I've been playing drums for a long time, I started 26 years ago. Despite playing all that time I don't know much about drums, what makes a quality kit, what heads do what to the sound, etc. I've just pounded away on my 1999 Pearl Export series kit in my friends and I's cover band. When I was a teenager I had a CB700 kit which wasn't that good. For a brief time I had a hodge podge vintage kit, which I preferred in a way to the Pearl's I bought new. What I want to get into is a nice kit, nice enough to be the drum kit in a recording studio, not a professional level, but something really capable of getting solid sound on a recording. What should I be looking for? I don't need them to be museum quality and would want to pay $1500 max. I've been reading some that the number of ply's don't necessarily matter. I'm leaning towards a mid 60's to mid 70's Ludwig, or maybe the 2014 Gretsch Catalina club, which really appeals to me visually. Also thinking of piecing a kit together slowly to make it more affordable for me. If this is an annoying question, I would appreciate a point in the right direction to someplace where I can learn so I can know what I'm doing.
Thanks -- Matt