Nice 1952 Leedy & Ludwig Kit

From Denzil Woody...

This Leedy and Ludwig kit was purchased in 1952 when I was a sophomore in college. I played them for three years and they have been stored in hard cases since that time.

What Are You, New?

Submitted by Joe Gaskill...

What are you, new? It doesn’t take too long for men of certain tastes to show me their upturned nose.  It happens in any sub-sub culture, really – classic cars, baseball statistics, Pokemon.  When someone is new and alone, few people want to give you the time of day.  Sure, you might get a cursory “welcome to the forum, poonwrangler69”, but the second you confuse a Powertone with a Dynasonic, people tend to ignore you.  I’m not coughing up leprosy, here.  I’m just new.

Some (embarrassing) history:  Right after high school, I got me a job at Guitar Center.  And for 14 months, I was that guy.  Yeah, I had a side-snare on my zebra-striped DW kit.  Yeah, I had suspended floor toms.  Yeah, I had a china splash.  Two of them.  For me, DW made the best drums on the planet – and it wasn’t until years later that I realized that the only thing DW had over other drums was an enormous advertising budget.  And boy did I buy into it.  Looking back, I think I overpaid.

6 years ago, I was sound-checking a drummer’s vintage kit.  I dug into him.  “Why do you play these? What can these do that a modern company with zillions of dollars in R&D can’t?”  His reply wasted no time: “Hit ‘em!”

And hit ‘em I did.  The next week, I sold the Dee-Dubs at an enormous loss and paid too much for a 74 Ludwig Hollywood in peeling Black Diamond Pearl.  But that’s all it took – hitting two three-ply floor toms at once shook something deep inside me (besides my lower intestine) – everything I thought I knew about drums was wrong.  I was about to start a long, incredibly expensive journey into a world I knew little about – with no one to help me.

I picked up knowledge where I could.  After a few embarrassing incidences where I asked questions I could’ve found the answer to on Google, I realized that reading the conversations of other collectors on vintage forums was easier than risking looking stupid.  Suffering fools, I've learned, doesn't come easily to collectors of great means.

But I understand.  You didn't spend years building a knowledge of minutiae that rivals a sommelier’s just to baby-sit the new kid. Hell, I wouldn't want to talk to me either. (Is it the beard?  My mom tells me it looks distinguished!)  The reality shows about antiquing and picking and pawn-starring hasn't done much to stem the crimson tide of non-drumming craigslist speculators looking for a quick flip-buck, either. But before you hesitate to answer a Supraphonic question you've heard 1,000 times, try and remember – the more I learn, the bigger my passion for vintage drums grows – and the more I want to spend every free cent I have on them.  And you guys always have something for sale.

You using that bit of oyster pink wrap?

Gigging Vintage Drums - Made in Japan

From Wade Francis...

When they hear the words "Made in Japan" most people in the vintage drum world will probably turn their noses up or at least have negative thoughts. For the majority of those people, I cannot blame them. Having been addicted to vintage drum forums for a while now, I've seen first hand the bad name these drums have gotten. I was almost sucked in by the stigma but one road trip and a 1960s  Star kit later, I must now defend these kits.

Shortly before purchasing my first vintage kit, I began trawling  forums hoping to gain some information on what I was going to get and I have to admit that I almost backed out of buying the kit because of what I found. I was given the impression that "MIJs" were of poor quality and were often referred to as fire wood. Apparently they were notoriously hard to tune and were not durable in the least but after looking at the photo of this particular kit over and over again, it was the nostalgic appearance that won me over. The orange sparkle wrap was very similar to my brothers John Grey Autocrat kit that I learned on when I was around six years old. So I rounded up my cousin and we drove seven hundred twenty five kilometers from Adelaide to Melbourne (Australia) and back which ended up being an eighteen hour round trip so I was really hoping it would be worth it. I wasn't disappointed in the least.

