pedal; Slingerland 32" tympani (Copper shell; white head); North drums (Fire Engine Red) 6" & 10"; Gretch Blackhawk Popcorn Snare (Original factory heads) 10 X 5;
CYMBALS aka "Pies" (Featuring Zildjian, Paiste, Sabian, Wuhan, Zyn, AGOP, Saluda, & Istanbul. Some are "Vintage"; most are less than 5 years old. A detailed listing of them is forthcoming.) Ride: 10 count Crash: 19 count Splash: 10 count China: 15 count Ice Bells: 6 count Vintage specialty (pre-1950): 6 count FX: 37 Gongs: 7 OTHER FX 1- Xylophone (Marching-model); 1- 6" Spoxe (2-pc); 10- Cowbells; 1- Jam Block; 2- Chime Bars; 2- Ching Rings; 2- Maritime (Ship's) Bells; 3- Alarm Bells; 1- Hand-held antique School Bell; 1- Antique car "Bulb" Horn; 1- String of "Jingle Bells"; 1- Tambourine; 1- Train Whistle; 1- Kazoo; 1- Crazy Squeeky Thing (reed instrument).
MORE GEAR: 4- Pearl Remote Hi-Hats; 1- HD Pearl Drummer's Throne; 1- floor tom mounted Stick Bag; 1- stand mounted Stick Keeper; >Assorted Drum Keys: simple to hi-tech.
ORNAMENTS 1- Pair: New Chrome Headers mounted either side of 22" Bass; 1- Old Studebaker "Bullet" grill ornament; chrome & highly polished. Hood ornaments (chrome): 1- Running Grayhound dog; 1- Bullhorn; 1- Flying eagle; 2- Mecedes Benz; 2- "V-8" emblems; 2- Antique Washboards; 2- sets Temple Bells; 3- Rubber Chickens; 2- Swords; 1- Lifesize replica human skeletin; 1- Lifesize Wooden Indian; 1- Cardboard stand-up Alfred E. Neuman; 10- Rat Fink Posters; 1- Led Zeppelin Poster; 1- Marlin Brando "The Wild One" Poster; Assorted new & antique Wind-up & Battery Operated Toy Drummers (Indians, Robots, Clowns, Animals); 1- Gargoyle (Grey, styrofoam; Menacing); 1- Shark Jaws, 12" diameter; authentic; 2- Colorful 3-pc. Pinwheels; 2- Pewter Dragons. > Undetermined amount of Gold Tinsel & Garland
LIGHTING 1- Four-color Stage Cans with sound-activated controller; 1- Disco-style animated multi-color light machine; 3- Strobes; 8- Motorcycle "Bullet" Running Lights; 1- Old firetruck "Bubblegum/Wig-wag" Red Light; Assorted Christmas "Faerie" string Lights; 1- string "Jack-O-Lantern" lights; 1- Rope light; blue Misc. Home-made Lights ELECTRONIC FX 1- Car under-hood Sound Effects Unit - One of those J.C. Whitney Goodies! (Siren, buzzer, alarms, whistles, machine gun, explosions, train crossing, etc.); 1- Air-powered 3-Trumpet Train Horn (mounted outdoors); 1- Bullhorn; 1- Ah-oooh-Gah Horn (J.C. again); 1- Old remote Telephone Bell with 3 1/2" bells; 1- Doorbell unit; 1- Fire Alarm Bell.
STAGE INFO "I built it myself" Made with 2X6X12 Lumber, 3/4" OSB and Grabber Screws. Dimentions: 12' X 11'7" X 9" high Covered (mostly) with a 89" X 12' Persian Rug (Magenta & Gold). Walls: covered with assorted Tapestries Cieling: covered with Paisley Bed Sheets.
