WOW -

i had no idea. Thanks everyone.

When life gives you lemons; make lemonade.

(Add some vodka and call it a party!) Excited

Check out these links. Very cool stuff.

http://www.anchordrums.com

http://www.candccustomdrums.com

There are plenty of other custom and semi-custom options out there. And, of course, one can always buy vintage.

Here is the Precision site for further information..

http://precisiondrum.com/

I have set aside a DIY kit made from Precision Drums Keller shells, that was sitting in a friends closet. I'm looking forward to playing these on the weekend. It'll be funny trying them out on a gig (I hope). It's all black (everything but the lugs), so 'im fantasizing about putting Evans black chrome heads on 'em, finding a Ludwig Black Galaxy & some black Paiste Coloursound 5's to boot. Maybe even find some black chrome lugs with the right spacing....Okay I'm dreaming again, but I can't wait to have this kit in my possession!

The C & C Drum Co. drums look great and their endorsement list says something too.

They keep it simple with 3 different lines and 3 different kit configurations per line.

Their Player Date I - Bop Kit (12/14/20 ) is $1,549 and another $475 for choice of snare. Really nice kit at an awesome price for a custom kit.

Here are some vintage kits for example (no external hardware):

1967 Ludwig Downbeat - Shell Pack (12/14/20) - 1967 cost $310 / 2013 cost $2,193

1964 Gretsch Progressive Jazz - Shell Pack (12/14/20) - 1964 cost $348 / 2013 cost $2,577

1964 Rogers Holiday - Shell Pack (12/14/20) - 1964 cost $357 / 2013 cost $2,644

My idea was an attempt at affordable kits with vintage characteristics and based on the above cost comparisons, they're already available.

My first question, how did people in the "drum crazed 60's" afford any of these drums? :o

Are today's musicians spoiled by the super low cost kits being offered? A $550 kit today would have only cost $80 back in 1967. $80 in 1967 wouldn't even get you a 14x14 floor tom.

My last question, how's C & C Custom Drums do it?

-Tim

Great cost analysis on those drums! It really is a bargain to get quality drums made in America at competitive prices. This is great news for the players as well as the US economy.

As to how they do it, I suspect it is economy of scale. They buy shells in large volume and at a lower than retail cost. Same for every other part that goes into them. I know this from my guitar making days. Bulk orders on shells for example will save on shipping too.

Couple that with low overhead (you really don't need a lot of fancy equipment to make drums unless you make the shells from scratch too) and it is great to see a quality product at a VERY reasonable price point.

For gits and shiggles, what does a CURRENT Ludwig US made jazz kit (20-12-14-snare) go for? I suspect it is actually more than the C&C or Precision offerings... Bear in mind that with Precision anyway, adding a wrap to the shells does increase the per-drum cost.

I looked at a "bottom line" 20-12-14 from Anchor drums and that comes in at $1100.00. All maple and American made. Seems like a 'steal' to me, and I suspect with a slight up-charge you could tweak that to be exactly what you want... Higher end lines are more money, due mainly to nicer hardware (lugs) on the drums. They seem to have good reviews (on their site) but like any good business man, they're not going to post the bad reviews!:)

I couldn't find a Ludwig Legacy Classic Down Beat shell pack price, but did find the Legacy Classic Liverpool shell pack (13/16/22 w/14x5 snare) for $2,786 with a Retail of $4,285. Mind Blowi

Ludwig Legacy USA Drums

[LIST]

[*]1/16" Maple Outer Ply, 1/8" Poplar Core Ply, 1/16" Maple Inner Ply with 1/4" Solid Maple Reinforcement Rings

[*]30 Degree inner cut with a 1/8" radius round over

[*]http://www.ludwig-drums.com/usa_legacy.php

[/LIST]

-Tim

C&C Custom Drums Video Demos

Big Beat

http://memphisdrumshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15112

They sound nice. The 6.5x14 snare is thick!

BeBop

http://memphisdrumshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15058

Coke Bottle Acrylic

http://memphisdrumshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=10392

- Tim

I like both - toms mounted on bd AND the virgin bd. I have a 50's kit with a factory virgin 22 bd (the bass drum came to me that way) and I love it. My Purewoods are virgin as well. I love my late 50's Gretsch with the rail mount...and the drums sound fatastic on that kit as well. However, I did order a virgin bd with my Custom Gretsch kit simply because it has an 18" BD and - to me - hanging a tom off that little bass drum just did not look right.