I may have mentioned this Ludwig Junior kit before...or not...
It's a 22 X 10 bass drum and it has a matching snare drum and a two-tone woodblock and a hoop-mounted swan neck cymbal holder and an old China cymbal...and stands and throne...It's a nice, complete little set. Of course, it has the original calfskin heads (reeeeeally nice ones, too!). It is a single-tension design. The spurs are like little vices with spikes coming out one end. They just screw/clip onto the lower front end of the bass drum hoop and they seemed to work fine for the soft-touch stuff we were playing.
I just got the urge to play it on this particular gig (Brazilian guitarist and myself) because it has such a big sound at such a soft volume level -a full, deep bass drum sound. On top of that, I also used one of the old fluffy wool beaters on the pedal. It was like big dark clouds passing by each stroke! wwwWWWHHHHHOOOOOMFFFFFffffff! (except softer)Mister T. It made the bass drum kind of like the Brazilian surdo.
It's really an amazing bass drum. It's a solid (1-ply) maple shell with no reinforcement hoops! I mean...by today's standards, that kind of shell would be considered SUPER-deluxe! But, the Ludwig Junior was intended for KIDS! I honestly can't imagine this kind of kit ever surviving most kids...but I am old enough to know how to respect the instrument and so it was like playing a rare, fine-instrument for me. I had total respect for it insofar as it's limitations as well as its strengths.
Of course, it probably wouldn't work in MOST settings...but it was PERFECT for this duo gig.
Vintage drums -nothing new like 'em! :)
