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Gorgeous Kent drum kit (shell pack) on ebay

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Hi guys, I'm still laughing over leedybdp's comment about the 1990 Yugo! :-)

In regards to Salty1322's question about Kents, a look at Dennis Brown's book tells us that Kent's 1968 catalog was the first to contain a mix of Kenmore and Japan-made Luan shells and both American and Japanese hardware. The handwriting was on the wall at that time, for the eventual failure of American-made Kent drums a few years later.

I ordered and picked up a Kent kit in the summer of 1967, and although I was clueless at that time about Kent's difficulties, I may have had one of the last of the all-Kenmore-made drum kits. (I was also clueless about bearing edges and other important features of quality drums.)

I returned to the factory a few times in 1968-1969, to buy two of the "stem and socket" cymbal mounts - one for a 3rd cymbal and one for a cowbell - both mounted on the bass drum, and to buy two replacement snare throw-offs. Because I was inept at tuning, I would choke the snares tight until the weak weld of the throw-off lever broke away from the strainer assembly...That, and I enjoyed looking at the centerfold pin-ups on the wall at the front counter!

Attached are two pics of that kit. Yeah, I'm a lefty. A bit embarrassed that I couldn't afford Ludwigs - at some time in the early 1970s - I attached a Ludwig resonant head and tore off the blue scalloped/flower pattern badges from all the drums. Do you think I fooled anyone that I was playing Ludwigs? :-)

Regards, mb

Posted on 2 years ago
#21
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I have a set of pre-1960 Kents. I traded a set of Gretsch Catalina Birch shells for them. From the same guy I also inherited a round badge era 24" Gretsch bass drum shell. The Gretsch 2 ply shell is a little different than Kent, but comparable weight and thickness. Yes, Kent drums have a LOT of "nuances" to work around, but once you do these shells absolutely sing. The original lugs are built like tanks. My setup has a rail mount low on the left side of the BD, close to where it would go on a hoop mount or snare stand and I still use it.

They get a bad wrap, they were lower end US made drums with an interesting history, lots of quality control issues, and a relatively short lived life before they started importing. Most people associate them with MIJ stuff, or assume they are junk. Thats cool. For those that work past the nuances and put a little time into them to sort out these issues they really are great.

All of that being said I would put a legit value of $450 on these. When I can get a set of killer Slingerlands for less than a grand....with arguably the best quality control of all the major US manufacturers and none of the hardware issues...there is NO way I could or would try to justify that price.

Posted on 2 years ago
#22
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Leedybop: The picture of you on the Gretsch set is great, but for all the world it looks like the Cadillac Green and Ivory Duco drums Gretsch had in the catalog from 1956 to 1959.

Are you sure the drums in the pic were cameo coral / charcoal gray?

Posted on 2 years ago
#23
Posts: 2753 Threads: 132
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Oh yeah. I have found color swatches to have Bum Wraps make replica wrap for my little set of orphan Leedy drums.

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No matter how far you push the envelope, it is still stationery.
Posted on 2 years ago
#24
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