A quarter century ago when I first heard about the Jeff Ocheltree “Spirit Of 2002” Paiste snare drums I dreamed of the day I would get to add one, or several, in each size to my arsenal of sound. But, even better, when I heard rumors that Jeff was going to build complete drum sets I vowed that one day I would own one of those as well. Of course time would write the tale of only three sets being made before production ceased.
Of those three sets, one went to the Paiste headquarters museum where it still resides today. One was made for the great drummer Danny Carey of TOOL. And one was made for the legendary drummer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the renowned Carl Palmer. Disappointed, I vowed to myself back then that if one of those sets EVER came up for sale that I would climb the highest mountain, cross the deepest ocean, or span the space time continuum to acquire…, you get the idea!
Let’s jump ahead 25 years to 2026, it gets interesting here. I saw a video earlier this year that the Jeff Ocheltree/Carl Palmer set was going to auction. I immediately signed up on the auction site and got all my ducks in a row preparing for the last day which I believe was about a one month long auction before it ended. During the last 30 minutes of the auction I made my bid and no one else had bid above me. Unfortunately, due to a glitch my bid did not go through and I spent the 30 minutes frantically trying to resolve the issue to no avail. It was around midnight when this occurred and needless to say I did not sleep that night being beyond frustrated and heartbroken.
First thing the next morning I contacted the owner of the set (who has since become a trusted friend) on messenger explaining what had happened while attempting to claim my status as the rightful new owner. Now I wait, tic toc, tic toc…, to my delight he answered me within an hour, called me, and I described with passion what had happened. He then said, how about we work this out between us. After some pretty smooth negotiations we both ended up happy. No sleep again that night as I was floating around the moon with joy telling and retelling the scenario to my family and myself.
The set was shipped “white glove” directly to my studio in a week or so. To me, the unboxing and uncasing was likened to every Christmas morning rolled into one. The incredible feeling of a “Dream Realized” while unpacking this set is something I will never forget.
The drums:
This set, like the Ocheltree snares, is made of solid bronze shells from melted down Paiste cymbals, and yes, they are remarkably heavy beasts, but worth every ounce. This set is also unique from the others in that Carl wanted a slightly thinner shell and Jeff obliged. Carls original setup consisted of a 13” tom, a 14” tom, two identical 16” floors and two twin 22” bass drums and a very special “S” Bronze snare.
This set, my set, is a little more than half of the total Carl Palmer set. Carl sold off three pieces years ago, the 13” tom, one of the 16” floors and one of the 22” bass drums. My set is the 14” tom, 16” floor, a 22” bass and the “S” Bronze 5” x 14” snare with one of only 2 or 3 solid brass prototype throws and butt plate. All the hardware on the set is gold plated. Carl Palmer not only signed the inside of each shell along with Jeff Ocheltree, but he signed the outside of every custom hard case that came with the set.
Now I want to discuss the great Mr. Jeff Ocheltree. I use the term great because in my opinion he is responsible for and possesses the the incredible ability and talent to have created what I believe are the greatest snare drums that have EVER been made since the beginning of known percussion.
Now, you may agree or disagree, but being who I am and what I do I’ve had the pleasure of playing just about every snare drum out there, and I will unequivocally state that there are none better in sound and design, period. This set is no exception to that rule, I have never heard or played its equal.
After acquiring this set and, although Jeff and I were Facebook friends, we never had the opportunity to meet or speak in person. That all changed when I made an announcement about this set on one of my favorite drum groups I started and run on Facebook, Vintage Drum Collectors & Players. A mutual friend introduced Jeff and I via phone and we have been having many long frequent conversations since, and I am proud to include Jeff among my friends.
Two more things. There has been a lot of speculation over the last few years about Jeff and his health and if he was still kicking, I can happily report that Jeff is doing very well, is healthy and ready to tackle a new project. Two, I want to personally thank you Jeff, not only for creating the best drums in the world that give me immense joy, but for simply being a friend, thanks buddy!
Stay tuned…
Edward Tucker
Studio 3T