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The first vintage & Custom Drum Magazine, since 1988
Brady Drums, made by Chris Brady and company, are revered worldwide for their fine craftsmanship, exotic Australian timbers, and most notably their wonderful and unique sound. Chris Brady, truly a drum building pioneer, introduced Jarrah, Sheoak, Wandoo, Spotted Gum, and other indigenous Australian woods into the vocabulary of drummers. Brady constructed these drums with ply, stave/block, and even solid shells.
Read moreA book I wrote on the Ludwig Line of bass drum pedals exists for one reason. I ran out of room!
Read moreThese are a few of my canister thrones. I have had most of them for many years. I have always used them on every set I own - they all match the finish of a set. All drums and snares match making very complete vintage drum sets.
Read moreThis total restoration took me an awful long time and hours of countless elbow grease. I purchased this from the original owners brother, he had passed away decades ago and he couldn’t bring himself to part with the set. But he finally realized that they were just wasting away and that they should be brought back to life and played again. I’m glad he did. He is a very nice guy and he was thrilled to know that I was not only going to restore them, but play them as well and keep his brothers legacy alive. As promised I will be sending him the “after” photos.
These drums are without a doubt the cleanest most reliable "Players grade" Bomber set of unborn together drums out there. Every screw nut bolt and bits as well as interior moisturized and protected shells has been addressed. All of the drums will have medium modern batter heads and thinner reso heads that are a combination of Aquarian vintage and remo ambassadors.. The BD has an Aquarian SKIII batter head and the Fiberskyn Reso head. The snare has been modified for maximum performance with in its original design. Calfskin could be an option for a reflected price and of course results are not guaranteed. (SOLD)
Read moreRoger recalls being approached by, ex Animals bassist, Chas Chandler asking " Would you guys mind giving up your middle set tonight? " for a new act. After clearing it with the club`s manager and confirmation that they would still be paid in full for the night, Roger and the band also agreed to loan their backline and drum kit. Enter the recently formed Jimi Hendrix Experience who, after recording their first single `Hey Joe` only two days prior, were about to perform their British debut showcase gig!
Read moreThere are two known examples of this particular Leedy finish on snares. The first first example belongs to Mike Curotto, which was previously referred to as "Antique Wallpaper", given the pattern and nature of the material, and the second being this featured drum only recently uncovered in October of 2021. It is also understood that there is an example of a bass drum that was seen however not documented to my knowledge as of this writing. The shell and wrap on these drums are what makes them so unique.
Read moreThere have been sightings over the years of Ludwig & Ludwig oval-badged drums with an unusual dark golden marine pearl wrap. The history of these drums is a bit unclear as Ludwig catalogs, ads, or brochures do not reference them. I first saw such a kit in Bun E Carlos’s collection back in a visit to Rockford, IL in 2013. I was quite struck by the amazing, rich, golden color of the pearl.
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The Milestone shells -- each one lovingly hand formed by Clapham and Co. -- were made from a range of 'formulas', each one selected for tone and resonance. Type 2 and 4 made for great bass drums. Toms were available in formula 3 and formula 6. Snares came in formulas 5 and 8. To my ears, there are subtle but discernible differences between the formulas.
Read moreYou don’t find “Speed Sticks” advertised in Slingerland catalogs after the early 1930s.
I believe that this is one of two still in existence today, and also one of the very first if not the first dealer display items ever made by the Slingerland company.
This is a 1960s Ludwig Hollywood set that I bought from my longtime friend Bill Pace, who by the way is doing fine. I talked to him this week and even though he doesn't get out and go as much as he once did, he is playing his drums and still buys and sells at times. He felt that the kit was in need of restoration, including a new finish, so this was his project 20 plus years ago. He said the finish was badly damaged and wanted to make them look and sound good again.
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Tags from a 1963 Gretsch Round Badge set
Gretsch began placing paper labels inside their drums in about 1962. The paper labels possessed both model numbers and serial numbers. The focus of this article is on how model numbers were presented on the paper labels.[i] Knowledge of how Gretsch expressed model number is another useful dating tool.[ii]
Read moreHiro said that he wanted to buy the drum from me. I said it wasn't for sale, but then he turned the table on me and said, "What if I offer you STUPID MONEY"? At this time I had gotten into a little money crunch so I asked him what kind of STUPID MONEY was he talking about. Hiro said he would pay me 10K for the drum. SOLD! That was a huge chunk of money that gave me a good head start on my financial situation.
Read moreThe kit I am featuring is a 1970s Slingerland Rock Outfit 50 N with Maple outer ply. The kit is outstanding with a 22X14 bass drum, 12X8 , 13X9, and 16X16 toms. They are just perfect for most playing situations. I love the Set-O-Matic tom mount and all the mounting hardware.
Read moreThis set is EIGHTY years old this Christmas morning!
Ludwig & Ludwig “Swing Sensation Outfit” No. 1145PV, identical in every aspect of the famous “Top Hat” set without the cane, glove and hat design.
It is in stunning like new condition being it’s been in its cases for the past seventy years, he never played it after the 1950’s.
A vintage Ludwig drum made after 1963 that does not have a serial number creates much confusion and spirited debate. Few today agree on why or how drums escaped the factory with badges lacking serial numbers. Theories are often strongly expressed but weakly supported. Although speculation and conjecture are a part of the wonderful world of vintage drums, many incorrect statements become truth through repetition. This study looks at 332 vintage Ludwig drums that have badges without serial numbers.
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. We sell them to motorcycle owners with pre 1967 bikes and didn't know they fitted drum kits. If you have any guys over there looking for these screws then can you let them know we have plenty?
Read moreHere is a great example of a 1938 Leedy Broadway Standard in white marine pearl. Leedy only offered this unique 4-point strainer on these models for one year. This snare was special ordered with ornate engraved rims. All hardware was ordered and upgraded to the optional chrome plating. Chrome plating was more expensive than nickel for the upgrade.
Read moreThis is the standard 1930s 5 x 14/13 Duplex Spirit of St. Louis Model. The shell looks to be some type of “Butterscotch Pearl” finish. I couldn’t find any Duplex finish reference so I’m calling it Butterscotch Pearl for lack of a better term.
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A short while ago, I was contacted by a talented drummer by the name of George Sluppick on Instagram. It turns out he had a Ludwig drum from the 1940’s which he wanted to identify and might consider selling. He got the drum from a shop called Lollipop Music in Princeton, WV. They got the drum from a guy who bought it from a pawn shop. So unfortunately, no identity of the original owner. I was still determined to find out more…
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