The setup consisted of 20",16", 12" and a 14" snare. I could not believe how big and powerful this kit sounded for its size. The shells were three ply with re-rings and being only a teenager at the time, I was convinced big sounds came from thick maple shells only. How naive of me. I must admit however that the snare was fairly average sounding which I attribute to only having 6 lugs but when tuned quite high, it could still hold its own. Even with the beat up old skins that came with it, this little old kit really sung. I have never bothered replacing the heads on it and I wont until that sound fades. That little 12" tom is still my favorite sounding of all the kits I have ever played and I've played a lot of brands now. So you get the picture - it looked great and sounded great. Next, I decided to make it my gigging kit. After what I had heard about MIJ hardware breaking down after one gig, I was a little nervous - but there had been no bad luck so far so why stop? I gigged almost every week for two years on that kit, not to mention many hours of practice.  I only had one hardware issue which was with one tom on a Drum Mate kit.

After acquiring and getting addicted to restoring a few more vintage kits (they are another story), I thought it would be a good time to stop gigging with that first kit and put some work into it . I started using a 1960s Pearl in black diamond pearl wrap for gigs.  It sounds great and not a single hardware issue with it.

My point is that these drums are good quality and can hold their own against Ludwig, Slingerland, etc. I am not for a second suggesting they are as good or better than these drums, as my personal favorites are Ludwig, but they definitely are more than capable of a good sound and certainly are not "fire wood". It comes down to knowing how to tune them and, obviously, how you care for your drums.  Don't try to tune these the same as you would a maple drum because it's just not going to work. Understand your drum and what its strengths are. With a good polish, these drums look a million bucks and they are considerably cheaper than their American counterparts. There is actually a very good video on youtube that compares an MIJ and a Ludwig set in the same room. If you are skeptical of what I have written, you will be very surprised by the results. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rttkRuMxgG8. Because the vintage drum market in Australia is quite small and far more expensive than other parts of the world, I had no choice but to feed my vintage addiction with MIJ's, but Im glad because it forced me to find out for myself just what great kits these are.

Is my Ludwig stainless steel 28" bass drum the only one in existence?

Hi George,

I read an article you wrote and thought you would be a good person to ask if you have ever heard of a steel kit like mine.

My 70's Ludwig stainless steel kit appears to fall into the category of "the only one known to exist", because of the kick drum size. My kick drum is a Ludwig factory virgin 14x28 (NOT a marcher converted) and is with it's mates it left the factory with except snare, 12x15 tom, 16x16 fl, 16x18 fl. My 28 kick and 15 tom are consecutive serial numbers. There is no mention of one on the internet.

Rob Cook (Rebeats) has authenticated my kit as a factory grouping of drums so all of the fine details have been scrutinized and it is the real deal. I have owned the kit for over 29 years and have always been on the lookout for another, asking knowledgeable people like yourself if they have ever heard of another. Well no one has ever heard of one, and they are very resistant to believe I have, what I think I have, thus why I had it authenticated by Rob. Unfortunately I am the second owner of the kit which also factored into taking it to Rob.

So, are you aware of any other steel kits Ludwig produced with a 28 kick?

Thank you for your time, Scott

Drori Mondlak Releases New Album

Performing their original compositions, KLARO! blends the romanticism of European classical and folk music and fuses it with the rhythmic fire and swing of the American jazz tradition together with the harmonic sophistication of contemporary improvised music. The group is co-led by two critically acclaimed international artists - alto saxophonist Karolina Strassmayer, and drummer Drori Mondlak.

From Drori's Press Release:

We dedicate our new CD Small Moments to the beauty of music and its enduring power to move the soul.  After two years of touring and performing the music of our previous CD Joining Forces (2011), our desire was to keep our creative juices flowing. In early 2013 it was time to write new songs, gather our close musical friends, record, and take the new show on the road. And that’s just what we did!

The Musicians: Our long-time collaborator, guitarist Cary DeNigris, once again contributed his virtuosity and originality. A new voice in KLARO!, bassist Ingmar Heller, laid down the groove with great warmth and feeling.

The Drums: I used my beloved WMP Ludwig 1971 Jazzette kit. I added a 16” floor tom. These drums are 3 ply clear maple shells and they sound fantastic...warm and resonant. The snare drum was a 1939 Leedy Broadway Standard - 8” depth, 3 ply maple shell with parallel throw off. The fact that this drum still has the original snare wires gives it that real dry orchestral response and has tremendous sensitivity and articulation. Rim shots produce a beautiful ring from the brass rims and lugs on the shell.

