Anyone into drums? New Old Drum Day!1!

[Amp360]

I've been playing drums since about 1990, but only a little bit because the guitar is my main thing. Mainly enough to play on things until a real drummer replaces what I've done, but once in a while I get some keeper tracks.

About ten years ago I bought a set of those Gretsch Catalina drums that looked amazing but sounded like nothing special. I sold them because I found a really old set of Gretsch drums that were cheap, but sound amazing for one type of sound - Americana/folk.

I don't have a ton of different people in my studio because I mainly am working on guitars, mixing, or writing but now and again I'll get people that want to come in. My goal was to have a kit that (1) would sound great (2) would be unique and hold its value (3) inspire great music. For example, if you go to a studio and they have some cool vintage guitar instead of a new Ibanez or something.

One of my friends is an amazingly great drummer. I flew out to his place and helped him get his home studio set up so he can do tracks from home. This guy is to drums like most of us are to guitars. Like he has about 30 snare drums and maybe ten or twenty drum kits.

Anyway, his advice to me was to find a Rogers kit with a 20" kick drum. I've been looking for a couple years and finally found a way underpriced kit at Guitar Center.

So here are my new drums. If anyone else is into old drums I would love to see what you have!

 

[jrgtr42]

Nice. I have an old |Pearl kit - we think it's early 70s, though Sweetwater had a reissue of it in one of their catalogs a year or 2 ago - as the Presidential. Couldn't belive that.
I don't play it a ton, but it's fun.
IF I had my choice, I'd have a birch kit, 20x20 kick, 8, 10, 12 and 14 toms. |I just like the sound of birch, and the smaller tubs are punchier sounding.

 

[Amp360]

Nice. I have an old |Pearl kit - we think it's early 70s, though Sweetwater had a reissue of it in one of their catalogs a year or 2 ago - as the Presidential. Couldn't belive that.
I don't play it a ton, but it's fun.
IF I had my choice, I'd have a birch kit, 20x20 kick, 8, 10, 12 and 14 toms. |I just like the sound of birch, and the smaller tubs are punchier sounding.

Growing up most of my friends who played had Pearl. A couple kids had Tama and one kid whose parents had a lot of money had a huge Ludwig kit. The Pearl kits sound great from what I remember.

 

[J T]

Congrats! Tune it up, have fun.

Now you gotta get going on the cymbal collection...

Get a bass drum head with a mic port and lay some pillow stuffing in there to keep that ringing down. A low mic stand with a sennheiser 602 in the hole pointing at the beater. A drum set can take from four to upwards of sixteen mics if you really are into it. Oops, there goes all your mic pre's.

Now you need gobo's.

Gosh, how many times have I set up a drum with mics and when the band arrived, the drummer was lefty. Doh! OK give me a few minutes to re-arrange it all.

 

[jrgtr42]

Growing up most of my friends who played had Pearl. A couple kids had Tama and one kid whose parents had a lot of money had a huge Ludwig kit. The Pearl kits sound great from what I remember.

Yeah, Pearls are really good for the money - at the time I was selling gear, I spent 6 or 8 months in the drum department, and for sure, of the inexpensive beginner kits (not counting those 1 or 2 hundred dollar ones around the holidays,) so Pearl, Tama, |Yamaha and so on, I did like the Pearls. THough Gretsch has some nice ones, the Catalinas are a good value and sound good.

 

[Amp360]

Well, it's a drum weekend. I found this great old Acrolite snare with the original case tonight for $30!

 

[Amp360]

Congrats! Tune it up, have fun.

Now you gotta get going on the cymbal collection...

Get a bass drum head with a mic port and lay some pillow stuffing in there to keep that ringing down. A low mic stand with a sennheiser 602 in the hole pointing at the beater. A drum set can take from four to upwards of sixteen mics if you really are into it. Oops, there goes all your mic pre's.

Now you need gobo's.

Gosh, how many times have I set up a drum with mics and when the band arrived, the drummer was lefty. Doh! OK give me a few minutes to re-arrange it all.

I'm waiting to see what the front head is. If it's original, like a couple of them are, I'll change it and port it. Generally, I use a Telefunken M-82 inside, a Mohave MA-200 a couple feet back and M-80s on the toms. I'll use an M-80 on the snare and a KM-184 underneath (the only thing that mic seems to be good at. I'll put a couple of Royers as overheads.

