I just want to know why no one has reproduced that snare drum, I am sure Billy Gladstone was a superb craftsmen but I am sure that there are very talented drum builders that could step up to the challenge. Also the statement of the drums sitting on Mikes shelf, would that be Mr. Crurotto?

Arie Lang has and does, and has been for quite sometime!! and was a certain student to a certain someone? http://www.langpercussion.com/

Thank you for the link, VM2K. Love the 7" Cocobolo with gold hardware. Very cool and would love to hear it.

B

Hey Chet, that $30K seems like a steal, now.

As for expensive kits, a few months ago, I saw a Ludwig USO Tour kit that was being offered at $100K, on ebay. Don't know if it sold or if it's even still available (or if was the real deal). I remember being shocked, though. Perhaps as drums may creep up trowards crazy money, well start to see more special drums and kits come out of the woodwork.

Thanks again for posting the Gladstone sale link. Fun to see.

B

Bill, your welcome, I had the pleasure of spending 30 minutes with Arie Lang at the Atlanta Vintage Drum Show, he was Awesome super energetic, I played this cocobolo, and even his real Gladstone, I actually played six display models in a row, one being the cocobolo, the real Gladstone a maple vaughncraft solid shell, a walnut shell, birch, and a 7" plied maple shell, He asked me which ones I liked I told him the solid vaughncraft, the cocobolo is to high timbered to my taste, I told him the one on the end I didn't particularity care for, he laughed and stated I had to have the bearing edges redone 3 times to get it right, he said a lot of the Gladstone drummers had the edges re cut, just stating what was told to me! but his drums are Superb Instruments, just ask Chet!

Well ok then!

Hi,

Reading through all this, I started wondering more and more about how Gladstone built his drums. What he made personally, what he contracted out to Gretsch and others. Then I wondered where he did all this book.

So, I bought the book! "Billy Gladstone" by Chet.

I am looking forward to its arrival and what I can glean.

BTW when I sent this link to a few of my musician friends, one replied with this bass guitar auction for a John Entwhistle Guild Bass:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1970s-GUILD-STARFIRE-BASS-EX-JOHN-ENTWISTLE-/260759355672?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3cb6780118

cheers,

Patrick

Absolutely!

I am with you here Mike. I would not think twice about it.

It IS a "collector's Holy Grail" no question. I would rather have these drum over a collector's car of same or higher value.

As a drummer and a modest collector of drums I could not think of anything in drumdom that I would rather sit behind in my livingroom

The Band

Cheers!

Bill, the guy that owns that kit puts it up every so often to show it off. The next time you see it, read the whole text, you get a feel for how he feels. He is a vintage dealer, although his name escapes me at the moment. He has a partner in his business, and occasionally that ad sows up here with the obligatory "WTF!!!" exclamations and ten it explained to the OP that they should go back and read the entire thing, as he really has no desire to sell that particular kit. He happens to be a vintage Ludwig lover and knows that by keeping the ad at 100K, he won't have to entertain any serious offers to sell that kit.

On to the Gladstone, I would love to hear any recordings of it played in an orchestral setting. Chet, do you know where we can find any such recordings?