Wow. I missed this one for time around. Coolest bass head ever. Love the color logo!!

Holy sh*t again today, you may have broken up a set Benny, Pistol and Ureil played often. The often used newer mixed kit went with the groups before any move and the one in the closet went with the move makes sense here.

Jones said it was a very good kit and Pistol played Gretsch but brought his own.

I don`t know guy but so far things are making sense.

Give this a read.

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2009/06/secrets-of-motown/#_

I got a large size of the pic. on the first page. The lighter colored BD looks all Ludwig and the darker one got that Rogers bling going on.

Maybe someone more versed in picking out Ludwig, Rogers and Gretsch in a crowd from a distance.

Okay guys so here's the latest in the Motown kit saga! I have been emailing with a Motown Engineer called Bob Ohllson who work in Detroit from '65 to '69 and he says that those drums don't look like the ones they had and that while during those years they mostly used one of two Rogers kits that they had. It is his opinion that this kit must have been acquired when they moved to L.A. which apparently was a gradual move that started around'67 and they leased two studios until finally landing at the Romain street studio in 1973.

I also have spoken to and just emailed Steve Maxwell all the info and pictures so we'll see what he has to say. Stand by.....

So they could have been used in early 1970s - not much going on then except the Jackson Five but I'm not sure where they recorded, in Motown or LA...the glory years are Detroit but the drums still have some historical value..

Hello everyone,

Okay I spoke to Steve Maxwell and he had really no information to add so as of now I'm back to square one. I'll keep digging around the internet and if any of you find anything, let me know. I would really appreciate it!

Thanks,

Keith

I`ll keep a look out for info on this set Keith and hope you can get to the bottom of this with satisfaction.There is an answer out there somewhere...

Wayne

Have you talked about this kit with the guys at Pro Drum in LA?

Since the kit came out of Motown Hollywood, and they are right there, maybe they know something, or know someone who might?

I believe this was in either Modern Drummer some years ago, or Classic Drummer. Either way, I know Uriel had stated the same thing in the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown. (I have it on dvd, great documentary btw) The "house" drums were a mix of mismatched drums they got used, probably at a local pawn shop. I've also read somewhere that in the very early days of Motown, the hired drummers brought in their own kits, and that the "house" kit came much later.

I'd have to say that all the original thread poster has right now is a vintage Gretsch kit that got a stencil painted on it at some point. Without photographs from when it was being used in either studio, or any other further provenance/documentation, I'm afraid its just another messed up used Grestch drumkit that would be difficult to restore the finish without causing further damage to it.

IF, however, you can find the proof, it would make for a VERY valuable kit as a part of the history of Motown, so I wouldn't try to remove said stencil quite yet, just in case....... Coffee Break2

Wow, he lives....

It was a drummers site and could be one of those.

Yes the house kit came late, like 65+. Both stayed in the pit. the one in the closet stayed there most of the time.

What get`s me is the word "studios" but they had rooms and all so....I would think that you paint Hitsville like the big sign out front, or just Motown but...

Hope he get`s to the bottom of this.