Cool, but you know what everyone here is going to ask for..............more pix and a lot of close ups please......thanks !Jumping2

I wish I had better pics. These are the only ones from the seller. I was hoping an expert might knowmore. I am only a mom looking to buy some "new" drums for my son. His teacher, Ron Emory of TSOL, has recommended buying older drums rather than new. But I have no clue!!!

Michelle

Can you go over and take some pics of your own?

Look around the forum a bit first to see what kind of detail we need in order to help you.

It's true, you can get some great sets for your money by going vintage.

thanks

Kev...............:)

I am trying to get the seller to send me more pics. No response so far. Hopefully I will get some better ones to post.

That sure would help a lot...

Hope we can help !!

Kev........:)

Do you know what are they asking for the set? If it is for your son who is just beginning his drumming life, there are many drums out there for him that will work fine. IMO.

I started on the practice pad for at least two years then "Advanced" to a snare drum for at least another year before I was allowed to get a set of drums... :) strict teacher, but he knew what he was doing.

If a student got through that then 1. He really wanted to play the drums and 2. Was proficient at the snare drum and easily advanced to the drum set.

I would really like to learn more about your sons level of drumming to determine if a double bass kit is really going to be a good choice.

Plus the style of music he is listening to and wants to play to might not fit a kit like this.

David

We can help more if we know a little about your son,how old,how long he has been playing,etc.Right now it is a buyers market,and in the last ten years with offshore/hi tech manufacturing,there are lots of good quality not terribly expensive kits to be had,especially used kits.Something gently used of decent initial quality should be fine,you have a lot of leeway with the first kit,it will take awhile for a player to develop preferences anyway.IMO you want to pay a fair price for a used kit,so if your son loses interest or wants to trade up in a couple of years you can get most of your money back.And if you can get decent pics and specs on potential kits everyone can help you make an informed decision and a good purchase.Welcome to the forum by the way.

I found the Craigslist ad HERE, and while the pics still leave a lot to be desired, the listing offers a little bit of useful info.

So for whatever it's worth, here are a few observations...

[list]

[*] The serial numbers on the bass drums seem to match up with 1976 Ludwig drums, and that's about right judging by the look of the kit.

[*] The toms are single-headed "concert toms" -- notice that the drums above the bass drums don't have a bottom head. These were in vogue for a little while in the '70s, but have been out of favor pretty much ever since. They generate tons of volume and resonance (think stadium rock), but lack the tuning possibilities of drums with heads on both sides.

[*] The toms appear to be on the large side. Again, good for a rock band looking to fill a gigantic stadium with sound, but not ideal for smaller venues like, well, pretty much anywhere else. Smaller (but not necessarily small) drums have a lot of advantages -- controlled sound, ability to schlep them from place to place like rehearsals or gigs, ergonomics (you won't have to mount the toms five feet in the air to clear the bass), and so forth.

[*] The tom mount looks to be a Pearl-style one where the arms go through big ol' holes drilled in the shells (ick).

[*] Sorry to keep dwelling on those toms, but something about 'em just doesn't look "Ludwig" to me. Better pictures would ease (or confirm) my doubts.

[*] I personally wouldn't recommend starting off with a double bass kit unless it's an incredible bargain. If you get a kit with two basses, find a nice spot where you can store the second one while your son works with one bass for a while. Learn to walk before you try to run. Learn one bass pedal before trying to tackle two. Also, there are double pedals so you can play with both feet on a single bass drum. A little less "rock star" stage presence, a lot more practicality.

[/list]

To get to the point... If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't spend $500 on this drum set. It might be worth that, but it's not a very versatile kit, nor do I think it would make a good set for a student.

In general, though, I agree with your son's teacher that older drums (if they're in good shape) can be fantastic bargains. Old Ludwig drums are common and generally very well made. I'd suggest keeping an eye open for vintage Slingerland drums as well. They were also high-quality drums, but don't have the same name recognition outside the vintage drum community, meaning they can often be found at bargain prices.

Going off on a different tangent, I glanced at your local Craigslist ads and found this listing for a recent Pearl Reference kit for $700, including cymbals. If the ad's not a fraud, that's a STEAL! It might be a little more cash, but the Reference series is pretty close to Pearl's top of the line. Worth looking into if you're local (and they haven't already been sold.)