Currently, I've got a newer Ludwig 5 piece birch kit, but long for a vintage kit. While I'd love to be able to spring for a whole kit all at once, the only way I might be able to attain one would be one drum at a time. I would prefer to get a champagne sparkle 3 piece set, but would settle for silver or gold as well. I don't mind restoring them, and even if the finish doesn't quite match from drum to drum, that would be ok. I'm not looking for an investment, just a nice vintage kit to play, one that I wouldn't mind taking out of the house occasionally either.
My question is about woods and plys. Is there a certain year range I should look for to keep the shells similar? I'm hoping to find a 16x22, 10x13, 16x16. A nice warm sound would be best, maybe mahogany?
I see individual drums on eBay all of the time, but rarely do the owners know much about the wood. I probably need to get a Ludwig history book.