I Went To Guitar Center For A New Head, And Left With A New Kit!

[84K]

I went to Guitar Center to get new heads for my DW kit. I was looking around and a friend pointed out a Ludwig kit that resembled Bohnam's natural colored kit stacked on a shelf. It even had the old fashioned Ludwig font on the outside kick head. I laughed and asked the guy in drums about it. I saw a price tag of $899 on the kick drum. He said, "those are the biggest sounding drums in the store, it is freaky." I laughed again and asked him if we could hear them. He told me the department manager put them on the shelf because it would detract from the sales of the more expensive drum kits. So, we put it up next to a 6k DW exotic flamed wood kit. As soon as I kicked the bass drum I was shocked. It actually sounded like that Bohnam sound! I new I was leaving with it. So, I talked him down to $680. Took it home and it destroys all my other kits. It is so loud and fat it is scary. I have never heard a kit like this. Why was it inexpensive... Made in Taiwan.... ya know what I say... God Bless Taiwan!! I don't know if this one just has some magic or if the others in this reissue series are all this huge sounding. I recommend anyone in reach of a GC, or Ludwig drum dealer, GO CHECK THESE DRUMS OUT!

Mic'd it up today for a rock band. Everyone's jaws dropped. I am so happy I feel like I stole something. the deal was too good. WOW

[RoundBadge]

Congratsthumbsup
Yeah, those new luddies are pretty impressive..especially for the money..
i redid the edges[I have a real nice table router] on some a while ago..sounded great!

[84K]

Yeah its pretty wild. I have kits that are WAY more expensive. It just sounds so much fatter than anything else. Drummer brought an old Roundbadge kit, a 1987 Sonar kit, and we had a Spaun and a really clean new top grade DW. That damn Ludwig... It's like some kind of Phenom. We tried tuning the others, but that Ludwig is so much louder and bigger. Craziness.

[RoundBadge]

It's funny.. I've just sold of another newer DW kit..
I'm vibin' on the ludwigs agian..so friggin cheap too

[Jax]

This is the Ludwig "Bonham Re-issue" you say?

I like my Yammie Custom but could sure go for something that's just FUN to play.

[Jax]

What am I talking about...

first and foremost CONGRATS!

thumbsup thumbsup thumbsup

[El Fatso]

is it wood or acrylic?
i think i remember seeing an acrylic bohnam reissue from ludwig but it was a few grand.

[big country]

some of those acrylic kicks are pretty amazing . the best kick sound Ive ever heard
came from an acrylic . its very haunting, the sounds they can make if tuned well.
it fills the room with a perfect attack and decay. stuff inbetween is cool to.

[84K]

BC,

I got the natural wood kit.

[mltamisin]

Ludwig makes a nice kit. That kick is a 26 x 14. Pretty damn big. $680 is a killer price. What model range is it. A Classic Maple or Accent series? Either way it's still a steal. Nice job!!

[big country]

Originally Posted by 84K

BC,

I got the natural wood kit.

I know


you ever flirt with acrlic kits ?

[84K]

Originally Posted by big country

I know


you ever flirt with acrlic kits ?

Oh No... This thread is only going to lead me to more drums... and I'm not even a drummer!

LOL. Yeah they are cool! Maybe one day. I have an amazing Spaun kit (maple) I need to unload. I want to keep it too, but having too many drums around makes my head spin... that and it ties up money

[84K]

Originally Posted by mltamisin

Ludwig makes a nice kit. That kick is a 26 x 14. Pretty damn big. $680 is a killer price. What model range is it. A Classic Maple or Accent series? Either way it's still a steal. Nice job!!

I'll have to check. I'll post a sample.

[84K]

OK. So, here is a sample of this new kit. Recorded into Pro Tools last night at my home studio. No Plugins. Before anyone jumps down my back, it was late and I didn't feel like putting up tom mics. We left the kit up for a real session over the weekend, and I will close mic the toms for that. I will post the chains later, it was 4 a.m. and I can't remember.

[cortisol]

Hey 84K that MP3 was fun! Man I love BFD. How long did it take you to program?? Just joking. Some very nice playing and some very nice sounds. Congrats dude.

Peace,
cortisol

[84K]

LOL. Thanks!

