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On this episode of DTB’s “Gear Masters”, Troy Bruner, drummer of the alternative pop band, little image, shows off the gear that he uses onstage, while on tour with The Academy Is. little image is currently supporting their newest single, Real Estate.

PLAY THE SAME GEAR:
Franklin Drums Acrylic Drum Kit, Brown Acrylic Finish with Wood Hoops (22x13 Bass Drum, 13x9 Rack Tom, 16x16 Floor Tom) - https://www.franklindrums.com/drum-sets
Ludwig Supraphonic Snare Drum, 14x6.5, Chrome Over Brass - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/AgWOrJ
Pearl Piccolo Snare Drum, 13x3 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/Gbmya6
Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear Bass Drumhead (Batter) - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/Jkz61e
Remo Powerstroke 3 Smooth White Bass Drumhead (Resonant) - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/ZVQG20
Remo Powerstroke Clear Tom Drumheads (Batter) - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/X4Yagy
Remo Ambassador Clear Tom Drumheads (Resonant) - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/0GZ6gY
Remo Emperor Coated Snare Drumhead (Batter) - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/vDNK5W
Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare Side Drumhead - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/NGkx5P
Zildjian 16" A Series Hi-Hats - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/qW4KQq
Zildjian 22" Paper Thin Crash Cymbal - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DWK6YG
Zildjian 18" FX Dry Crash Cymbal - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/rEQK9d
Vic Firth American Classic Extreme 55A Drumsticks - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/n4LKrR
DW 9000 Bass Drum Pedal - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/6ke63E
DW 5000 Two-Leg Hi-Hat Stand - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/2R16bM
DW 6000 Series Flush Base Cymbal Stands - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/dyaWN3
DW Snare Stand - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/NGkx1P
LP Cyclops Single-Row Hi-Hat Tambourine - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/VOmkL6
Roland SPD-SX PRO Sampling Pad - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/MKmqGY
Roland RT-30HR Snare Drum Trigger - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/7X56RV
Roland RT-30K Kick Drum Trigger - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/qW4K5q
Akai MPK Mini MIDI Keyboard Controller - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/enK0y6
Alclair Custom In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/monitorshop/designer/

VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - November 17, 2025
Location - SPACE in Evanston, IL

KEEP UP WITH LITTLE IMAGE:
Facebook - https://facebook.com/littleimage
Instagram - https://instagram.com/littleimage
TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@littleimage
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LittleImageTX

FOLLOW US:
Website/Email List - https://www.digitaltourbus.com/#/portal/signup
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/digitaltourbus
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/digitaltourbus/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@digitaltourbus
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/digitaltourbus/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/digitaltourbus
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/digitaltourbus/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-tour-bus-llc
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/user/digitaltourbus

