actually..

I have also..

My idea was to get an extra big coffin and.. well.

I hope I can play double stroke rolls in heaven! haha.

but it is a long way off. hopefully.

Make arrangements beforehand, cause you sure cant do it afterwards, and see to it that your drums arent pawed over by a bunch of idiots in an estate sale, then end up on ebay stripped down to every nut, bolt and washer, parted out, and or destroyed. Or worse yet, some guy buys that 1964 Rogers White Marine Pearl Buddy Rich kit with the matching Dynasonic that was mispriced by the Estate Sales company for 150 bucks, because they were old, and his 15 year old wannabe hoodlam idiot teenager in the black trench coat promptly rips out the Swivo Mounts and drills the drums for pearl mounts and receivers and spray paints the whole kit flat black. ............ I have some nice kits. My wife knows what to do with them after Im gone.

Ploughman,

That's exactly what I'm talking about. You know you can't rely on any music store or even a drum shop, for that matter, to really make sure that the drums are put into the proper care. There are so many drums that have real character...especially vintage drums. They just seem to represent something from a time that no longer exists...something that deserves more than to be relegated to the random-ness of an estate sale or a music shop -ANYTHING can happen to them at these places and once they are out the door, they are forgotten.

Any drummer in possession of gray hair can tell the same (or similar) story -the one about how they traded in their old Gretsch (or whatever brand) kit that they had played for so long...knowing where every single scratch and blemish was located and why they got there -like sponges that have absorbed the history of your development as a player...that kind of sentiment. The next time you see them, they are covered with stickers and are filthy and beat-to-crap. Why? Because the the parents of some emotionally-disturbed kid came into the drum shop and decided that your old drums would make a good therapy tool...or some other reason... and now you have a new last memory of the drums. Ugh!

Like I say...there would have to be some kind of provision in place for "junk" drums...like a crematorium. Maybe they could be photographed then a photo of the owner and a bit of history about the drums could be written down, included and kept in a "tomb" of sorts. Otherwise, it would create a junkyard of poorly-made or un-historical drums.

On the other hand, when someone with a large collection of fine instruments, who has no one to pass the drums onto, what happens to them? Yard sale? Estate sale? Give them away to some kid as toys? Even the thought of it hurts my stomach.

I'll tell you another thing, too... I know that a lot of small drum shops are going away and being replaced by super-store type places.

I know it won't really matter after I'm dead...but the thought of the "wrong" person getting my treasure kinda bugs me, that's all.

In a world where people have their brain cryogenically frozen in hopes the future will revive them, a drum mausoleum doesn't seem ALL that weird, I guess!...right???!!! :p

My thought is to sell it all off before I die!!!

When the time is right and the kids are out of the house, sell it all and

pocket the change.

I have enjoyed it and the time will come when someone else will enjoy it more.

I have already experienced when a drummer friend died at 45 about two years ago and he talked to me prior to his death to remove all of his drum stuff from his house when he dies.

Well, I was the only one with him the night he died. I called his two brothers in the morning and gave them the news. I stayed until the body was carted off.

I went to work, came back about 6 hours later and removed all of the drum stuff out of the house. His family and brothers said no problem, that is what he wanted.

I still have it all and have been holding it for his daughter when she makes that decision.

Unless my death is unexpected I will make sure my son appreciates the stuff and if I do die he can sell it for the family and keep the stuff he wants.

The wife can also do the same and she knows the people to contact for the selling of all of the drums.

David

I have no problem with selling drums off before I die -IF it's to the "right" person. But, the one big flaw in that is that, none of us know when we are going to die.

As far as leaving things to sons/daughters/nieces/nephews/the school/the kid next door...whomever it may be...I don't trust in those options -just because some kid is related to me doesn't automatically mean that they will take good care of the stuff.

Hey, they make museums dedicated to old cars -and probably for much of the same sentiment that many drummers have for their drums.

For example: I own that red sparkle Jazzette kit with the little bass drum...none of it has been altered...really a sweet little kit. I've only actually seen pictures of a few of these kits over the years. I've seen ones that have been re-wrapped...I've seen ones that have been altered -on Ebay, that is...I have NEVER seen any other examples in real life...I know they are out there...I just haven't seen them. Anyway, the whole history about how the kit came together almost reads like some kind of fantastic story made up by a little kid...but it's all true. Anyway, the point, here, is that I still haven't been able to figure out who would understand that story and appreciate the rarity of the drums...someone who would want them to endure...someone who would keep them and also take great care in leaving them to another person beyond themselves...and so on.

All I need to realize this idea is to win the Florida Powerball lottery. Shouldn't be a problem...Burger Kin

Wow, the red sparkle Jazzette kit must be incredible. How'd you find it? Is there a picture somewhere?

I've been very fortunate recently to acquire two near-complete Jazzette kits for very good deals. One is blue sparkle and needs an 8x12, has no matching snare. The other is burgundy sparkle and needs a 14x14, but has a sweet little matching 13x3 Jazz Combo. I combined the two and the result made me want to sell my Rogers 18-12-14, which were my favorite drums up until now. It took a little bit to figure out the 18x12, but wow. I've always really loved Roy Haynes, and just recently found out he used to play on a Jazzette kit. I put on Andrew Hill's "Black Fire", and tuned the drums to the same pitches Roy used - D for the bass drum, Bb for the 14x14, and Eb for the 12x8. Just the sweetest sound I've ever played on. The 18x12 is a much warmer, punchier, better feeling drum to me than an 18x14.

The point is - I appreciate the Jazzette - maybe we should make a pact to take care of each other's kits in case anything happens! :D

I'm planning on taking some better photos of this kit, soon...but, as you can see, it is complete with the matching Downbeat snare and 12 X 18 bass drum

[IMG]http://www.vintagesnaredrums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=119[/IMG]

This is what happens.....

Wow! Those DW flame Mister T finishes are getting more and more realistic all the time!