I love vintage stuff, I only have one Ludwig, it's a '60s, 13,16,20, it is missing the front bass drum hoop and t-rods, I took them off around 1969 like everyone was doing and eventually lost track of them. Kit sounds great and I play it all the time. I have a supersensative snare, and hand hammered copper picolo snare, not sure if that is actually considered vintage. I bought it about 10 yrs. ago..used.

I've had my drums stand up to some brand new stuff and the sound guy really liked mine better.

You're all crazy! My "First Act" kit with the pie-tin cymbals (along with triggers) is unbeatable (pun intended).

Seriously, after playing and "really" listening to music for over 35 years, I find this argument moot. Sound is totally subjective, like flavor (all us old dudes are losing our ears, day by day, anyway). So, I was recently watching some Government Mule vids, On Demand. The drummer was using a vintage Slingerland kit, with what looked like a "woofer" kick in front of his kick. Point is, the drums sounded awesome. So awesome that it made me rewind several times to hear specific passsages in different tunes. I can't remember feeling that sense of sound with any new drums, on any recent videos I've seen lately. Do I chalk it up to the mic's, the sound man, the recording, the drums.....what? Anyone else see it?

I have 3 kits,A Rogers 1967 thin re ringed shells,a ludwig S/L fairly thick by today's standards unobstructed shells,and a late 90's Eames very thick shells by today's standards.All sound very different to me,but through electric guitars and a soundman's vision do they sound any different to the audience? Doubtful.All three kits can change my approach by feel and sound depending on heads and tuning,and for me that is where the difference lies,if you can have a kit that feels good to play and sounds a way that inspires and promotes creativity ,and just sounds damn good with the music you are playing,there you go.I am lucky to have a few kits that will sound good and inspiring with whatever style of music I am playing with a band or working on for personal enrichment.That being said my Rogers are great near field sounding drums,but have a lot more muscle and or clarity from out than I had expected,and I have been gigging them for 15 years and they are holding up very well.

I believe Matt Abst was a Slingerland endorser and at least some of what he played live with Gov't Mule is newer Slingerland stuff. Definitely chalk at least 80% of the sound to the sound engineering. Even if the drums sound great un-miked, they are being heard by people watching the DVD and people attending the fairly large live venues, through the pa system and the speakers and mics. They are a fun band to watch, that's for sure!