djarrett Posted June 18, 2001 Share Posted June 18, 2001 Outside of tupperware and pots & pans, ... most of us had a first "real" set of drums. I had one of those Sears specials with the paper heads that lasted three days, but that is not what I am looking for from you guys. My first "real set" of drums consisted of a 1965 White Marine Pearl Ludwig 4-piece kit. The Snare sounded great, but the chrome was all pitted. The drums were missing the front hoop and T-rods. The Marine Pearl had a hole where someone had smoked while playing and the cig burned a hole through the pearl.The spur clamps were stripped and the old "rail style" tom holder was less than sufficient, *BUT* it was the coolest thing I had ever owned. I remember spending hours and hours and days on end cleaning and repairing the kit. I found all the parts needed to restore it and soon it looked like new. Later in my teens, I traded that kit for a Porcaro Rack when they first came out. I could kick myself now, but at the time I was young and foolish and thought that life would not be complete without this rack! We live and learn. What was your first "real" kit? DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted June 18, 2001 Share Posted June 18, 2001 A 1964 Ludwig 5 piece kit in Red Sparkle.If you'll remember from a previous post ... this is the one that I would set fire to the drumheads! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif Kids will be kids! --Bart "Pyro" Elliott http://bartelliott.com ------------------ Bart Elliott http://bartelliott.com Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebonn Posted June 19, 2001 Share Posted June 19, 2001 Mine was a red sparkle 5 piece Sears set. I think Pearl actually made it.I still have the throne, bass and hi hat pedals, in the closet of course.The front head had a place for your initials ala Buddy Rich.But I didn't put them on.That would have been too corny, even in 6th grade. www.blairsdevillestudios.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwarf Posted June 19, 2001 Share Posted June 19, 2001 Mine was a 1982 Tama Swingstar with Sabian cymbals. Not bad in hindsight but I wish it hadn't been a concert tom kit. -- Rob I have the mind of a criminal genius.....I keep it in the freezer next to mother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1642605905 Posted June 19, 2001 Share Posted June 19, 2001 Mine was an old Percussion Plus kit.I played it forever and It always sounded great,but you know that pride thing kicks in and upgrade is inevitable.Damn you now I miss the old girl.Thanks alot!ian* ian* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beatheavy Posted June 19, 2001 Share Posted June 19, 2001 My first kit was a mickey mouse kit.but my first "REAL" kit was a ludwig standard (tiger pattern).5 piece. they rocked!Lost them in a horrific fire. wish i still had em' though.memories.....JLB ATOMIX! http://www.abc.net.au/common/logos/whtblkgrn.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popstalin Posted June 19, 2001 Share Posted June 19, 2001 My first kit was a hunk 'o junk! I traded an electric lawnmower and paid $35 for this wrapless, painted with white housepaint piece 'o poo! I didn't even have cymbals... I then saved my $75 and upgraded to a red sparkle 5 piece Ludwig kit which I later traded for a Tama Rockstar (which I still use as my practice kit, that way I don't have to tear down all the time when we play out!) I now play a 7 piece, stripped to 3 piece 1970's Slingerland WMP Concert Tom kit - I have a love/hate relationship with it! ------------------Jen H. Wondercrush http://www.mp3.com/wondercrush info@wondercrush.com Jen H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix stein Posted June 20, 2001 Share Posted June 20, 2001 mine was a hunk o junk as wellit was red sparkle and it had a broken bass drum spur...shitty krut cymbal, one tom and I had to hold the snare in my lap while I played I got that one for free and played the hell out of it for at least 6 months till my grandma got me a tama swingstar kit felix's band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted June 20, 2001 Author Share Posted June 20, 2001 OK, Deepness71 and Wondercrush:You are taking me way back ... Ludwig "standard" series and KRUT cymbals. Wow ... flashback! That goes back to the mid '70s!S H U T T E R !!DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted May 5, 2002 Author Share Posted May 5, 2002 I love this topic.DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzman Posted May 5, 2002 Share Posted May 5, 2002 DJ, my first real set......or at least looked like a real set was red sparkle, no brand name. To me it was the sweetest thing I ever saw at the age of 14. It was a 4 piece set. I sold it when I got married 1972(I was 21 years old)!!! Bad mistake. My wife to be ,back then, bought me a Ludwig snare that sounded real sweet, I think she paid $150 for it. I wish I had that set for mounting,haha! My fade out....... Jazzman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boose44 Posted May 6, 2002 Share Posted May 6, 2002 My first set was a 1968 5 piece set of Pearl Tiger's Eye. Came with two really cheapie cymbals that I soon upgraded to Zilco's (lol). Had that set for almost five years. It survived numerous cross country moves and countless garage bands until I traded it in on a new 5 piece set of Slingerland's in like '72. -bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted May 6, 2002 Share Posted May 6, 2002 I had one of those kick with two mounted toms (one with snare) and one cymbal in the middle (with rivets) kits. First real kit I ever had was a 1960's white pearl set of Kents with Ludwig (by Paste) cymbals. Those Kents were actually pretty well made drums. -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumtek Posted May 7, 2002 Share Posted May 7, 2002 Great thread, guys...!My first kit was a 4 piece, blue-sparkle set of Jets. Beat 'em senseless!!I was 13. 