I only own or have ever owned "vintage"/old ludwig drums so I don't have anything else to play!! I've played in nearly every club in Atlanta over the years and I've never had a concern about someone destroying my stuff. I've had beer spilled on them (it wipes off) and guitar players hit a crash cymbal with the headstock of their guitar (yet to break a cymbal), rain, heat, cold, cigarette smoke, other kinds of smoke etc. Never had an issue. Drums are made to function under these circumstances and as long as you maintain your gear and take reasonable precautions to protect them from the elements or theft, they will be fine.

What's the point in having them if you can't take them out and show them off and enjoy them?

Nope, won't play 'em out. I played the Camco kit out for the longest time, since it was the only kit I owned at the time, but now it's resting in bags. It's work done. I have two kits I gig or travel with, both are Gretsch Catalina's and I could care less what happens to 'em. I keep 'em clean and shiny, tuned and happy. Both sound killer if tuned correctly.

That being said, I have been toying with the idea of getting rid of the modern stuff and using the vintage. Yes, I know, that contradicts the previous paragraph but that's where I've been heading for the last six or more months. I haven't done it yet, but thinking very hard about it.

jonnistix also has a great idea. As soon as I finish this post, I'm out to the garage and working on my late sixties 'Royal Star' kit. I bought it for ten bucks (really) off craigslist and got most of the hardware included. The few items I was missing I got from mikey777 for very little. I've really been considering using it for gigs. It's just so *&&$* purdy! I'll post pix of it when I finish it. I got the snare and all and I can't wait to see what that snare sounds like. 5.5 inch COS that looks like it'll be a real dandy.

I have a an old 1966/67 rogers that I have gigged a ton,but not so much anymore.I love the way they sound and feel,and musicians, not just other drummers, will comment on them.I have subbed/auditioned for blues bands and the players told me they were pretty sure I could play the music, and had respect for it, as soon as I started pulling them out of their cases.I have had younger drummers and drummers that are not familiar with vintage kits play /hear them and it seems to peak an interest in these great old kits,and I get to educate and spread the word about them.The band I play in now plays a lot of C quality gigs,rooms with no stage,outdoors gigs where a piece of plywood for a stage is a luxury and parties where drunken yuppies want to sit in because they are friends with who hired us .I don't mind letting someone sit in on the rogers if I know them,or if I chat with them and get a good vibe,but I won't let a drunk play them.I wish I could gig them more,I have had the for 15 years ,and the person that had then before me gigged them a lot,and they are still ready to go after 40 plus years of gigging,the only problem I have had is on of the bass drum spur mounts is losing it's grip,and one lug post finally gave up the ghost.Darn good for a kit that has probably been set up and down close to a thousand times.

Since most of us are not touring drummers and have roadies setting up and tearing down,i feel it would be a shame to not play vintage live.Why do we buy them in the first place??..It amazes me how many younger drummers come to me and ask how i get the sound i do.I just tell them that the aging process has done its job and partly what you hear is just that.The rest is tuning and good heads.

Our guitar player plays a Gibson Super 400 and 50s strat that he uses for slide work. The bass player has a one off custom bass. The keyboard guy has a $3000 Korg. I'm supposed to show up with a stencil kit or CBs? No. I'm supposed to sound as good or better than the rest of them.

I don't have much in the way of vintage drums, but my pre-serial 602s get used all the time.

I also have gotten a lot of mileage out of my old 26" Leedy bass drum, for smaller-scale orchestra gigs. (The matching snare drum stays home, tho.)

[img]http://www.malletjazz.com/drums/franchi003.jpg[/img]

I am NOT saying to show up with a POS kit. I know some of you guys really have never given these a second look. However, you have not played my kits, either. If you want to know what my drums sound like, listen to "Last Dance For MaryJane" by Tom Petty. That is close top what my WMP kit sounds like, with no post production included. Do they sound like that because they were made that way? No...but because I tore them down and lovingly worked them into a kit I am very proud of, and for a gigging kit, you would be as well, especially since they sound great. And for my total investment, you can't get there with a Ludwig or Slingerland that can't be replaced because they are too expensive and irreplaceable. Look atr my kit in the gallery. Nothing at all wrong with the visual aspect. And the sound is nothing short of it's peers. Remember, the real definition of peer is not the same guys in the same suits, but a cross section of similars. If you prefer to take chances with your vintage kits, please feel free. However, please don't knock mine until you have put a stick to them. I am telling you, they sound nothing like your perception.

For half the money, even less than that if you use old heads, you have a kit that looks great and sounds great. I would not be ashamed to set my kit next anyone's 5000 guitar or keyboard. It actually plays the part. And I can duplicate the results for anyone that cares to try it out.

I originally bought my Downbeat as my "gigging kit", because it was a little beat up (so I wouldn't mind it getting cosmetically damaged while on a gig), it sounded great, and it was cheap ($300--woohoo!)

I still gig with it, and also my Super Classic when I feel the desire or need. My immaculate-condition DWs, though...I save those for the studio dates, because I have a couple of studio gigs where the engineers think that DWs are the ultimate drum kit. So I never take them out to live gigs, because I'm planning on selling them when the economy picks back up, and I want to keep them as cherry as possible. On the flip side of that--if you want a cheap, used DW set, NOW is the time to scour the local used market! Holy cow! They're selling for less than nice vintage kits nowadays...

i got a DW kit at my work right now. its marked at $1800 and in 90 days (which i think it will still be there) i can get it for $650.

to me DW is overpriced. i've never owned a kit just the 9000 series hardware.

the kit does sound good..and the brass snares i've heard sound phenomenal.

if the kits still there i might get it..to have something to gig with. and to destroy so i can show people that DW really isn't anything..THAT special.

i'm thinking about ripping the hideous emerald marine wrap off it..sanding it down and then staining it. to give it a more raw/natural look..but hey. thats 90 days from now..

LoLoLoLo

Yep, and while you're fixing the wrap, don't forget to re-do the horrible bearing edges they stick on DW stuff. Do it with a chain saw for that 'precision' you only get with a chain saw.

Yuk, emerald marine! Who wooda thunk it! gag