The Cymbals: All Zildjian cymbals from the 50’s. My main ride is a 22” old stamp K, left side ride is a 20” old stamp K, lower right side is a 20” trans stamp A ride/crash, to the right of that is a 16” trans stamp A crash, the hi hats are a pair of 13” old K’s.

The Studio: During our tour in Germany we traveled to Ludwigsburg to record at the great Bauer Studios. This is one of the oldest studios in Germany with an incredible sounding room with great acoustics. We recorded with all four musicians together in one room to create the intimacy and connection of a live performance.

For more information, visit the following links:

http://klaro.bandcamp.com/album/small-moments http://www.drorimondlak.com/ http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Drori_Mondlak.html

Why I'm Selling My Ludwig Top Hats

Here's a "for sale" submission from Jack ‘JR’ Zdvorak:

Now here's a story for ya. What you're looking at is sometimes known as the 'Holy Grail' of drums, an original 1940-41 TOP HAT & CANE tom and floor tom. There may be less than five of these left on the planet, depending on who's telling the story. To my knowledge - again don't quote me on this - the only known complete sets in existence are owned by Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones and Don Bennett up in Seattle, Washington. Here's two of the four out of this kit, and some very healthy pieces of drum real estate about to go up for sale or auction in mid January 2014.

I'd like to offer a special thanks to George Lawrence, owner-publisher of Not So Modern Drummer, and Gary Forkum, owner of Fork's Drum Closet, Nashville, TN. – Fork’s is the finest example of an all inclusive drum wonderland in the entire U.S. - and my new friend, Clay Fuqua, Nashville vintage specialist. Another guy who needs to be commended is James Grainger along with Steve and Joyce down at Custom Fretted Instruments and Repair in Sparta TN, just south of Nashville. Great team...fixes guitars for the best pickers in the country, reasonable, & very, very good at what they do,...a lost art.... & he's helping me bring many of mine back to life.

Upon meeting them the week before Christmas in Nashville 2013 I can clearly see why they are successful and why Nashville has become the new East Coast Hollywood - one of the top entertainment capitals of recording artists, musicians & vintage gear anywhere in the US. They are friendly here, knowledgeable, and they make you feel like a part of the family. That's what's cool about the south,...genuine and no BS. Being originally from the midwest, we've kind of heard it all from both coasts and simply live up to our motto, "Show Me". I needed their expert help and advice and got it. Thanks, because these drums have gone across the country with me looking for the right bed to lay their little sheepskin heads. Nashville won,...hands down.

Now I don't want to get ahead of myself, nor do I mean to sound pretentious, but I think it's nice to know where someone is coming from, when writing stories about one of the most famous drum sets to ever be built. Who's blowin’ smoke and who’s not.

Here's the story and, to the best of my knowledge and recollection, 'the truth'. It's a fascinating story. I may have to change a few names and initials to keep from getting too involved with any red tape, but this is the fable.

Here's a question for you: Do you remember when you were just a little guy and looked up to that local hero-musician guy ? Remember him? - The cool dude you wanted to be, the former player, the one who decided later in life to teach and pass along his vast knowledge to us young-uns to keep us from making too many bone head mistakes? Well that was my mentor, Mr. 'H' we'll call him, like Richard Dreyfus in the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus. He literally changed my life when I came to him for guitar lessons back when I was 10 years old. He was not only a National Guitar Champion back then, but ran a very successful teaching facility called 'American Music Studios'. Taught guitar, drums, banjo, mandolin, anything with a skin or a string on it, and had some of the best teachers you could find in the entire Mid West working with him. He studied with the world renowned 'Andre Segovia' in a master class back in 1960. He also carted us snotty nosed wanna bes from one AGMA National Music Competition to the next, from one end of the country to the other. Along the way we got to take in the Ludwig factory, the Gibson/Epiphone factory up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and a ton of other landmarks on a bus with fifty other rug rats. Who does that anymore??? I still have the complete 60's set we drug to every competition, Gold Emblem Ludwigs, red sparkle, double bass, 4 toms, congas & Turkish Zildjians from the sixties. Those will never be sold. They went with us everywhere and are still as great a set today as they were back in the sixties. Fond memories - makes you appreciate quality in all aspects of life - just like musical equipment.

