LoLoLoLoClapping Happy2:D

What a sweet little jungle set! Are you gonna leave it in the JungleRoom?

The Holiday season must have really sucked for GC et.al. (in case some of you don't know, MF corp parent bought GC a few years ago, along with 123 Music ans a couple of others, and now they are secretly trying to acquire Sam Ash and Cascio....)

Anyway, for 100bucks, I can buy this [IMG]http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/regular/7/2/5/616725.jpg[/IMG]

or this:

Granted, I have work to do, either a light surface cleaning, a little deeper lugs off detailing or a complete make-over including some shell re-working, really deep cleaning technique and some things yet to be revealed.

But, is it really worth all the work I am putting into these old imported shells? I know a few will scream that it is a waste of time, they will never ever sound likew a Slingerland, the set they emulate, or a Ludwig, which it supplanted sales from in the early 60s and that they are nothing more than firewood.

Well, these are 45 +/- year old drums, three ply shells, with some good plies in the middle of the less than desirable mahogany inner and outer plies....unless it used on a Ludwig Jazzette or Slingerland Buddy Rich 80N, or a Gretsch.....

They also include some very nice wrap, one of the more sought after color/designs, a cool set of hardware with a nice cymbal arm and sticksaver style hoops. The 22" bass drum, with a good head and a cursory tuning revealed a deep, round tone, rich and full, rolling and warm, full of wonderful sound. The 16" floor tom, also with a newer head, samething, and only a minor amount of overtones until a small amount of wrangling and the overtones disappeared.

I am going to do something different with this kit, because it is a nice, solid, well built set of shells. And yes, they are going to sound great. Not exactly like your vintage American drums, because, well, they aren't. But then your sets don't all sound the same either. What if Ludwig and Slingerland sound exactly like Rogers and Gretsch? Would you be as enamoured? No, because they would have no character.

Hi,

Living and playing and purchasing gear through the past decades, my perspective is a bit different.

Agreed that Pearl and Tama in particular poached hardware concepts, if not patents. The competitive edge that they gained was not simply because of this dubious practice.

Two points:

1. MIJ shells got a whole lot better

2. US drum manufacturers seemed to abandon quality control.

So any pragmatic drummer would be bound to consider the more cost effective and consistent MIJ products over US product. At that point, I suggest many of us were pushed to consider other products.

Happily, these days, US percussion products are more consistent--even if not always made on the continent--so we can have these fruitless and endless debates.

cheers,

Patrick

I like my mij's because they sound and look good, they're light and small, and i don't have to worry that i left big money drums in a club. the cymbals, that's another issue. they never could copy them. I have had newer pearl and tama kits, and have sold them. i like the old mij's. i also have ludwig, a fibes & an old rogers kit, but don't like bringing them out. old drums are just fascinating. mij, usa, whatever. they all have a place, and should be respected and preserved. that's why we are here.

mcsushi, anyone?