http://spokane.craigslist.org/msg/4344703831.html
My friend has a set of Granstars, birch, they sound great. The snare included with the kit makes this a steal!
http://kpr.craigslist.org/msg/4338044945.html
The Renowns sound great, not USA made though.
Well then, there are deals to be had in the player grade vintage market. You can get a pretty serious player grade kit for $1,500.
Ludwig keystone baged gear from the 60's and blue/olive baged gear from the 70's is nice. Ludwig Standards and Club Date models use the same shells but different hardware configurations making both a bit cheaper. Gretsch Round Badge from the 60's or Stop Sign badge gear from the 70's is also nice. Generally their mounting hardware is pretty underwhelming. Slingerland drums are nice and, for whatever reason, do not command quite as high prices. Rogers might be a good choice if you wanted vintage and here is my take on it.
Vintage round over edges and often mahogany shell layups sound really great, fat and warm. Be advised, that compared to many contemporary drums with single or double 45 bearing edges, most vintage drums do not have quite the same horsepower. I had current model DW, Yamaha and Spaun kits set-up next to an early 70's Ludwig kit. After having spent a few minutes playing the other three kits I then sat down at the Ludwig kit. It sounded really, really good but I quickly noticed that I felt I had to beat the daylights out of it. Now that probably would not be the case if all I was playing was the vintage kit but the comparison between styles was pretty drastic. Now Rogers was one of the first companies to incorporate sharper edges so that may work to your benefit. Plus, Rogers is always spoken of highly here. Don't forget brands like Sonor and Premier. Both very good options as well.
In my opinion, I never worry with vintage hardware on vintage player kits. It's nice for photos, but in most cases I add isolation mounts and get on with it.
Hey Matt,
Sending you a PM. MIJ to 40's Slingys here. Most are apart.
More than happy to show you what to look for.
Creighton
Rogers was one of the first companies to incorporate sharper edges so that may work to your benefit. Plus, Rogers is always spoken of highly here.
Definitely! I played a Spaun kit next to my Rogers recently and I have to say that my Rogers projects much like a modern kit, yet oozes vintage tone.You could pick up a players grade Rogers kit with Holiday shells for much less than your present budget.
I should say that $1500 is the max I would be willing to spend, not really my budget. Cool Dude
Matt,
Your post is full of valid questions. However, consider the type of music you will be playing. I would consider a maple shell kit with a 45 degree bearing edge for projection. As far as quality goes, vintage drum quality is subjective. Some think Rogers are better than Slingerland, or Gretsch were the best during the 60's.....it's subjective. If you go vintage, the condition of the drums is what to focus on, make sure they are in good condition. A bad spot on a bearing edge can ruin the sound. New/Modern drums like the Catalina's you mention will sound a lot different. I can play my 59 Slingerland's, then step over to the PDP kit and hear differences in tone and sound between the woods and bearing edges.
Don't forget the hardware! Vintage hardware can't hold a candle to modern advances in the hardware of today. For that reason, if you are playing them out, you'll want reliability. Nothing worse than a pedal spring breaking, or a wing nut loosening during a 45 minute set(ask me how I know!).
PDP's Concept Maple's are quite affordable and quality you can see and hear in the drums and hardware.
If it's vintage you want, the floor is open to options. 70's Ludwigs are a good choice, Gretsch, Slingerland's........
Good Luck and the fun part is looking!D' Drummer
