Haa! I knew it! THAT'S why I like the snare sound so much!

Thanks, TommyP.

That shot of the left-handed set you posted Tommy really had me riveted to the screen. They didn't even use SS rivets. Amazing. Still an interesting period set of drums and unusual in that it was left-handed from the factory.

The first Buddy Rich album I heard (and bought) was called "Buddy Rich Big Band", which was a double album, three sides of which were live recordings. Some of them were done at The Chez, including "Big Swing Face". I was about 14 when I got that record, and that sound has been the sound in my head whenever I think of Buddy Rich. I wore that album OUT.

PS - I recall seeing Buddy Rich at least two times and possibly three. The clearest memory was at the "temporary" house of Lennie's on the Pike when it was at the hotel located at the intersection of Rte 128 and Rte 1 north of Boston. I'm guessing it was in the summer of 1970. I took a date I met at Hampton Beach. We were both about 18. When we got to the door I had to buy two tickets each for drinks along with the entry tickets (I just barely had the $$). I wasn't happy about that, but the date was thrilled. Unfortunately, I may have been paying a bit more attention to her than the drums, because I cannot recall what he was playing at that show. Eventually I got the impression she preferred Rod Stewart to Buddy Rich, so that relationship only lasted about 6 months.

A year or so later I saw him at Canobie Lake Park, and I think he was playing Slingerland at that one. No drinks and no date, but I'm still not sure. Falling Do

K.O.!

Interesting speculation on the possible WHY behind Buddy's "semi" Modular tom mount on his first set/sets supplied by Ludwig in 1978. That said though, he DID have the full on production Modular tom mount on at least one, possibly two, of his Ludwig sets during his third endorsement starting in 1978. By my research .. and I have spent YEARS on it too! .. his last set in 1982 had the full production Modular tom mount. I tend to lean/agree with you in that his 1st sets were PRE full production of that Modular mount ... bulky as it was! And, I also agree that Ludwig went with that over the smaller "footprint" mount that both Buddy AND Ed Shaughnessy had on their respective Ludwig sets during this period. It was indeed the 80's ... BIGGER WAS BETTER! :) Course, I personally prefer the FIRST tom mount variation, and think Ludwig should have just stayed with that! This all said ...

... here are a couple pics out of my collection: The drum battle between BR and Ed Shaughnessy on The Tonight Show in 1978 which shows both their sets with the PRE full production Modular tom mount .. and .. a still I grabbed off the Buddy Rich Up Close DVD in 1982 showing one of, if not the, last set Buddy had just before leaving Ludwig for good, meaning never to play them again. Actually, to be completely accurate, Buddy and Ludwig OFFICIALLY parted ways in 1980!, but Buddy continued to play his Ludwigs through 1982, but without an endorsement deal!

Tommyp

The picture with Buddy and Ed ...looks like a smaller bass drum than usual for him...22"?

Great story :)

8upwithit!

They are both 14X24's .. but .. contingent on angle, sometimes a 24" bass drum does indeed appear to be a 22". BR and Ed both played 24's as their primary. On Ed's full set, he has a 20" on the left. This all said ...

... there were times when Buddy DID play a 14X22, and with Rogers and Slingerland that I know of. In those cases they were usually not his main set, but a supplied set for that particular performance and/or tour. Buddy's 1st Rogers Beavertail set had a 14X22 in some of the first pics ... then it was his standard 14X24 from then on out. Here's another pic out of my collection showing Buddy on his Slingerland's in 1973. The bass drum is a 14x24, but doesn't it look like a 14x22? I always thought it did! :)

Tommyp

You're right, it does look like a 22. I guess it's because he sat up so high. My seat is usually at about the same height as my bass drum, which is 22" or 20".

I remember seeing a clip of him on the Tonight Show, and he was playing a plain white 5pc (Ludwig) kit. I read in Mel Torme's book about Buddy that he would be supplied with a kit from whomever he was endorsing at the time for TV appearances and such, and would often give them away afterwards.