Hey, all.
I'm in a debate with some drummer friends about old hardware / stands, etc.
See, i just picked up a '63 slingerland kit ( blue sparkle pearl ), and it came with just the drums. Being a bit of a vintage preservationist i'm on a quest to pick up old period-correct vintage stands, snare stand, kick pedal, hi-hat stand, etc, that are for this kit. I'm having somewhat decent luck finding the stuff - apparently a lot of people have this gear and aren't using it... and i'm paying about $25 per item.
My brother in law says not to bother with it - that his old slingerland hi-hat was barely funcitonal... and that the quality of construction just wasn't that good. He just used old drums and substituted in new pedals and stands and such.
I'm more inclined to believe he just had one that needed some maintenance. I mean, Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa played on this gear. If some of the best drummers ever to have lived got the job done with old slingerland gear, how come i can't?
People say the same thing about my old '60s vespas and lambrettas - "why don't you just get a new 500cc motorcycle?" ... because that's not the bloody point, right?
So... what's your thoughts? Can i just oil / polish / tweak these old stands and make them work? I'm playing reggae / rocksteady ... not death metal ... and as such i'm not playing very aggressively.
Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions to an absolute beginner.
-Eric