The collection now includes a pocket pad, a couple different versions of a rubber-topped snare pad (complete with cheesy fake snare sound), and a first-generation reserve pad with the snare sound built in.
Wanting to complete my set, as it were, I decided to bite the bullet and order a new Xymox reserve pad, which came with my choice of colors, laminates and size. I opted for the 12" size, single-sided reserve. (There was a two-sided option with a thick rubber underside but that was well beyond my budget.)
And then I waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
Over time, I stopped worrying about it.
Xymox is known for their very long wait-times; and they have been ever since they went to a semi-custom operation, with the warehouse in southern California and their factory overseas (presumably in China). I had heard horror stories of people who got tired of waiting, or people who'd been told to expect a six-week wait and a year later still had not gotten their order. I'd heard about awful interactions between customers and the owner of the company where the owner lashed out at the irate customer. It all sounded bad.
So when I ordered my pad, I decided ahead of time to be good. To behave the way my mother (z'l) raised me. To mind my manners.
And you know what?
I still had an eight-month wait for my pad. But when I had questions, I could email Melissa in the California office, and I was always cheerful and polite and appreciative (especially when I learned that she was basically handling the entire office operation and all the ordering herself). So every time I had a question, and I ended it with a thank-you and a have-a-good-week, I always got a nice reply explaining where my pad might be in the queue.
And so a few days ago, I got a nice email with a tracking number, telling me my pad had been shipped.
It arrived yesterday.
a. the nuts that keep the snare mechanism in place on the underside are made of aluminum alloy, and one came already stripped out and unable to tighten securely. Hmm.
Since the pad took 8 months to arrive, I'm not sure how long I'd have to wait for such a small replacement part. I'll contact Xymox to find out.
b. The carbon head has a fairly thick laminate that gives the pad a feel somewhere between horribly over-tightened mylar and 1st generation woven kevlar. It's still a harder feel as pads go, but less intense than the 1st generation Xymox pads with non-adjustable bead boxes.
c. "Tuning" bolts on top seem designed to only go tight enough to keep the laminate and rim securely in place, not to change the feel or sound of the head of the pad. I hesitate to tighten farther than "merely secure" in case I strip them out. This might be a case of over-design for the sake of aesthetics here.
4. The colors are vibrant and rich. The silver carbon head gleams under the laminate, and the electric indigo is brilliant against the pearl white paint.
5. The non-skid rubber underneath has been reduced to four silver dollar-sized dots of black rubber, rather than a larger rubber base.
For some reason, this pad weighs less than the 1st generation version, I'd guess because less metal is used in the snare mechanism design. Or because more aluminum is being used.
6. Curiously, there was NO instruction booklet or paperwork of any kind included, a strange choice on Xymox's part. I'll ask about that when I email the company. Maybe there's something online but I couldn't find anything current.
UPDATE: Xymox responded on two points: a. They don't provide any paperwork with their pads, and no instructions ("everything you need is online, either at our web site or on someone's Youtube video," I was told.
b. I was asked to take and send cloe-up photos of the offending nut, only to discover that it's a stripped BOLT that's preventing me from tightening down that nut. I sent photos and they will hopefully let me know what, if anything, they can do. The pads do not come with a warranty (they told me that as well), and even though this happened at the factory there may be nothing I can do about it.
Happily, I remain satisfied enough with the overall feel of playing this pad that I'll keep it regardless. If Xymox cannot offer a solution, I'll choose between leaving the snare mechanism as it is, or removing the ball bearings entirely -- and then applying blue loctite to the threads of the offending bolt. Either way, it's not fatal.
Here's a short video of me playing something on the new pad. Nothing fancy -- the arthritis has been rough this week -- but I decided it was cool enough to keep, and last night I put the 1st-generation Xymox pad up for sale. It sold this morning, and I just sent it off. I think I'm going to like this one better, even if I can't play it every day.
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