Opinions wanted: Which Ludwig kit Stays, Which One Goes?

[Luddite]

This is a good problem to have—-I feel like I have too many drum kits. In the last couple of years I’ve been jamming with some friends while playing at church every Sunday, and every kit was getting played on at minimum on a weekly basis. I would have two kits set up in my garage/practice area, one at our jam space, one at church and one in our house which gets played when my wife has her weekly grocery expedition.
Now, I’m hosting our rehearsals, and only have room for one kit, and I’m thinking that I have one kit too many (I can’t believe that I just said that!). Three kits aren’t going anywhere—-my three Ply kit and chrome over six ply kit, both of which I have some serious sweat equity in and love the sound of, and my Gretsch Renown 2 kit, which is a wonderfully versatile kit. That leaves two—-the 10/12/14/22/14 Classic Birch and the 12/14/22/14 Epic X-Over Striped kit.
The Epic is kind of a rarity—-they made them for one year, their 100th anniversary. It’s a cool looking set of drums. The walnut/maple/walnut shells with rings are stunning looking inside and out. There is a good deal more attention to detail, from the lugs to the tom mounts to the rail mount on the bass drum than you normally see on Ludwig’s import lines, which generally tend toward the generic. The kit sounds good, too.
The Classic Birch kit is definitely a player, gigged heavily by the previous owner. There are dings, nicks and scratches all over it. But it’s definitely the best sounding kit of the two, and the only one that I have that is two up, one down. The bass drum especially is great, a 16x22 that is punchy and projects well and is one of the few 22’s that I’ve played that doesn’t have me wishing that I was playing a 24.
So, which one of these kits should I say so long and farewell to?

 

[Topsy Turvy]

I’d keep the Epic and sell the birch set.

 

[JimmyM]

I’d keep the Epic and sell the birch set.

I probably would, too.

 

[K.O.]

Keep the Epic. Very nice looking set.

 

[Stephen.DeBoard]

Keep the best sounding drums.

 

[stuart s]

The epic set goes




In one of my drum rooms

 

[bigbonzo]

I'm sure you already know which you will get rid of but I will say, just keep 'em all! Put one in storage if you need the room.

Please...let us know what you have decided.

 

[paul z]

I‘d probably find a spot to hide or use one of these. Some rehearsal space or at a friends house where they always wanted to try drums…

If you really have to let one go and can’t decide try the old coin flip:
Flip a coin and when you catch it keep the one you hope the coin will tell you to keep before even looking at the coin.

 

[Whitten]

Keep the BEST sounding.

 

[dingaling]

I had 1 of 2 kits I was thinking of selling a few years ago. I took both kits and put same same heads on and played them both. One sounded better (the sound I like) to me so I sold the other.

The other sounded great but I needed to make room for another kit I got at the time. I’m at a one in one out rule now. Plus, I don’t miss the kit I sold. I rarely have sellers regret, especially now a days.

So I’m with keep the BEST sounding kit group.

 

[premierplayer]

Put one of those kits in bags/cases and stack them up in the corner of the garage space. You know you want to keep them all.

My recent experiences have been selling is "very slow" in this economy. Not just kits, all the bits and pieces that make a kit whole.

 

[shuffle]

Keep the one that sounds best to you

 

[BruceOrl]

I agree with shuffle, but would add keep the one that also feels the best.

 

[Warrenbonz]

If you are set on getting rid of one I would keep the birch kit:

- It is the only birch kit you have
- Your only 2 up 1 down
- It’s the better sounding kit
- Especially great bass drum (personally, I just can’t part with a great sounding bass drum)

Looking forward to hearing what you decide.

 

[CherryClassic]

I'd keep the best sounding, but if you kinda want to keep both, I would stack one set on display in the corner.

I don't like selling my stuff. LOL

BTW: I also have a 16x22, it's a Classic Ludwig late 80's drum and it's a cannon. I don't gig it much anymore but I love that drum.

sherm

 

[drumsforme]

I would keep the Epic- Always liked the Maple/Walnut shell layup.

 

[1988fxlr]

Id keep the US made better sounding ones

 

[Luddite]

And….in all their gnarly glory…the winnah!!
They just sound and play better than the Epics. It took a little tweaking with the bass drum pedal as the hoops are at least a half inch deeper than the ones on my other kits, maybe more. It’s weird how things like that can affect the pedal action, and that’s one thing that I am probably overly sensitive to. Initially I was fighting the pedal a bit until I moved the beater angle up, and then (Forrest Gump voiceover) “it was like peas and carrots.”
Once that was over with, I was struck by how good they sounded. The snare especially is a great little drum, very sensitive and cracking, although (or maybe because?) the snare beds are barely discernible. The toms are fat for their sizes and really work well with the EC2 batters and EC reso heads. And, the biggest contributing factor, the bass drum—-I love 16x22 bass drums, and this one especially.
So, as beautiful as they are, the Epics are waiting in our entrance room for disassembly and a good cleaning for whoever owns them next. Thanks to everyone who participated in this, your advice was much appreciated!
The new 2002’s sounded great, too. I kind of wish that I would have gotten 15” Sound Edge hats instead of the 14’s, although the 14’s are nice. I had a set of 15’s back in my live playing days and I still kick myself for getting rid of them.