Max Weinberg's Drum Kits

[hsosdrum]

...Seems like Slingerland has a bit of a stigma these days...don't know why. They're fine drums.

Slingerland's stigma among rock players goes all the way back to the '60s, and it's their own fault that they were so late to the party. They didn't even feature a rock drummer as an endorser in one of their catalogs until 1973!

 

[Skinsmannn]

I’m seeing Slingerland prices go up lately ….
It won’t be long and they’ll catch up .

Wait till NAMm 2022 when DW shows a few snares!

 

[Houndog]

Wait till NAMm 2022 when DW shows a few snares!

I’m talking about vintage ….

 

[JimmyM]

I’m talking about vintage ….

Any time old gear that's been disco'd for a while gets reissued and doesn't stiff, it drives the price of the real thing way up. I remember when Ampeg re-released the B-15 in late 2010, and while the new one cost $5000, old B-15's went gradually up over the next year by about 20% all around.

 

[Rich K.]

Slingerland's stigma among rock players goes all the way back to the '60s, and it's their own fault that they were so late to the party. They didn't even feature a rock drummer as an endorser in one of their catalogs until 1973!

Look at page 4 of catalog 68 (1967).
Drumarchive.com has it

 

[Talktotommy]

( Credit where credit's due dept.): Budokan was recorded using my Slingy Radio King set AND my Ludwig Supraphonic.

If Mr. Carlos knows, I would love to know- What were the sizes and year on that kit? How did you acquire it, and where is it now?

 

[JimmyM]

Slingerland's stigma among rock players goes all the way back to the '60s, and it's their own fault that they were so late to the party. They didn't even feature a rock drummer as an endorser in one of their catalogs until 1973!

But dang man, they had Buddy and all the rock drummers loved him because he smacked them drums good and made great drumface

 

[hsosdrum]

Look at page 4 of catalog 68 (1967).
Drumarchive.com has it

Forgot about that. I think that page was originally an ad they ran in DownBeat, and it definitely looks like it was inserted into the catalog on a last-minute basis. Interesting that they included that page in the '67/'68 catalog but completely dropped all mention of rock drummers from the '68/'69 and '70/'71 catalogs.

 

[richardh253]

I seem to remember a Slingerland ad late 60s in Downbeat, had a blue satin flame kit with a model pretending to be a drummer, and listed 'famous rock groups' playing Slingerland around the staged photo - included groups like "Gary and the Hornets" as I recall. Nothing against the drums, which were good stuff. But their marketing dept. back then seemed to suggest lots of older guys in suits and ties (no offense, I like suits and ties) trying to imagine what "these kids like/look like these days." Like Buddy in a white Nehru suit with love beads. I'll dig thru my collection and see if I can find the ad.

 

[richardh253]

We lost Max some pages back, but since we're chatting about Slingerland...

It was not Downbeat, it was p. 4 of the '67 catalog - http://drumarchive.com/Slingerland/Slingerland1967.pdf

"Most Top Rock n' Roll Groups Play Slingerland" -odd assortment, with a number of errors (The Mamas & Papas? Aside from their musicians were the Wrecking Crew, they never even pretended to have a drummer. The Association - every photo I've seen, Ludwig Hollywood kit; Buckinghams, also always looked like Ludwig; Turtles - Johnny B. used Rogers as I recall) and some also-rans (The Guillotines? John's Children? Gary & The Hornets?)

[ And I'm not sure there is a name for the grip shown by the 'drummer' ]

All curious to me -- since the rivalry between Bill Ludwig II and Bud Slingerland is well-known, one might have expected Slingerland to chase better-known groups. Ludwig had a similar design ad in Ludwig Drummer 1969 but the groups circling the ad were, e.g., Cream, Rascals, etc. notables OK, a pass for Spanky & Our Gang) and all did actually play Ludwig. Although in '69, I would not have known who Hal Blaine was, sorry to admit. Page 3 of same Slingerland '67 catalog shows a lot of jazz drummers, before the "rock" page, so maybe even 3 years after The Beatles arrived in U.S. Slingerland was content to focus on the jazz market.

