Indeed Blair... but sometimes it's also a Tama mount that gets blasted into a rare drum DOH

At least that looks close to a Luddy double tom mount...might even be same size hole.

Yes, true. That was the before picture. It cleaned up really nicely and I tried to make a save and put a Luddy one on there, but the hole spacing is way off. The actual hole is a fiar bit larger than the Luddy arm, but I still use it that way... works okay. I just use a snare stand whenever it bugs me. Good point though - not as bad as a big bad Pearl mount.

Sweet kit.

You could plug up the majority of the holes in the bass drum and you could get a Ludwig bass drum cymbal arm mount to fill one of the holes and possibly cover up a couple of other holes. Then you can mount a cymbal too.

-Tim

Just a few more thoughts on your project....A supra or chrome over wood snare with any B+O badge would keep it in the same decade. A B+O badge with no serial # would put it real close. Check this link on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ludwig-70s-80s-Vintage-5-5x14-Snare-Drum-Chrome-over-Wood-Excellent-B-O-Badge-/190748590024?pt=Vintgae_Drums_Percussion&hash=item2c69807fc8

Speed King pedals are plentiful on ebay. I wouldn't spend more than $60 for a used one in great condition. Ludwig still makes them for about $120 to $150 so you know that parts are available. The other option is the Ludwig Ghost pedal, they are a bit harder to find.

I assume that you will be using the original rail mount system so what to do with that "thing"? I like your idea with a nice engraved chrome plate.

The felt strip dampening method is simple and used by a lot of jazz players mostly. Gilbralter sells the strips or you can probably get them from a hardware store. You just remove the BD head and lay the strip down on the bearing edge of the BD shell about 4 or 5 inches in from the edge and run it from top to bottom. Make sure you have excess material hanging over each end of the shell. Put the head back on over the strip and install your hoop and hardware loosely so that you can maneuver the strip behind the head with the material that hangs over each end. The tighter you pull on each end of the strip, the tighter the strip sits against the inside of the head. Try different tensions, varied distances from the edge, try a strip on each side, try a strip on both heads (etc.) you get the idea. Experimenting is time consuming because of the constant tightening and loosening of the hardware but it's the only way to get what you want. Have fun!

To get back onto the good points of this kit, that 14" floor tom is rare as heck in that wrap! They are very few and far between and sound incredible. Please hurry up and get them all spiffed up... I can't wait to see them!

Hey all,

I have to run and will respond later, but just wanted to ask, I looked up coated ambassadors, but they have several variants. Am I looking for the "vintage coated ambassadors"? Thanks. I guess Ill try them top and bottom on the toms and leave the bass alone for budget reasons.

MW

Again, gotta run, but even with the bottom head off it is very cool. Matches the sound in my head from any 50s or 60s song with a floor tom roll etc.

That is an interesting possibility. Just from pictures, I think that the BD mounted cymbal mounts were not top and center though...

I think it will come down to trying to find the covering material for an affordable price (budget is tight). I would like to find enough of it to find the exact place in the pattern to patch mine. I will keep an eye on ebay for a few years, and maybe I will find a blue oyster, donor tom that was run over by a car or something for cheap. :)

Thanks for explaining the felt. I went a local mom and pop music store today and they had the Gibraltor felt strip, and they had this: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums-percussion/evans-eq-pad-bass-drum-muffler

I saw this on youtube and it seems like a good idea for a closed bass drum head with no port, to a novice like myself at least, as pillows and such inside would move around whenever one moves their kit.

I picked up the EQ pad for like $10 (they had it for sale for years and years with no buyers, maybe that was a hint :) ). Haven't opened it yet as I am having second thoughts. I don't really want to get sticker goo (it uses double sided tape and velcro to anchor itself.) all over the inside of a pristine bass drum. Not sure if that matters I guess. I think I will go back tomorrow and try the felt strip method first as it it not invasive at all.

I do need to do something. The bass drum doesn't really sound like any BD I've heard before (have been in many bands). I feel like it must have a lot of potential as the toms sound crazy good. I removed the hoops and straightened the head logos out on the bass drum (anal to do that, but they were diagonal and driving me nuts). When I was putting the hoops back on, I was able to set the tension real even all the way around on both sides. Who knows what they were set to when I bought the kit. That helped. I tuned the side with the pedal softer than the other side (resonant side?) which I saw to do on youtube (yeah... I know).

I know it is a small bass drum and wont ever sound HUGE, but I think I can do better with a little work...

:)

Well, I picked up some lug screws at the mom and pop guitar store from their spare drum parts drawer. They worked great for the resonant side of the floor tom. HOLY COW. I swear that thing got twice as loud. Is that normal? :) I put the random old school ludwig head that came with the kit there. Its old, but no wounds etc.

I also bought a drum key. Exciting, right?

When one of you has a chance, I would really appreciate a link to the exact variant of Ambassadors I should go with. See my immediately previous post for a link to the “vintage” series ones. Thanks. I still want to do the tom heads and eventually the bass drum heads, but I am thinking budget may dictate a short hold on that.

However, cleaning them just takes elbow grease, and I have plenty of that laying around. :)

I played around a little bit with the adjustable “mutes” or whatever they are called on the toms. Were they stock, or added later? The look original, at least in quality. I will be leaving them disengaged though, sound better that way.

I will post updates in this thread as time goes on. I will do one drum at a time cleaning wise, should get to the first on Sunday. I'll take before and after pics.

The Speed-King pedal plus a $200 (great condition) original snare will be much more than I have in the kit at this point. I am lucky as hell, and I know it. Thanks again for the compliments on the drums, again, I just bought what I liked, and it turned out well financially somehow.

Ignorant guitarist question:

Should the beater on the bass drum be hitting dead center?