[pan60]

i want to get a nice get and snare, hopefully soon!

[cortisol]

It's funny that I never thought to give Ludwig drums a try when I was buying a kit, seeing that they where the drums of choice for the Beatles and Led Zep!

What sizes did your kit come in, because the kick sound huge!

Have fun.
cortisol

[Jax]

Inspired by 84k's adevnture, I went to guitar center today (well, yesterday by now technically) to try a couple of DI's, then went upstairs and they had a pair of the Zep kits. They are part of the Accent Series, to answer the question above. One kit was natural, the other with a rather poorly done silver sparkle wrap (cut in 3 sections on the two large toms, but the small tom was ok).

Just like in 84k's story, the kits were not setup on the floor, they were stacked. I found out that this is because Ludwig doesn't pay Guitar Center for the "promotonial" floor space. The bigger names like DW, Tama and Pearl do. He also said that GC was going to stop carrying Ludwig soon... but that might have been a ploy to get me to throw down some cash.. dunno. After what I heard from this kit, it would be a huge mistake to dump Ludwig, IMO.

We setup the kick and..... I was literally shell-shocked. All the power and glory you could expect to come from a 26X14 drum and then some. I walked around the drum floor while the sales guy pounded the thing and the low end waveform was almost inescapable. It only diminished when I hid behind a big DW kit that seemed to absorb some of the power.

I mean it. This kick would have been written into Greek folkore as a weapon of the Gods had they been hip enough to rock out back then.

The attack was perfect and the low end was chest thumping... actually it was more of a bowel mover.. but both at the same time. The toms didn't do much for me, but that could be a tuning issue as they were a bit uneven sounding (bottom heads too tight it sounded like).

I am quite seriously considering grabbing one of these kits. It would be the natural for me. All the kits I've ever had except one were nats.

Thanks for the heads up 84k!

thumbsup thumbsup boom boom

[cortisol]

26 inch kick! Bloody hell! How rare and expensive would the drum heads be? I'd have to raise my stool and wear platform boots to play it and look over the top!

Seriously though, I use 2 mounted toms and one floor tom. It just wouldn't work.

Peace,
cortisol

[grahamo87]

I'm picking up a new gretsch of the same size, but am now reconsidering it. Thanks. The recording sounds great!

[84K]

Originally Posted by Jax

Inspired by 84k's adevnture, I went to guitar center today (well, yesterday by now technically) to try a couple of DI's, then went upstairs and they had a pair of the Zep kits. They are part of the Accent Series, to answer the question above. One kit was natural, the other with a rather poorly done silver sparkle wrap (cut in 3 sections on the two large toms, but the small tom was ok).

Just like in 84k's story, the kits were not setup on the floor, they were stacked. I found out that this is because Ludwig doesn't pay Guitar Center for the "promotonial" floor space. The bigger names like DW, Tama and Pearl do. He also said that GC was going to stop carrying Ludwig soon... but that might have been a ploy to get me to throw down some cash.. dunno. After what I heard from this kit, it would be a huge mistake to dump Ludwig, IMO.

We setup the kick and..... I was literally shell-shocked. All the power and glory you could expect to come from a 26X14 drum and then some. I walked around the drum floor while the sales guy pounded the thing and the low end waveform was almost inescapable. It only diminished when I hid behind a big DW kit that seemed to absorb some of the power.

I mean it. This kick would have been a written into Greek folkore as a weapon of the Gods had they been hip enough to rock out back then.

The attack was perfect and the low end was chest thumping... actually it was more of a bowel mover.. but both at the same time. The toms didn't do much for me, but that could be a tuning issue as they were a bit uneven sounding (bottom heads too tight it sounded like).

I am quite seriously considering grabbing one of these kits. It would be the natural for me. All the kits I've ever had except one were nats.

Thanks for the heads up 84k!

thumbsup thumbsup boom boom

Hey Jax, I'm impressed. I agree completely with everything you said. I have not seen the sparkle kit in person (it even looks bad on line), but the natural looks great!

I changed the TOM top heads to coated Emperors. More like Bonham's set up. The new heads, a good tuning and they sound great! The Snare and Kick are as they were, just tuned. I have a session this weekend with that same drummer, and I plan to mic the toms individually then. They sound as big (respectively) as the kick and snare.