I don't have a million pres, but API 312s on the kick/snare and ADL-600 on the overheads and then my DDA console pres on the toms is what I generally use along with a 610 on the second kick mic.

 

[J T]

Yeah those Telefunkins are good. Ha! yeah my 184's are the "new" issues and don't come out of the mic locker that much anymore. I think Neumann missed the mark on those. But the old ones are very good. I think if you reverse the polarity on that 184 underneath the snare, it might perform better with that M-80 on top.

 

[jrgtr42]

Well, it's a drum weekend. I found this great old Acrolite snare with the original case tonight for $30!

that is the steal of all steals!!!!!! What's that, savers or goodwill or some such?

 

[Amp360]

Yeah those Telefunkins are good. Ha! yeah my 184's are the "new" issues and don't come out of the mic locker that much anymore. I think Neumann missed the mark on those. But the old ones are very good. I think if you reverse the polarity on that 184 underneath the snare, it might perform better with that M-80 on top.

I like the m-80 on top. The old km-84s were great. I didn’t realize the 184 was so different. I got a pair of the new UA SP-1s. They’re cheap and sound like 84s to me.

 

[J T]

Yeah those UA SP-1s look good. I may get a pair. I like UA stuff.

 

[rialcnis]

In 1964 I got a blue swirling psychedelic Gretsch set. After some years I loaned it out and never got it back.

Today I have a 1947 Gretsch BroadKaster set, Cadillac blue. A prototype, rarity made for a main Gretsch boss. The 26" bass drum is astounding.

The bass head has his initials on it. He wasn't a drummer but was responsible for the Cadillac green and blue guitars. It was the Cadillac Green drums that came out in the 50's

My Cadillac blue is so vintage and one of a kind, I shiver when I play it or just stare at it. I am a little nutty that way.

There is an Amazing Gretsch drums history book, coffee table quality. I'll post photos when I am on a different computer.

 

[rialcnis]

Amazing book. So much info

https://www.amazon.com/Gretsch-Drum-Book-Rob-Cook/dp/1888408200/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1S0GH87UE97B0&keywords=gretsch+drum+book&qid=1670411015&sprefix=gretsch+drum+book,aps,908&sr=8-1

 

[rialcnis]

1947 Gretsch Set Cadillac Blue

 

[Amp360]

Amazing book. So much info

https://www.amazon.com/Gretsch-Drum-Book-Rob-Cook/dp/1888408200/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1S0GH87UE97B0&keywords=gretsch+drum+book&qid=1670411015&sprefix=gretsch+drum+book,aps,908&sr=8-1

Thanks for sharing! I'll 100% be picking up a copy!
Your drums are beautiful! I have an old set, which was just kick and snare, of Gretsch drums but they're not even on the same scale as yours!

They're in the background here. The drums, like the guitar, are from 1957!

 

[rialcnis]

I didn't post the photo of the large tom which I converted to a floor tom, with 3 brand new legs I found, that clamp on.

I have the vintage Bass drum legs, but use the DW clamp on legs for stability as pictured above.

I was born in 1947, so my drums are pretty old.

Those 1957 Gretsch(s) are beautiful.

Because I currently have studio floor on my mind-----Your concrete floor would be easy to put in a herringbone pattern Hardwood floor "Abbey Road" Style

I found a floor wood that I've decided on. My samples sound like claves . Cumaru wood is like teak. from Build Direct Mazama Hardwood Andes Collection (sku 15273566) The sound would be great to record in. I am planning to do my Livingroom but having a raised floor, not cement is alot more work and $

 

[Amp360]

I poured this floor myself and then stained it. It came out pretty good considering I did it by hand (147 80lb bags mixed by hand!). It's slightly pitched. I just roll the rug up if I want it more live.

My dad was born in '47!

 

[rialcnis]

I wish my living room floor was concrete it would be easier to put my dream wood in.

 

[Amp360]

My house is old, so it's all hard wood. What are you going over?

 

[rialcnis]

My walls are old hardwood but the entire floor is carpet over plywood with a crawl space. My current studio is in a large bedroom but too small. My living room is 50x20 with high vaulted redwood ceiling. It will be perfect for sound with a solid, thick, hardwood floor. I love herringbone style, The large Livingroom goes to waste right now.

In the backyard I have a guest house with concrete floor, converted into a music studio, which I rent to a young music producer.