Re: I'm Lookin' Into Buyin' A Vintage Drum Set & I Need Tips
Some of the most "vintage" sounding kits aren't vintage
at all. For 'vintage' sound & feel, at least 60% of it comes from head choice, tuning, microphones and where they're placed...and finally, how the guy
actually hits the kit.
I dunno man, I'd look into some new kits before dropping stoopid money on an old kit just for the sake of having an old kit...with it's rattling & rusted hardware, loose plys, and more limited tuning range. I'd hunt around for a used Slingerland or Noble & Cooley kit. Maybe even some "off-brand" custom stuff like Spaun, Pork Pie, or maybe a smaller builder. I just cut some tracks with a guy who's got one of these stack kits;
http://themoderndrumshop.com/stacksets.html it sounds
really "vintage" to me...think Keith Moon & Ginger which is more the guys playing then anything else...Bonhom was a WHOLE different school.
I'd also
really think about getting a new kit built by the guys at Precision Drum in NY;
http://www.precisiondrum.com/ The honest truth is that most of the higher end new kits you see are made with Keller shells and are "constructed & assembled" by DW, Spaun, GMS etc. You know those "new vintage" Ludwig kits that you see on the road with guys like Bun E. Carlos & Ringo's All Star Band? They're
actually built by Precision Drum from Keller Shells & finished with the "brand name" hardware for the touring artists. Basically ANYBODY can buy the parts, get some predrilled shells and slap a kit together, kinda like a Telemecaster...but as we ALL know there's a BIG difference between 'em...not all Keller kits are created the same.
But personally...if it were me who was about to spend $1500 or so on a kit...I'd hunt around for used gear...even mis-matched toms can be cool if they all kinda sound like 'a family' rather then seperate drums.
