Mitch Mitchell's Supraphonic

[donbseattle]

That is for sure.

 

[wflkurt]

If you read the juliens auction description Mitch’s first SS Ludwig kit was pre serial. which brings me back to my original statement that the snare is most likely COB

Description
A Mitch Mitchell vintage Ludwig Silver Sparkle drum kit used by Mitchell while performing numerous concerts as a member of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, including tours in the United States and Europe, as well as within the recording studio. According to Mitchell's estate, this kit was purchased while Mitchell was in the US for the Monterey Pop Festival. Mitchell had hoped to purchase a drum kit while in the US and knew what he wanted: an American vintage kit. In a secondhand music shop, he found this Ludwig Silver Sparkle kit. The estate described it as Mitchell's first "I'm in love with it" kit. He knew that the kit had an unusual finish for Ludwig, so he invested in the kit and in its return cost to London. The kit was not large; Mitchell preferred to have a kit with a great sound and not many pieces. Mitchell used the kit to perform on tour with Hendrix until 1969. Originally, the kit included two floor toms. While performing in Germany, a roadie was putting the band’s gear into a van, and as he turned his back, one of the floor toms was stolen. From that point on, Mitchell kept his drums in the studio and used borrowed drums on stage. The theft angered him so much that he didn't want to leave himself open to that kind of loss again. The kit includes a 14” x 22” bass drum; 16” x 16” floor tom with legs; 9” x 13” rack tom; 5” x 14” brass Ludwig snare drum; a group of vintage hardware, including one hi-hat stand, two straight cymbal stands, and one snare stand; and a set of vintage Zildjian cymbals, including a 21” sizzle ride, 16” crash, and two 14” hi-hat. Together with a vintage Silver Sparkle drum throne. No serial numbers are present on the drums.

PROVENANCE From the Estate of Mitch Mitchell

I remember this auction. The set being sold was a late 50’s WFL set and I, as well as others have never seen any pictures of Mitch on a silver sparkle WFL set. His set with Jimi was likely from 1966 based on pictures. I not saying that Mitch never owned the set, but I have looked at thousands of pictures of Mitch and not one of them shows a WFL set. These auctions actually scare me as I don’t know where they get the info. It’s pretty easy to see the differences in pictures.

 

[jptrickster]

I remember this auction. The set being sold was a late 50’s WFL set and I, as well as others have never seen any pictures of Mitch on a silver sparkle WFL set. His set with Jimi was likely from 1966 based on pictures. I not saying that Mitch never owned the set, but I have looked at thousands of pictures of Mitch and not one of them shows a WFL set. These auctions actually scare me as I don’t know where they get the info. It’s pretty easy to see the differences in pictures.

The bidders/buyer must have felt pretty confident about the drums and provenance to drop 75k. I doubt Juliens would be misrepresenting their clients.

 

[wflkurt]

The bidders/buyer must have felt pretty confident about the drums and provenance to drop 75k. I doubt Juliens would be misrepresenting their clients.

I suppose but that description says that he used this set on records and tours with Jimi. There isn’t one picture of Mitch that I know of where he is playing a WFL set. There are plenty of live shots and even some studio shots of him on a mid 60’s silver sparkle set with double round knob mufflers on the 13.

Mitch’s set was clearly a mid 60’s Ludwig given the rail mount positioning and the tom/floor tom/cymbal mounts. I just can’t believe the set in question sold for that much as there seems to be no real evidence the Mitch ever used it. The canister throne might be legit.