VIDEO SUMMARY:
00:00 Introduction
00:38 Skip Intro
00:53 Drum Ki

Category

😹
Fun
Transcript
00:00We had another one and it broke and we found this at a pawn shop and we just cranked it
00:03and it sounds awesome.
00:04I just love the coded zone snares if you hit any rim shot.
00:08I grew up watching a drummer named Darren King and he did the same thing.
00:10He always played a crash for a ride.
00:38Okay, what's up everybody?
00:40My name is Troy Bruner.
00:41I play drums in a band called Little Image.
00:44We're in Chicago today.
00:46First off, I have to shout out the best drum company in the world, Franklin Drums.
00:52It's my friend Will Chapman, Grady, Tim.
00:55They build them in Minneapolis, but a lot of it's based out of Nashville.
00:59They are taking over and so this is what the kit is.
01:02It's a brown acrylic, which is really cool.
01:05You can't fully tell, but it's got a little see-through energy, a little bit of sparkle with the wood
01:10hoops.
01:11And this is a 22 by 13, which is weird and cool and punchy.
01:17This is a 13 inch by 9 and this is a 16 by 16 classic.
01:22Yeah, best drum company in the world.
01:25If you guys haven't heard of them or followed them, please go check them out because they're doing something special.
01:30Snare is a classic 6.5 by 14 Ludwig brass over chrome, super phonic.
01:40So pretty much classic, cannot go wrong.
01:43It has the hazy ambassador on the bottom and then the emperor coated on top.
01:48We crank the bottom and then keep the top a little bit more feel so you get that crack.
01:53I have had this snare I think for like 10 years and it's warping and it's got some weird, we've
01:59dented it and everything.
02:00It's got some real patina coming in on it, but you cannot beat the Ludwig 6.5.
02:06So, side scenario is just a pearl 13 by 3 or 13 by 3.5.
02:13We had another one and it broke and we found this at a pawn shop and we just crank it
02:17and it sounds awesome.
02:18Okay, so for heads, with the acrylic kit, I usually do all coated, but obviously it looks really cool and
02:24feels really cool.
02:25We have the Power Stroke clears on both the 13 and the 16.
02:30These obviously give it a little bit more of, it stings a little bit more and that's what you want
02:35on the acrylic.
02:35So, they're sounding amazing and then on the snare head, I always do the emperor coated no matter what.
02:41It lasts the longest. I hit probably too hard, so it gives me more life and it sounds perfect.
02:48Bottom of the toms, we're doing the same, the clear ambassadors on the bottom.
02:52Like a little less muffling on the bottom so they can sing more.
02:56And then same, the hazy ambassador on the bottom of the snare.
03:00Sometimes I'll get the double ply if I'm breaking them, but I haven't been recently.
03:04Kick, we have the Power Stroke 3 Remo clear as well because you can see through and it sounds perfect.
03:12Super punchy, super huge.
03:14Same on the front, it's just the front head version of it, the Franklin badge.
03:18And then the side snare emperor coated as well.
03:21I just love the coated on snares.
03:23If you hit any rim shot, if you're that guy, then I think the coated is the way to go
03:27because the ambassadors just start to break in that setting.
03:31So the emperors have been perfect.
03:32Okay, cymbals, I have to thank Eric Gras at Zildjian.
03:36He's been amazing.
03:37These are the 16-inch Avedis.
03:39They're the coolest hats I think they make.
03:41They're crispy and cut through, but they're also washy, which is exactly what we need.
03:46I use them as a crash all the time too when they're open, and it just feels good.
03:50This is the 22-inch paper-thin crash, which is my ride.
03:54And I grew up watching a drummer named Darren King, and he did the same thing.
03:58He always played a crash for a ride, and I don't need as heavy of a situation,
04:03so I basically am always crashing this thing, as you can tell.
04:06And then this is the 17-inch?
04:09No, yeah, 18-inch dry special crash, which I tried out from Eric, and I loved it.
04:15It's more of an effects thing.
04:17Kind of recently started doing another cymbal, and it's just been fun to play with.
04:20Sounds insane.
04:21Okay, sticks, we have the Vic Firth.
04:23Again, thank you, Eric, at Zildjian and Vic Firth.
04:27X55A, they're longer, and they're a little heavier than the 5As, so they last.
04:30I don't break as many these days, and they have a little bit more feel with the extra length.
04:34And for hardware, just always DW, the DW9000 pedal and the hat with the two legs has been the move.
04:43I feel like I have more room and space, but it still holds strong with the two legs, so thanks,
04:49DW.
04:49This is the Meinl attachment for the tambourine.
04:52You can see it's been beat up, but it has the single layer.
04:55They make the ones with the two layers.
04:56The single layer, I think, gets in the way less, but still gives you that feel when you're playing live
05:01and just hi-hatting along.
05:04Then these are some vintage bells that I recently found, cowbells.
05:07They're rusting and rotting, but they happen to be in a couple of the keys our music is in, and
05:13they've been fun to mess around with, especially with the tambourine.
05:16Okay, so for the electronics, we're just using the SPD Pro, the new one that just came out.
05:22It's insanely amazing.
05:24Some of the new set, I'm not playing the SPD as much, so we're just using it for the triggers.
05:27We have the roll-in snare trigger and the roll-in kick trigger, and basically every song is, you know,
05:34taking from the record so we can blend the two, and it sounds extra special.
05:38MIDI is triggering the roll-in per song so that I don't have to change the song or even a
05:43verse to chorus change.
05:45It just does it by itself, which has been amazing for a front of house to blend everything.
05:50Yeah, and then this right here is just controlling all things Ableton in case something goes down.
05:54I just have control over it. We've been rocking it that way for a long time.
05:58Yeah, and then in-years, am I alive right now?
06:01Sit.
06:03In-years, we have Alclair, Johnny at Alclair. He's been hooking us up for many years, and we're super thankful.
06:10Anytime something goes down, we have a new pair or a fixed pair within a week, and we couldn't recommend
06:14them enough.
06:15Thank you, Johnny.
06:16Okay, you can go to littleimagemusic.com. We'll be touring here in the top of the year at 26, and
06:21we would love to see you guys.
06:22Love to meet you.
06:23That's it.
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