While I agree with tnsquint,...You would have been better served to get Phonics in Europe !! Just my opinion, all what you want without changeing anything !!
You mean Sonor Phonics? They are very very cheap here :) For Sonor I would like to have Sonor Lite drums.....birch..mmmm
I wish more people would post like this! You have pretty much described exactly what you are looking for in very concise terms. I would absolutely re-cut the edges. You should be able to tune that 13" really low which would create a dark timbre that is synonymous with vintage drums. You should also be able to tune it up higher which is also a characteristic of a vintage sound. That kit would have been made during the fashion transition of going from a relatively high tuning found in a lot of pop records in the mid to late sixties to the much deeper tuning favored in the 70's. The shell technology did not change so your drum should be able to give you both. You will probably find that the Lidwig kit will sound darker, warmer and not have as much volume while the Yamaha kit will probably be a bit brighter, possibly "wetter" and certainly louder. Two really good studio drum choices. With just those two kits you should be able to achieve a wide range of tonal possibilities that engineers and producers will love. Fix that 13" so that you have whatever they need in your arsenal!
Thanks :)
I must admit the yamahas sound incredible too. I have indeed all the possibility for the studio. the toms of recording custom sound amazing, Im using it with the maple bass though because the RC bassdrum really is too heavy and has not so much depth.
For the Ludwig I like the possibility of the low tuning but also like the higher tuning, so I should have the both possibility's.
I think I will have to do the edges... :)
For the low tuning, I like the possibility, but I think lot of people playing ludwig like to tune them too low sometimes incl. snare. I still think that a little bit high frequency is necessary for the music mix. So I like lower tunings but with nice sustain that contains a bit of high freauency's
Thanks :)I must admit the yamahas sound incredible too. I have indeed all the possibility for the studio. the toms of recording custom sound amazing, Im using it with the maple bass though because the RC bassdrum really is too heavy and has not so much depth.For the Ludwig I like the possibility of the low tuning but also like the higher tuning, so I should have the both possibility's.I think I will have to do the edges... :)For the low tuning, I like the possibility, but I think lot of people playing ludwig like to tune them too low sometimes incl. snare. I still think that a little bit high frequency is necessary for the music mix. So I like lower tunings but with nice sustain that contains a bit of high freauency's
Low tunings and even hyper low tunings are back in vogue these days. I am not a huge fan as I prefer drums with a bit more character, however, they should also be tuned according to the particular idiom. You may find that a different batter head may give you more of what you are looking for in high freq response. It might be that a clear head would be better for lower tunings for you. I worked with a drummer recently that had switched to Remo smooth white Emporers for just that reason. He had always used two ply coated heads but artists and producers constantly wanted lower tunings. The smooth white bridged the gap between clear and coated and gave him some additional high end while still maintaining a darker quality.
You mean Sonor Phonics? They are very very cheap here :) For Sonor I would like to have Sonor Lite drums.....birch..mmmm
Indeed they are,..and well worth what ya pay. Over here across the pond,..not so easy to get hold of and not cheap. They were mostly Europian marketed.
Good luck finding anyone willing to part with their Lites !! That is rare !! They don`t pack enough punch as the Phonics.
Ludwig was make`n crap in the 70`s,..but Sonor did not cheap out til the 80`s !! They tried in the early 70`s but found quickly that quality is better !!
I've had Precision Drum Co recut my 68 Ludwigs, and chop 80s Superstar powertoms down to standard sizes with new edges. I'm so happy with their work that I'll probably send every drum I buy to them from now on. I say go for it. I consider my drums to be for my playing and enjoyment. I don't have them around to be investments, they are my drums. So I do what it takes to make them sound great.
Low tunings and even hyper low tunings are back in vogue these days. I am not a huge fan as I prefer drums with a bit more character, however, they should also be tuned according to the particular idiom. You may find that a different batter head may give you more of what you are looking for in high freq response. It might be that a clear head would be better for lower tunings for you. I worked with a drummer recently that had switched to Remo smooth white Emporers for just that reason. He had always used two ply coated heads but artists and producers constantly wanted lower tunings. The smooth white bridged the gap between clear and coated and gave him some additional high end while still maintaining a darker quality.
I tried some Ludwig heads now. I didn't have a chance to test them a lot yet, but the first impression is they give good tone, with very good punch, something that would work well in the studio and under mics in my thought.
To try emperor I will have to re-edge my 13 tom I think. I think the smooth white is a good alternatie because for me the clear heads tend to sound a bit 'plastic'.
Indeed they are,..and well worth what ya pay. Over here across the pond,..not so easy to get hold of and not cheap. They were mostly Europian marketed.Good luck finding anyone willing to part with their Lites !! That is rare !! They don`t pack enough punch as the Phonics.Ludwig was make`n crap in the 70`s,..but Sonor did not cheap out til the 80`s !! They tried in the early 70`s but found quickly that quality is better !!
Well I did not see a lot of them on the 2ndhanded market. But the ones available are actually pretty cheap. I have the impression that sonor - apart from the signature horst link series - is not appreciated so much in the vintage market here. Almost all the old Sonor drums go here pretty cheap.
There was a Sonor Lite set for sale here for around 1000euro without snare.....for me that was too much of a new investement, although I really like this drums.
For now I am happy with my 71 Ludwigs.
Very informative thread guys, thanks!
Well, I decided to do it.
But went with the drums in studio (edges are not done yet) and the engeneer just said: the toms sound incredible........so still do it?
Should I do the bassdrum too?
It's pretty expensive all together, is the bass worth doing it?
thanks
Well, I decided to do it. But went with the drums in studio (edges are not done yet) and the engeneer just said: the toms sound incredible........so still do it?Should I do the bassdrum too?It's pretty expensive all together, is the bass worth doing it?thanks
If you are doing studio work then you want to have your drums in tip top shape as they are always under an aural microscope. You also need flexibility and need to be able to achieve that flexibility really quickly. The engineer may have liked what you were giving him because it worked well with that particular style of music. What happens when a producer asks for a lower tuning?
As to bass drums, they are certainly far more forgiving. Make sure it is level and the edge is clean. You might touch it up a bit by hand and there are a ton of threads about how to do that on this site. If you have a chewed up edge, then it should be recut professionally as well.
