This is an interesting offering. Buddy Rich at 100 years. I can't even believe that much time has passed.
Note to Tommy P: Don't even open this link Tommy. Too tempting! Yes Sir
https://www.maxwelldrums.com/ludwig-buddy-rich-centennial-drum-p-16626.html
Hey Dan!
Well, you know that TommyP is going to check it out! A cool kit. Priced to high for me! I'll be interested to read Tommy's thoughts on it. Thanks for the link!
-Mark
This is an interesting offering. Buddy Rich at 100 years. I can't even believe that much time has passed. Note to Tommy P: Don't even open this link Tommy. Too tempting! Yes Sirhttps://www.maxwelldrums.com/ludwig-buddy-rich-centennial-drum-p-16626.html
Hey Dan! / Mark!
Indeed. I've actually been aware of this project/offering since it's inception! Price was discussed!, and more on that in a moment. On the positive side: A WONDERFUL tribute to Buddy for his Centennial, no doubt there! .. but .. and this is only my opinion here, but ...
... for that amount of cash .. $6500.00 .. the set should at least have the Ludwig Modular tom holder and not the rail consolette. The drums offered are supposed to be based on Buddy's last Ludwig endorsement/set, and those had the Modular tom mount, not the rail consolette. Buddy never played a Ludwig wood model snare drum for any amount of time during the period that this set is celebrating. He played Ludwigs SuperSensitive model in both chrome and later, Hammered Bronze. The Hammered Bronze was his favorite! No hardware??!! Again, for $6500.00, there should be a complete hardware package with these drums too .. and .. they should be the #1406 Hercules model, as should be the HH and snare drum stand. Back to the positive ...
... the period WMP wrap is beautiful! That is a plus!I have always loved that version of Ludwig WMP ... and in this case, with NO RIVETS!!! :) So ...
$6500.00 is just too high for what is offered here in my opinion. I think they should have priced these in the $4000.00/$4500.00 range. Include the proper snare drum, and all the other hardware including the Ludwig Modular tom mount, and NOW you can ask $6500.00.
I DO think they will sell some for sure!, but nowhere near as many as they would with the price in a more comfortable area, and especially so with the wrong snare drum and no hardware! I do like them though!, although, and again this is completely subjective: I always thought Buddy sounded the best when he was with Rogers! Not his playing, THAT is an absolute! ... his SOUND ... the sound of the drums themselves. The Rogers, they were it!, and those ... I have! :) Here are a couple of my favorite pics out of my collection from the very time/era this set is supposed to celebrate ... Modular tom mount, Hercules hardware, and a SuperSensitive!
Tommyp
Does anyone remember when Cathy Rich marketed a Buddy Rich drumset around 2007? I met Cathy at NAMM that year and had a chance to inspect the drums, which were made "offshore." They were pretty awful as I remember.
IMO, Buddy was a Slingerland player. His last set was old Radio Kings that Joe Eames restored and gave to him. Buddy loved that set and used them until he died.
I will always remember Buddy for playing Rogers and Slingerland. Ludwig not so much. I have found a few good YouTube videos where his Ludwig drums, especially the SS snare, sound great. But, for the most part, I was never thrilled with the overall sound from his Ludwig drums.
Tommyp, you are correct in regards to price vs what's included. I just did not want to be the first to say it! You're the expert with everything "Buddy" and I knew you'd weigh in!
And, as for the Modular tom mount, was there a Setomatic plate on the rack tom? What was on the bass drum? It appears to be a modular arm between the bass and rack, but I was just never sure what was on the bass drum.
As to quality of workmanship, based on new Ludwig drums I've owned, Ludwig better be going over these with a fine tooth comb! But, somehow, I doubt it. OK, Ludwig rant is over!
-Mark
I can't imagine why they think this set is worth that much unless there is some crazy licensing fee, which I'm sure there is, associated with this venture.
I think Tommy nailed it down beautifully... where is the modular tom hardware, especially considering the double set of bass spurs??? A canister throne can't justify/bump this price, and the snare issue... granted it is a pretty wrap, but come on, $6.5K just for the tubs!!!!
DrumBob / Mark / Hoppy!
DrumBob: Technically speaking, Buddy was with WFL/Ludwig THREE times in his career ... Slingerland, two. That said though, I know what you're sayin' with regard to his last set, which was restored and gifted to him by Joe MacSweeney .. OF .. the EAMES Drum Co. Again, I know what you meant though! :)
Mark: Yes indeed ... and good eye on BR's Modular mount! It was indeed a "custom" Modular mount in that it did NOT have that bulky/boxy and huge bass drum/tom plate that the standard production Modular mount was known for. I read how the mount he had came to be, and it was just much less bulky and made up of Ludwig's standard double tom mount plate on both the bass drum and the rack tom! Simple actually!, and so much nicer too I think. That being said, WHY didn't Ludwig do THAT with the Centennial set I wonder? So much nicer/neater, and would be spot on correct for a Ludwig tribute Buddy set.
Hoppy: Agreed! I think it would have been easy enough to supply at LEAST a SupraPhonic chrome snare drum .. which Buddy also played actually .. rather than the wood model they are offering. Again, after leaving WFL/Ludwig for Rogers in 1960, Buddy never played another Ludwig wood model snare drum as his regular use drum, again. WHY offer one with his Centennial tribute set? And, at $6500.00??!! YIKES!
Here's a pic from my collection that a friend of mine took back around 1979/80, and you can easily see the tom mount plate. Note that this was during Buddy's extremely short lived Syndrum experiment too! :)
Tommyp
I'm not at all surprised at BR's preference for a Super Sensitive. That man's playing was so very deadly accurate and articulate that a Super Sensitive is the only snare that can keep up with him!
Great review Tommy...
John
Good stuff everyone. Some very interesting details on the original. One thing on which I do agree with Tommy is that the WMP Ludwig used was (and is) beautiful. I really like it when it gets a very light green tint during the aging. I also tend to agree that Buddy sounded best on the Rogers sets, and in particular, right around 1964 when he was with Harry James.
I nearly busted a gut when Tommy reminded us of the riveted wrap on their drums somewhere during the 80's. I recall seeing a WMP set at Haverhill Music Center in Haverhill, MA sometime in the early 90's. I could not believe my eyes. Rivets to hold the wrap!!! Talk about ugly. I wonder if it held the wrap. Anyway, doesn't get much worse than that.
Tommy-
I remember seeing Buddy at a local high school auditorium (Indian River HS, Chesapeake, VA) in 1980. That was his kit configuration, including the Syndrum, which he hit exactly once. Wow. Memories.
Do you know where that photo was taken?