He was also an awesome drummer with top of the line Ludwigs all the way. Played center stage for good friend 'Willy-G' owner of Harley Davidson at their landmark '100th year HD Anniversary' in 2003 up at the Juneau Plant, in Milwaukee,Wisconsin. (Think PartYyyy!!!) Reminded you of Apollo Creed in his Red White & Blue get up in Rocky. Crazy, full of life, never married (no time for it), bigger than life. I just wanted to be around his enthusiasm because it was infectious, almost John Wayne like. He devoted his whole life to us kids and teaching us to be the best musicians we could be. Made you feel you could climb Mt Everest and you couldn't even spell it. You all know who I'm talking about.

These Top Hat & Canes were a gift from Mr. Ludwig himself to my buddy and mentor, Mr. 'H'. That's the story they told me and along with the pics of them together, I'm sticking with it. These 'Top Hats' are a part of that journey...that history...if they are passed down to you, you cherish them... and I did. Mr 'H' passed away a few years ago. I only got to see him two or three times after returning back to the Midwest from Vegas before he left us. I cried like a baby because there will never be another one like him. I vowed to try to keep it all going no matter what it cost. I sang at his funeral and there wasn't a dry eye in the place. I promised then and there to keep the legend and studio alive.

Remember when we actually made things of quality in this country? Quality instruments that said 'Made In USA'..and damn proud of it. These 'Top Hat & Canes' were one of the best examples of that era you'll ever find. Why? Because that's what Ludwig was and is to this day. These things feel like they were made to go to war and win it. It's because of the craftsmanship & pride they took in putting them together. The finish is unlike anything you'll ever see again, because they just don't have the time to make them that way anymore. The heads are made of calf skin & feel like a fine leather coat but have a distinct sound that just feels warm yet solid and comfortable. That's quality craftsmanship still leaking through from seventy four years ago. They had to stop making them because when WWII came along a few years later we needed our resources to make guns and bullets,...so the story goes...so less than ninety of them ever made. The floor tom was supported on a folding cradle. These, according to Clay down in Nashville, were added on by Ludwig as a possible proto type for things to come,...but used 4 of them for stability instead of the 3 legs we see today,...pretty ahead of their time.

Now you're probably wondering why would anybody in their right mind want to sell these? They are a part of our history and heritage. Some of the best drummers on the planet pounded out their lifetime fantasies on Ludwigs. I'm retired now and struggling to keep the legend alive. Somebody may help me with the purchase of this history. I'd be forever grateful. I run a small teaching & recording facility called Coyote Moon Productions with twenty to twenty five students from ages six to sixty where I teach guitar, piano, and vocals. This year I'll also start teaching acting at the 'Actor's Studio', hopefully at a new facility, financed by the sale of many of my prized vintage guitars & drums.

I feel I have been blessed. In my acting career I was lucky enough to have worked with some of the greats like JohnnyDepp, & Benicio Del Toro, Tom Cruise, and Dustin Hoffman in 'Rainman' (as kind of a stand-in stunt double),..not really much of an acting career, but hey I was in the game and in the top 1% of the industry for a few minutes. Most of the TV shows I was in were cancelled before the 5th episode...but I had fun...enjoyed playing music in Las Vegas whenever I could. As I look back on it all, it was mostly about the journey with me,...not the rewards. At my teaching studio, any stringed instrument or drum the kids can pick up, they have access to – to take it home, and play it to death. I can't take them with me and they sure aren't getting that in our current education system these days. I've got over a hundred guitars from 1918 Gibsons to Fender Pedal Steels to Sitars, mandolins, banjos & of course, some awesome drums I'll never let go of. Some of my kids are from under privileged families. Some were autistic and struggling, but the music is like a universal language to them. They get it and I'm glad to offer it to them. I do a charity event with Samick Guitars out of TN every year called 'Shades Of Blue, Autism Speaks'. It's not easy keeping this going. I seem to spend more on my kids than I make but, like my mentor Mr 'H', I'm paying it forward. No kid will ever go without a new guitar or drum at Christmas as long as I'm still kicking. If I sell these drums for the right price, I'll be able to build out my studio so we can have more room to actually have a band stage set up, a recording control room & some nice equipment. Tall order, but I'm keeping the faith. When you have kids from six to sixty it's a pretty good feeling watching them fly, sing their first song on stage, and get into college on a music scholarship. Every cent I make off of these things will go to their facility and keeping the music alive. They are dropping so many music programs where I live - it's a shame - this economy isn't fair to the 'young uns'...they deserve better. They deserve a shot like we had.

