What? ...I was to... I was told that there would be NO HOMEWORK!!! ....what? ... who?  ....oh. gearheads, so, okay.
 
I've been playing PEARL drums since 1979, and with THE BIGGER ISSUES! I am currently using a 10-pc.kit that I built myself, using  70's-vintage wood/fiberglass shells, covered in a custom gun-metal sparkle. The specs are as follows:
 

• 5.5" x 8" concert tom (fiberglass)

• 6.5" x 10" concert tom (fiberglass)

• 8" x 12" mounted tom (wood/fiberglass)

• 9" x 13" mounted tom (wood/fiberglass) 

• 15" x 16" floor tom (wood/fiberglass) 

• 14" x 20" floor tom ( actually a ROGERS 1964 wood-shell bass drum, restored, lined w/fiberglass resin, fitted with vintage Pearl hardware & inverted on 4 legs)

• I4" x 22"  bass drum (wood/fiberglass)

• 6" x 13" Ludwig chrome-over-steel Timbale

• 3" x 13" Pearl black steel piccolo snare drum

• 4"x10" Pearl Short Fuse snare

• this kit also has 10" x 14" & 14" x 14" toms that I swap in & out when the spirit moves me

 
I also have another PEARL kit, same shells - Jet Black finish, in bigger sizes (24" bass, 18" floor, full set of concert toms, etc.)
 
My main snare for live work, since the day I acquired it, is a LUDWIG 6.5" x 14" BLACK BEAUTY, w/ Ludwig channeled die-cast hoops top & bottom (and recently modified with the P86 Millenium throw-off), that I bought new in 1978. (yes, Blue & Olive, pointy-cornered badge, and my thanks to the late, GREAT LarrieLondin for teaching me how to tame the G******M thing!)

I have PORK PIE's version (same specs & hdwre.) as a back-up, and will occasionally pull out my (SHUT UP, SEAN) PEARL Eric Singer Signature.
I build, repair and restore drums on the side, and have built up a huge pile of cool, 60's & 70's era vintage snare drums over the years. Maybe we'll get some pics up on the site before too long....
 
As far as cymbals go, I'm a Zildjian guy from day one, and I am still convinced that they're the best in the business. I'm also Massachusetts-born, so they're like carrying a piece of home around with me. I've amassed a nice collection over the years, but here's what I'm currentlyusing with THE BIGGER ISSUES!:
 

• 14" A. Zildjian hi-hats (QUICK-BEAT top, ROCK bottom)  - Mid 80's

• 16" A. Zildjian Medium Thin Crash - 1994

• 16" A. Zildjian Thin Crash - 1982

• 16" K. Zildjian  Dark thin crash - 1984

• 8" K. Custom splash - 2001

• 10" A. Zildjian splash - 1982

• 18" AMIR crash - 1982/3 (this was Zildjians' first real attempt at a budget line, but they sounded GREAT! I heard that Carmine Appice was digging them, so I tried this one, and it's been my main right-side crash ever since.)

• 21" A. Zildjian Rock21 Ride - 1977 or 78 .. right when they debuted.

• 18" A. Zildjian Pang - 1989

• 18" A. Zildjian Thin crash - 2010

• 16" Zildjian ZBT China

• 18" A. Zildjian Chinese Gong

 
I've also been using AQUARIAN Cymbal Springs since they first hit the market. I hit pretty hard, and I haven't broken a cymbal since I started using them. And I've still got some of the very first ones on my kit!
 
I use a combination of (mostly) PEARL & GIBRALTAR hardware, and most days you'll find me using either a vintage PREMIER PD252  or newer model PEARL ELIMINATOR single bass pedal (with RHYTHM TECH beaters).
 
I'm a life-long REMOguy . I use coated Emperor or Emperor-X on my snare batters, with a Hazy Ambassador snare-side. Clear C.S. Black-dot on the concert toms, clear Pinstripe batter & clear Ambassador resonant on all double-headed toms, and a clear Pinstripe batter & custom Black Ambassador (with a KICKPORT) on the bass.
 
I use VIC FIRTH SD-1 GENERAL sticks & and various Vic Firth mallets, brushes, wands &rutes.
 
I use SKB hardshell cases for roadwork and Humes & Berg DRUM SEEKER bags for local gigging.
 
And... oh, yeah, I play guitar around here, too.......
 
My favorite stage guitar is a late 90's era YAMAHA AXP-4A, tricked out & set up by our friend & luthier BARRETT CULPEPPER.

I also carry a 1974 OVATION Balladeer 12-string, a 1978 GIBSON G-3 bass, a 2014 JAY TURSER acoustic bass (it KILLS!), a tele-style Parts-caster that I built myself, and....... you know, I SWEAR I've got an EPIPHONE violin bass, tricked out with HOFNER parts, but I can NEVER find the d**n thing........
 
I like ROTO-SOUND's on my basses, ERNIE BALL Regular Slinky on my electrics, and MARTIN M series on my acoustics, but, SCREAMIN' JOHN just turned me on to these fabulous D'ADDARIO EXP series, and now I'm having a mid-life string crisis...
 
With THE BIGGER ISSUES, I usually run direct into the board, but when I do amp up, I prefer almost anything AMPEG for bass, and I'm partial to older VOX AC30's & FENDER TwinReverb's for both acoustic & electric 6-strings.
 
There's also the ever-growing pile of percussion toys, but we'll save that for another time........
 
Hey, ELLIE, did I leave my Epiphone in your studio?.......... &^$#%(*&^$(!!!