I had a friend who had a 66 Slingerland kit when I bought my '66 Ludwig kit, his kit sounded really fine. But it was not 'cool' to a 14-year-old.

 

[gonzo]

I believe (and hopefully he'll correct me if I'm wrong) but our own @Bun Carlos recorded "Live At Budokan" on Slingerland drums back in 1978.

I saw Max on the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour in 1978 playing Slingerland. No bottom heads, with the mic inside the toms. What a sound!

And of course Danny Seraphine played Slingerland until the early 80s when he switched to Yamaha.

Makes you wonder if Danny who is a DW guy now will switch back over to DW/Slingerland when they start kit production? What goes around comes around

 

[ThomFloor]

Phil Erhart of Kansas played Slingerland, at least early on.
I think they are a ' best kept secret ' in vintage drums, but eventually they will go up in price.

This thread needs a series of pics of Weinberg kits in chrono order.

 

[BennyK]

Lee Kerslake , Uriah Heep, longtime Slingerland drummer .

 

[richardh253]

[sorry for the duplicate photos, easier to post than recopy everythng]

1978 Dakness Tour

1980 River Tour found at https://njskylands.com/cl_jerseyrocks_112

1984 BUSA + 1987 Tunnel of Love tours Pearl tom mount. Later also added straight spurs to replace telescoping Ludwigs.

Reunion Tour 99-2000 (same kit can be seen in 1995 DVD "Blood Brothers") more or less the same since w/occasional changes in snare, and for the Working on a Dream 2009 tour he dropped back to 14x120 & 8x12

With MW's Big Band, looks like a 12" deep bass?

With Max Weinberg's jukebox shows, his backline order is always DW but not always WMP, and he takes boom cymbal stands plus the ride is not on the bass mount, sizes

seem to shift around as well

 

[JimmyM]

Phil Erhart of Kansas played Slingerland, at least early on.
I think they are a ' best kept secret ' in vintage drums, but eventually they will go up in price.

This thread needs a series of pics of Weinberg kits in chrono order.

Doesn't anymore

Never noticed this before but he never went beyond the basic 4-drum set, huh? I wonder if he has a Neil Peart kit at home that he never talks about

 

[ThomFloor]

Doesn't anymore

Never noticed this before but he never went beyond the basic 4-drum set, huh? I wonder if he has a Neil Peart kit at home that he never talks about

Actually most of the time he had more than a 4 piece.

 

[JimmyM]

Actually most of the time he had more than a 4 piece.
View attachment 531982

I was actually referring to Max, not Phil Ehart. But I’m a Kansas fan so it’s all good.

 

[Bun Carlos]

If Mr. Carlos knows, I would love to know- What were the sizes and year on that kit? How did you acquire it, and where is it now?

The kit's pre WW2. I got it from a pot dealer, I had him throw the kit in when I purchased 125 bucks worth of cymbals from him in 1975.......
14x28 bass drum w/Luddy center post installed.
9x13 and 12x14 toms, original mounts taken off and replaced with Luddy tom mounts.
16x16 floor tom, no legs, basket mounted.
A guitar collector named Matt Swanson purchased the outfit from me in the early teens.

 

[richardh253]

The kit's pre WW2. I got it from a pot dealer, I had him throw the kit in when I purchased 125 bucks worth of cymbals from him in 1975.......
14x28 bass drum w/Luddy center post installed.
9x13 and 12x14 toms, original mounts taken off and replaced with Luddy tom mounts.
16x16 floor tom, no legs, basket mounted.
A guitar collector named Matt Swanson purchased the outfit from me in the early teens.

Not to question the man himself, but only because I had a '39 Leedy (28/13/14/16 in cradle) with the sliding rail mount and wanted to consider a new dbl tom mount and went looking on line...I recall Bun E kit had a Slingerland dbl tom mount installed?

 

[Ludwig26]

Bev actually played with a version of Black Sabbath for a while. Great and underrated drummer. His stuff with The Move was brilliant!

With Ian Gillan on vocals (Ex Deep Purple at the time).