Vibes-great story about your first drum set and i also had a little toy set before my Bolleros. This pic tells it all and why you still love drums to this day. 'Happy Golden Drumming Anniversay' to you this Christmas !

Wayne

My first "real" drum set about 1968. I have no idea what brand it was, MIJ I'm sure. Came with bass, ride tom, floor tom and snare with stand. I bought the 1124 Shur-Lok and the Zildjians and still have and use them today!!

Well I found 1 picture. It's very faded but it's something. Pic is dated 1972 and taken shortly after I got this silver sparkle Rogers kit used. Kit was a 22-16- 2 12's and a chome powertone snare. Assorted hardware and Zlidjians. It had speckled interiors and Fullerton tags. I sold them when I got my new Slingerlands a few years later. Wish I still had them!! At least I'm holding the sticks right. And dig the goofy clothes!! I was 14 at the time.

I really don't remember. The tom was obviously Ludwig. My dad just took me into Drum City to get some drums and the guy started pulling used drums off the self saying, "Here, you need one of these and one of these. And how about some cymbals?" I assume they might have all been Ludwig because when I went to buy my own complete kit some years later I only wanted Ludwig.

Hi Wayne the red plastic snare was a Mastro. My guess from Sears. It's didn't last too long. A few years later I got a blue sparkle snare, stand and L arm cymbal from Sears for Christmas. I used assorted coffee cans and carboard boxes with it as a make shift kit. I had that till I got the Rogers kit. I remember the Rogers kit was used and was $300 with everything in that pic and cases. But man it was SWEET!!!!

BTW great pics and stories everyone!! :)

One pic speaks a thousand words and this one says it all!What a move up from the plastic snare,lol.That would be a late 60`s set, in silver sparkle no less-what a beautiful kit !! You were one lucky guy to grow your drum roots with these babies-WOW!!! Hope you find more pics Glenn...

Story on my Rogers set.

I started in 1974, and was privileged with the use of a 66/67 Rogers 20-12-14 with a Luxor snare drum, a set of Zildjian new beats, a nameless 16 inch crash and a cracked K stamp. I got lessons, although it just covered a lot of basic stuff. Main rule was, you break anything, its done. I used the set for two years, and got lessons from the owner. Then one day, they were sold. No warning, nothing. As for buying a set for me, that just wasn't a possibility. Three years and no drums. I looked at every piece of crap set that came up in the paper, but nothing to buy. Rogers were just too expensive, but nothing else compared. For three years, it was mainly being a nuisance to the few friends I had who owned drums. I went to work at the mill in the spring of 79 and started saving, while making a car payment I couldn't afford, along with everything else. By October I had managed to save just over a thousand. I came home one night at the beginning of November to find that 77 set of Rogers in the living room. They had been advertised that day in the paper, and my parents drove the 40 miles to pick them up. I had never seen them. Oh, and I was pretty close to broke. The drums were like new, and close to 700 cheaper than they would have been at the local music store.

Just want to say how cool this is to see all of your first drum set pics and especially to hear the stories behind them.Thanks to all you guys who took the time to post your sets and stories.Makes me feel like i personally know all of you just a little bit better and also to relate in how close to age we really are.I can`t get enough of our drum roots nostalgia so if anyone has found a lost pic from the attic/basement etc. please post em`.We`d all like to see and hear your stories no matter from what era...

Wayne

I think it's GREAT to see threads and pics like this!

My first set was purchased in early 1971 (or possibly late 1970). A Gretsch set in very "mellowed" WMP. 14x20, 9x13, and a 6.5x14 matching SD. 19" hoop mounted KZildjian ride and a pair of 13" KZildjian hihats. The set was out of the 50s with hoop mount spurs.

I modified that set big time (which of course I'd never do today). Added a new 16x16 Gretsch FT (didn't match, of course!), Ludwig curved spurs, and a Ludwig Standard single tom mount. Then added a Ludwig 10x14 marching drum (in their version of WMP) to use as another tom. Also added a 60s Majestic set (14x20, 8x12 and 14x14, owned by another kid in school) in BDP for a double bass set. So, the whole thing was 2-14x20s, 16x16, 14x14, 10x14, 9x13, 8x12. I don't remember what all cymbals were used at that time.

Here's a link to the pic I posted of this set in another thread a while back:

http://vintagedrumforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59690&d=1374528000

The SD in the pic was a Ludwig Acrolite owned by the school. This was a school "pep band" picture from a basketball game. Not only played with the pep band, but played drum solos while the varsity teams warmed up during half-time of the JV games. The coach called my solos their "jungle music." It was a LOT of fun!

Bill