Well this is my first post. I am a guitar player, 30 years, and have never tried drumming. Well, I do own a set of congas and bongos of decent quality. Not child's toys anyway.

I own a recording studio. After trying to use drum software Mind Blowi I realized that getting what I wanted, simple basic backbeat for simple blues ( simple from a guitar players standpoint, not from a drummers! ) was impossible and realized that REAL drumming was going to be a necessity, and preferred, so I set out on the challenge.

A very familiar story to all of you, or so I suspect, search Craigslist for a complete set for $300.00 or less that (hopefully) were not made in China.

A set shows up listing "vintage Ludwig drums with all hardware including Zildgian cymbals. $250.00.

A drummer has this set that his grandkids play on that have been lying in a garage. Seller describes them as "filthy but he would take a air compressor to them". No photos in the ad and located 2 hours away. I have lots of time due to injury so what's a couple of gallons of gas? I paid the full $250.00. I was the first caller on the first day and the seller said, after I offered $235.00, that he had had 5 callers in the last 3 hours. Ok, I'm a fish and I got hooked.

HERE ARE MY UNEDUCATED OBSERVATIONS! Help2

Kick, two toms and a floor tom. Hi hats, crash and ride with stands and hardware.

Drums have silver/grey wraps. Appear original. Metal snare. Badges say Ludwig USA. Badges have rounded corners and are black and white without the box around the serial number. The numbers are within 10 of each other but not consecutive. 7 digits that begin with the number 8. The insides are covered with "Granitite". The hardware is a healthy mix of rust and chrome. By that I mean after extended polishing I would expect permanent damage left over but who knows without trying.

Original drum hardware that holds the two toms on top of the kick drum? Maybe? I wouldn't have a clue. Kick drum has (to my eye) original black wooden rims. Ludwig kick pedal.

All cymbals are Zildgian made in USA. Hi-hats look a little small to me. I have not measured anything on the set. Slingerland hi-hat stand and pedal. Crash, again looks small to me but sounds very nice. Ride is broken. The center is broken out but there is enough left to be held onto the stand. I have no idea what it compares to, tone wise, if it was whole.

Overall the set is dirty, rusty, outer kick rim scratched and chipped, all lower rims and hardware presented in a box along with used heads, rim hardware, used sticks, another kick pedal and other stands that are totally beat and frozen in place, and as far as the mounted heads go I am clueless.

Tone. Hey, please allow me to have some slack here. Allow me to live the dream that, even though the set may only be worth $47.89, that the tone is miraculously heavenly! flowers2 Anyway, they sound really good! When I teach the guitar I teach my students vocabulary to describe tone so we can evaluate amps and guitars. I will try here. The drum tones are very deep, I love that. They have sustain. They have volume/are louder then others I have heard. The hi-hats sound weak. The crash sounds good and I can get a ride sound from it. The ride is...bad. No surprise there. At least to me anyway.

I know that this is a enormously large post and for anyone who has made it this far I THANK YOU All! So why did I write the equivalent of "War and Peace" in a post? Well I think that you can guess.

WHAT THE HELL DID I BUY? Should I love what I have with all the "character" intact? Should I fix it up with my air hose and a damp rag and some "Blaster"? Do minor stuff like reinstall the bottom rims and put on new heads on the tops? OR...did I get the "DEAL OF THE CENTURY" (I'm not holding my breath on this one) and should commit my life into a full restoration so I can be the envy of everyone who is involved or ever will be involved with "The Vintage Drum Forum"! Jumping2

I WANT TO THANK ANYONE WHO HAS READ THIS POST AND TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT TAKE THE TIME TO REPLY! I have found that great forums have great members and from the posts I have read this is great forum.

Keep on Pl

(I want to assure everyone that as a guitar player I have NEVER told a drummer joke! I swear!)Funny Post

Photos available and can be posted I just can't right at the moment.

THANKS AGAIN!