In comparing them with a Spaun, DW, and Sonar kit that we have here, the Ludwigs are much bigger sounding. It is amazing... the kick drum is that fat, but the wave form is so short, so it makes it very pleasant to record. Albeit, for highly compressed, modern click-y rock drums that have to compete with 50 guitar tracks, the Ludwigs may take up too much room.

Jax, if you are thinking of purchasing it, I paid $680 + Tax. Try to get them to beat that price. If they give you static about matching it, PM me and I can fax a copy of my receipt. I don't know how sweet of a deal that was, not knowing the cost, but man, the best $680 I have ever spent!

_________________________________________________________

I think this is the link, but the kick drum is 14 X 26, not 16 X 26 as stated on their website.

Ludwig > Accent Custom Series > LR1365EC

http://www.ludwig-drums.com/content/...=LR1365EC&css=


(that sparkle looks bad... natural is WAY cooler)

[84K]

Originally Posted by cortisol

26 inch kick! Bloody hell! How rare and expensive would the drum heads be? I'd have to raise my stool and wear platform boots to play it and look over the top!

Seriously though, I use 2 mounted toms and one floor tom. It just wouldn't work.

Peace,
cortisol

Raise the roof Brother!! Its worth it!!


All this being said, having spend stupid money for a DW kit that looks like furniture and sounds great, dollar for dollar, I would have spend $680 just for the sound of this Ludwig kick drum, and just to think, I got an entire kit for that! I am still shocked. Christmas came early for me this year.

[84K]

Originally Posted by big country

I know


you ever flirt with acrlic kits ?

I'm not going to lie... last night, while my girlfriend was sleeping next to me I was looking for a good deal on amber Ludwig visalites on line. Thanks!

[big country]

Originally Posted by 84K

BC,

I got the natural wood kit.

you like acrylic . you make bang bang long time.

[big country]

me likes the kick sound
its pretty gut wrenching
the drumming aint half bad either
what did you use for mics?
and did you eq or use dynamics?

[El Fatso]

i know part of it is that its a large kick drum and its supposed to be a "john bohnam kit." but i think ludwigs in general have great kick sounds. i recorded the killers for a movie soundtrack and ronnie their drummer had just gotten a brand new ludwig kit. we had gotten it to sound very 808 sounding. in the control room listening back to the track you just feel the kick hit you in the chest.

[84K]

Originally Posted by big country

you like acrylic . you make bang bang long time.

LOL.

$5 make you hollah, $680 make you SCREAM!

[84K]

Originally Posted by big country

me likes the kick sound
its pretty gut wrenching
the drumming aint half bad either
what did you use for mics?
and did you eq or use dynamics?

I take NO credit for the Drumming or the Tuning... That would be my friend Tom.

Kick Batter side - RE20 => Pendulum Quartet 1 => API graphic EQ => Pendulum PL-2 = Pro Tools
Kick Outside - AKG D112 => Shep SN8 => Pendulum PL-2 = Pro Tools
Snare Top - Josephson e22s => Shep SN8 => Purple MC77 = Pro Tools (NO EQ)
Sn Under - Josephson e22s => Shep SN8 => Pendulum 6386 = Pro Tools
HAT - R121 => Shep SN8 = Pro Tools
<Over> - Coles 4038s => Pendulum MDP-1a => Pendulum Stereo Pultec Style EQ ( Ahm-um.. Not Yet Released ) = Pro Tools
<ROOM> - Telefunken USA Elam 251e => Pendulum MDP-1a => Chandler TG-2 => SHEP SN8 EQ =>Pendulum PL-2 = Pro Tools

[Jax]

Originally Posted by cortisol

26 inch kick! Bloody hell! How rare and expensive would the drum heads be? I'd have to raise my stool and wear platform boots to play it and look over the top!

Seriously though, I use 2 mounted toms and one floor tom. It just wouldn't work.

Peace,
cortisol

Lmao! What are you, pigmy African?

I had the same thought (well.. in a different way, lol). The solution would be a drum rack like Gibraltar although I always like the square Pearl one. I need one for my Yammie kit anyway.

The head that was on the kick was an Evans EQ3, so maybe they're not so hard to find.