Choosing the drums at the age of 13

was easy for Jimenez, simply because “it seemed like the coolest instrument.” Earning income from his paper route, Jimenez picked up his first kit, a Slingerland set from his next-door neighbor.

Born and raised in L.A., the self-taught drummer entered the professional music scene at 19. From there, he had started bands, joined bands and eventually snowballed his way into stints with a number of rock outfits, including The Pop Narcotic (who were signed to Volcom), Modern Movement (a band that found Jimenez on bills opening shows for numerous well-known bands) and most recently, Snakes Alive, his current metal band.

One of Guitar Center's valued customers, Jimenez has plenty of experience working in the independent rock scene and understands what's it like to engage in bouts of self-promotion. “I think that using the tools available online–like Facebook and MySpace–and other websites are really crucial and important for independent acts to spread the word about their music, their shows, their merchandise and you can connect with so many bands...I don't see how any bands currently can go without it, big or small.”

In fact, remaining a self-managed, independent artist is preferable for Jimenez. “I would definitely say I like it on a smaller scale because I prefer to be in control of that music and the presentation of that music, as opposed to having someone else make those kinds of decisions for me. So, I think that selling it yourself, distributing it yourself, doing it yourself is the way to go.”

And Jimenez also adds that hitting the stage is integral for self-promotion. “I think that playing a live show is still where it's at,” he says. “Obviously both mediums work together, but once [the audience] gets there, you can really establish a fanbase and sell your records. I really believe in the live aspect of it.”

Jimenez's current stage setup includes a four-piece Ludwig drumset with some decidedly rock dimensions–a 14” rack tom, 16” floor tom and a 26” bass drum–and is rounded out by a 14” Ludwig Black Beauty snare and a set of Paiste 2002 cymbals. Simply put, Jimenez's gear is about as acoustic as a drum set gets.

And that's where Roland and Guitar Center threw Jimenez a twist. As part of its Test Drive program, Roland and Guitar Center gifted a set of Roland V-Drums to Jimenez at the Hollywood Guitar Center location, which also included a day at Roland headquarters for a tutorial to introduce him to the gear he just received.

The expressive and versatile Roland V-Drums electronic drum system that Jimenez received merges the intricacies of an acoustic kit with the advanced technology and convenience of electronics. With its patented Mesh Heads, the internationally-acclaimed V-Drums more closely replicates the natural feel of acoustic drums. And coupled with its TD-series sound modules, Roland V-Drums offers a bountiful array of sounds and kits.

Still, it's the type of kit–electronic–that was initially completely off Jimenez's radar. “My first impression of electronic drum sets when I first saw them many years ago was that there was no way this could replace an acoustic drum set because of the feel and the sound, I just thought there's no way,” he recalls. “It seemed to be something that was a lesser than an acoustic drum set at the time...A lot of the reaction from drummers was probably that it was a practice-type of product and not something that could be taken seriously in a live application.”

“When I used to see drummers playing electric drum sets, I just pigeonholed them into a certain type of music, for example, New Wave, or something like that, something where everything is really heavily electronic,” Jimenez adds. “As much as I love that kind of music, it's not something for me. And I'd think that I can't really do that, because I'm not going to play that kind of music.”

With one-on-one training from Roland's Drew Armentrout at the company's offices in Los Angeles, Jimenez was more thoroughly introduced to his set of V-Drums.

Armentrout even showed Jimenez the V-Drums' unique CY-series V-Cymbals, including the CY-8 Dual Trigger Cymbal Pad and the CY-5 hi-hat cymbals, which are also dual-trigger, with edge and choking capabilities. “But, used in conjunction with the FD-8 control pedal, I have all those nuances in between to emulate the feeling of an acoustic hi-hat,” Armentrout explains.

Armentrout went on to discuss heel splashes, which Jimenez started performing while seated at the kit, without any specific instructions.

“See, how you just did it? You didn't have to think about how you were doing it,” says Armentrout. “You just naturally played the way you normally would.”

“I can't believe this,” Jimenez replies, with an amazed laugh.

“That's again the point of the V-Drum experience, as we call it,” Armentrout explains. “It's to make a playing experience for a drummer where, yes, it's an electronic drum set, it's different than what you might be used to, but we're putting you in a familiar area where things kind of feel at home.”

Jimenez notes that his latest impression of electronic kits has changed with his introduction to the V-Drums kit. The ability to tune the drums and changing the sizes of the cymbals has made for a more enticing electronic setup for this seasoned acoustic kit drummer.

“I have very little experience when it comes to electronic drum kits and being mostly an acoustic drum set player, I never had too much use for it, so it's interesting to start to play on this Roland drum kit,” Jimenez said, getting his first taste of the V-Drums.

Jimenez noted the advantages of the two-way triggering capabilities on the V-Drums kit surfaces and being able to manipulate the sounds during his initial experience. “The different types of drum sets will definitely give me a bigger presence in the band that I'm currently in, definitely,” he says. “Right now, I can definitely see myself using it in rehearsal applications and practicing at home. It'll probably take some time for it to grow on me as far as live drums are concerned.”

Although he wasn't completely sold on using the kit on stage after his initial test drive, the natural experience of the V-Drums did leave Jimenez with a decidedly positive impression. “I think it's great and it's making me a believer, that's for sure,” he says.

A week after receiving his V-Drums kit and the private tutorial by Roland, the staunch acoustic drum player seemed to remain positive and upbeat about his latest instrument. Bringing it home, Jimenez found that the kit was extremely easy for him to set up. “Everything that came with it, the manual and instructions, were real easy to follow.”

“It takes up hardly any space,” he adds. “It is pretty small. It's so easy to put in a small area and just leave it there. And even when you set it up, it doesn't take any space at all.”

Jimenez adds that one of the V-Drums kit's highlights is the fact that it's well constructed. “Just in my short time with it, even though it's light, it's deceptively really strong. It does feel durable. It's a pretty rugged little thing here.”

Plus, Jimenez was impressed by the V-Drums design. “They really thought everything out. And it's just so easy to use. The brain on it with all the sounds is just awesome.” Another highlight for Jimenez are the number of the options available on the actual TD-9 sound module.

And it's not just for the professionals, as Jimenez thinks that V-Drums could be better suited for beginner- and intermediate-level drummers because of its integrated metronome, making it a useful teaching tool. “Also, the prerecorded songs that are also in there would really help somebody learning to play drums.”

But what are Jimenez's plans for his V-Drums after a private tutorial and spending a week with the kit?

“I think in the capacity that I use it, it's going to be more of a practice tool. I live in an apartment so I'm pretty sure my neighbors will really appreciate the fact that they won't have to hear any sounds coming from here, just beats going right through my headphones.“

Though he may not be seen on stage with his V-Drums at his next show, he's not ruling out the possibility of using it a club sometime down the line. “I was just unfamiliar with the technology going in and just being exposed to it just opened up my mind to like, other options. I know I mentioned that I would be using this strictly as a practice tool, but over time, when I have more time to sit here and play on this thing, I might change my opinion on how I use it. Maybe one day I will use in the future for something other than practice, I'm just not sure yet.”

Regardless of where he plays his latest kit, one thing's for certain–his experience thus far has remained absolutely positive. “The V-Drums is an awesome piece of technology and fantastic to play on,” Jimenez says, “A lot of fun.”