3 years later I traded 'em to another drummer for his 7-piece Rogers...2 (count 'em!!) 24" bass drums, 12" & 14" mounted toms and 16" & 18" floors.The kit was bigger than I was!!! Next came a 7-piece Remo Mastertouch (lost to a lucky car thief - got the car back, not the drums!)Nowadays, Yamaha Recording Customs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted May 7, 2002 Share Posted May 7, 2002 I could not afford Tupperware. I started with a collection of freezer boxes. My snare drum was a canned ham container with pennies and jumping jacks inside. I would sit in the middle of my bed with the record player going and the boxes surrounding me. I put a lot of hours in on that set. Next was a silver sparkle Sears set. The drum heads were quickly replaced which helped a lot, but the cymbals were crap. I eventually found a used Ludwig clear blue 5 piece set complete with Zildjian cymbals and hi-hats. I was in heaven but I put my parents through hell playing 4 hours a day. They were very tolerant. My dads only request was that I did not practice during the news, or after he went to bed. One tom was split but it still played. I later realized that wood had a better sound, and not that fiber glass lined wood crap. Real wood. Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzman Posted May 9, 2002 Share Posted May 9, 2002 Rabid, canned ham container.........BWHahahahahaha My beginner set was books of different sizes(never the BIBLE), an old refrigirater grate that I leaned against a chair with a chain on it for a cymbal. I used my brother's music stand, (you know the one with the windshield wipers on it). I took the top part of the music stand off, used a long piece of solid copper wire, made a hoop in it at the bottom for my foot and ran the wire up through the pipe, attached a metal pie-pan to the top of the stand and attached the second pie-pan to the wire at the top and there was my hihat!!! It is funny how a lot of us started playing. Real cool thread DJ.. I always like these.(Must be getting old!) Jazzman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted May 9, 2002 Author Share Posted May 9, 2002 This thread will never get old. I love this! There is just too much fun seeing how we all got things started as drummers. I remember (in addition to my makeshift drums) growing up that we lived in a house build in the 1800's. There was a set of stairs leading to the the upstairs. The steps had wooden banisters. Each one (I discovered) had a unique tone when thumped. Each time I would trapes up the stairs, I thumped out a cadence. What a hoot!DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumtek Posted May 9, 2002 Share Posted May 9, 2002 DJ, I thought I was the only one that did the "banister jamboree" as a kid....!!!Nice to know that, somewhere out there, I had "bandmates"!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ionic Posted May 9, 2002 Share Posted May 9, 2002 First kit was a set of red sparkle Silvertones.First real kit was a crystalite set of Fibes, factory painted black on the inside. Premier snare and hardware. This set was made when Martin owned them. If you like to see a nice example of what they're doing now, click here... http://www.geocities.com/lagasoreass/fibes.htm " I ain't no phisikist, but I know what matters..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted May 10, 2002 Author Share Posted May 10, 2002 yep! Drumtek. Banister mates. Better than cell mates! Anyway, that is true that we all as drummers carry similar traits. First drumsets being one of them. Great set of Fibes, Ionic!DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techristian Posted May 26, 2002 Share Posted May 26, 2002 I played on cans and then a REAL BONGO DRUM, but seriously I drove an ice cream bicycle for 1 month to save up enough money ($160 can.)for a BRAND NEW SEARS SILVERTONE set back in 1971 !!! It came with a 14 inch snare 18 inch floor tom, 20 inch bass an 13 inch tom tom and was in BLUE SPARKLE...WOW ! When I started to work at Chryslers in 1974 I bought a DOUBLE LUDWIG SET for approx $1000. I later (1988) FOOLISHLY traded this for ROLAND OCTAPADS. Guess which one held it's price better. Dan http://jesuspop.com/drummer.html TEACHMEDRUMS.COM My Music Videos RED PILL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popstalin Posted May 26, 2002 Share Posted May 26, 2002 Ok, the first kit I got was a hunk o' junk. I traded an electric lawnmower and paid $35. It was so bad, I ended up throwing it in the trash. I don't know one would consider this a "real kit" or not. My 1st "real" kit was a Ludwig red sparkle that I absolutely hated and now wish I had... Jen H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumlooney Posted May 28, 2002 Share Posted May 28, 2002 My first set was an old slingerland set that someone gave to me, it had no bottom heads and the suspended toms were held up with a bunge (I hope I spelled that right) cord, I had a pair of hi-hats that would bend if hit too hard and one ride/crash, it sounded worst than it looked but I loved that kit back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5feetfromcool Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 i had an adam drum kit (3 piece and a "cymbal") i now use my friend's ludwig vistalite 5 piece, but i set it up as a four piece with the mounted tom on the left instead of the right where most people do it with 4 piece. i really like the vistalite snare, it has a kickass sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted June 27, 2002 Author Share Posted June 27, 2002 Hey, 5 feet:Is this a vintage vistalite kit, or a new vistalite kit?DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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