Ya i guess you need the right buyer for a kit that is not player friendly. I have an Educator kit with plastic lugs. Its a rare kit but I have never played it afraid it will break. I like to play my drums, not just look at them.

These are rare kits, by definition, that is, not many were made. George at R & R is absolutely correct in stating this. Moreover, while yes, they mark the demise of Leedy & Ludwig, the fact that L & L was willing to take such a huge step (risk) in terms of innovating (because of George Way) is historically significantly, especially considering the era (i.e. post-war America in which innovation and invention were going to create gadgets to make life easier – who would possible want to fuss with a “clunky’ drum key when all you have to do is turn a knob). So, collectors still want to get there hands on them.

Realistically, though, the kit is worth $2000 or a bit less. Even though it can’t be considered a playable kit, there is undeniable historical value.

As to why GC has it priced at $13,000, it’s just an accounting manipulation. If you have an unusual vintage item in your store, who knows what it’s worth? Where are the comparisons? So, you say it’s worth $13,000 and you can pad your assets, meaning that your company is worth more than it might actually be. I would argue that the kit is worth more to GC in their inventory, than if they were ever to actually sell it.

I guess a more optimistic way of looking at it is while it did kill Leedy, it allowed WFL to buy back it's dies and designs...

And btw I have a"slinger-Leedy" which is just a Slingerland with art deco lugs, so it is my opinion is that Leedy died when Slingerland bought them.

Gee, I must be the only guy who played a set of these on gigs and liked them. I played a set for several gigs and loved them. Really sounded fantastic, with tons of low end and resonance. I had the snare drum doctored up by Jack Lawton so that it could be cranked up tighter without damaging it. However, the inner workings like the toggle arms are really poorly made, so I ended up using a different snare drum, out of fear of it breaking.

One major defect with all of the Knob Tension drums is the fact that as you tighten the heads, the toggle arms exert too much pressure on the reinforcing rings and that, along with the crappy glue that Leedy & Ludwig used, caused them to break loose.

I can see how the drums would have eventually fallen apart over the years and why drummers in the 50's didnt like them. Also, they are REALLY heavy to haul around. On the upside, they definitely got a lot of looks.

Maybe in a hundred years, people will be talking about the "Electric Tension" drum set that was a flop in 2050!:)

Bun is correct. KT drums are a tough sell.

Some photos.....