COMING SOON 1) Select Items from Archived "Sound Metal" Collection (currently in deep storage); 2) Stage Curtain; 3) Web Cam; 4) Upgraded P.A. System; 5) Dust Control; 6) Promising to be "The Main Event" of www.rontello.com (under construction)
SPECIAL FEATURES One Crash Cymbal: 24" Paiste; was custom ordered by, & from the collection of Ian Paice, drummer of the Rock Band "Deep Purple". Got it on eBay for nearly $500. One Ride Cymbal: A 30-inch (uncommon & rare) Stagg (brand) "Dual-Hammered Ride Super"...was unavailable on the open market when I saw one on-line. I was contacted by an eBay dealer who had contacts with the manufacturer, who in turn, made this one just for me. How kewl is that??? $777.00 well spent, I think! One Splash Cymbal not on the kit; on display only: Rare, unheardof 7" Zildjian Paper Thin, from the collection of Gene Krupa. Got it on eBay for ruffly $300. Documents included.
STUFF THAT I HAVE, SEPARATE BUT RELATED & WORTH MENTIONING 1- Authentic Chinese Temple Gong; 5 feet diameter with beautiful wooden stand. Weighs 600 pounds. Cost $3,000.00, delivered. Saw it on eBay; thot I had to have it. Everyone loves it! It's the biggest, most expensive TRASH CAN LID.... West of the Rockies. 1- circa 1910 all-wooden Marching Snare with Genuine Calfskin Heads 1- 2006 Yamaha 60 inch Parade Bass; Gloss Black 2- Marching Snares 4- Complete drumsets, in addition to the Pearl 8-pc originally purchased in '06, and a grip-o-loose buckets & pies. AND NOW THIS Estimated amount of money -including shipping costs- spent on this spectacular Kit: $75,000.00 Say it: Seventy Five Thousand Dollars. Notice how it effortlessly rolls off the tongue..... (I could be wrong and that's OK. But I did get a lot of "Killer Deals" on a lot of stuff.) (( Did I mention shipping is a Bad-Boy!???)) This Kit is subject to EXPAND at any time. Thus, it is a continuing work in progress.
WARNING: I can tear it all down & start up a new, upgraded, configurated & integrated HEAP at anytime without notice. I put this together too fast and cheated myself of the opportunity to do-up the Stage to The Hilt. I wanna Chrome-wrap 2 Bass Drums (26") & add remote pedals; expand out to the edge of the Stage and 'absorb' more toms & crap into the mix. The way it is now......well, I don't like it all that much & I can do better. It can be better!!! I have the TIME, MONEY, VENUE AND GEAR. C):-{= <" and cigarettes, tunes, munchies and beer"<<
Want to visit? Knock around? Buy something or enjoy a cold drink?
LOCATED AT 500 Front Street "On The Strip" Montello, Nevada 89830 g00gle: Ron Tello; Rontello; rontello; 898sarahg Store and Visiting hours are from 11 am to 5 pm Mon - Sat. Appointments for the 'Hard-Core' preferred.
*****Free to look at it. Donations accepted.*****
Picture-taking: $10 Video: $20. - and agree to submit copies to The House. Play it: $2/minute, 15 minutes max. Video shoot: Negotiable. NOT FOR SALE! (But I do have a ton of spare parts I'd love to off-load at market prices. Coming soon: Tello's Online Store!) I'm easy to deal with....ask the Locals! And PLEASE...If you're not jammin': Don't touch the Machine, Stay OFF my Stage & mind your manners!!!! If this is NOT "Thee BIGGGEST Drum Set in Nevada", please tell me (I wanna meet the punk). Yeah, I can always throw another hubcap on it. I will NOT be upstaged! On a SideNote: The good people at the Guiness Book of World's Records have my application on file. They are waiting for me to notify them of my project's completion. That won't happen for awhile, and yet to come. No Hype. Cool beans! Any questions? Class dismissed. -RT 2008
"All Gear and No Talent"
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2011: Dammit! I tried, and I died. Nothing to do except mop up now.