It's time for these Top Hats to find a new home, so if you want a piece of history, they are for sale. Make me an offer I can't refuse, or watch eBay. (unfortunately, that may be my best bet). If you need to authenticate anything on these bad boys, call Gary and Clay at Fork’s Drum Closet, or George down at Not So Modern Drummer. They are good guys, know their stuff, & I highly recommend them. Hope you enjoyed my story...I miss my friend Mr. 'H'. He changed my life, but he also left me some items to keep the legend alive. He would have liked this article and is probably smiling down at me right now while I'm writing this. 'Guitars & Drums'...like 'Words & Music'. I've got a lot to be thankful for and grateful to have even played in the game. Thanks again George for releasing this article. Great magazine...hope it brought some smiles to your face & a few fond memories.

(Editor’s note – I have seen and held these two drums that Jack is writing about. They are the real deal, are in good condition, and sound great. Jack is also the real deal – a very energetic, enthusiastic, and likable person. His motive for selling these drums that have so much sentimental value to him is admirable. The actual name of the finish on these drums is Top Hat according to the Ludwig catalog, but the name has kind of morphed over the years into Top Hat and Cane, a nickname of sorts that has become accepted by the vintage drum community as a pardonable mispronunciation. I still catch myself calling it Top Hat and Cane...  I took the pictures below at Fork's Drum Closet. - George Lawrence)

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THESE DRUMS, PLEASE CONTACT GEORGE LAWRENCE AT (330) 338-6035 OR BY EMAIL AT GEORGE@NOTSOMODERNDRUMMER.COM.

About Jack 'JR' Zdvorak: Jack has worked as a drummer in L.A. and Las Vegas and as a Screen Actors Guild actor in movies and tv shows. He also worked as a crew member for TWA for twenty five years. He is also a devoted teacher and mentor to his students.

For Sale: 1975 Ludwig Black Oyster Drum Set

This is a well used but well cared for kit - 12, 13, 16, 22. They have usual funky wrap seams and the 8x12 tom has a wrap patch - but they sound great and play great! The 12,16, and 22 are matching granitone, the 13 has a maple interior. I'm selling the 3 toms, bass drum and double tom holder only. No snare, hardware or cymbals are included. I'm asking $800 plus shipping from San Diego area. Email Toby for more details at tobyahrens@cox.net.  Please email George Lawrence, publisher of Not So Modern Drummer if you need a reference - george@notsomoderndrummer.com.  

Vintage Kits in Annapolis

This submission comes from James Dillard in Annapolis, MD. At 51, he's been playing drums since the age of 7 and is a self-taught drummer. His influences include Don Brewer, John Bonham, Tommy Aldridge and Scott Travis. James has a large library of self-recordings online using many of the drums featured in this post - click here to visit his sounds page.

Check out James' vintage collection! Click on the picture to enlarge.

Tama Superstar - Cherry Wine (24" Kicks)

Tama Superstar - Super Mahogany (24" Kicks)

Showing vintage Tama Mini Timbales

My First Drum Set,  "Custom" Pearl Tiger (20" Kick). Now my Grandson's kit!

Ludwig Jellybean Vista-Lite with extra floor tom, bass drum, and chrome roto toms (24" & 22" kick).

File This Under Custom...

I remind my wife all the time, there's never a dull moment in our lives.

I'm Chris, and that's my little girl Avery atop my limited edition Pearl snare drum. I run the production side of Not So Modern Drummer, Drum Room Marketing, and the Nashville Drum Show. She runs the show at home.

I'm fortunate enough that George hired me on to handle production management here at Not So Modern Drummer. What we didn't know at the time, is that my little girl would be born just about the time we're ready to take our new marketing and branding plans public. It took a bit of planning - and there's been many long, sleepless nights for both of us - but both Avery and NSMD are doing better than ever.

So this is what I got, and I'm pretty proud of both!