I just took a chance and ordered a copy. Will let you know if no one else responds with a review before I get my copy read.

I grew up near the Kent factory "Drummer's Paradise." It was several blocks from my Junior High School.

I remember the many centerfolds from "girlie magazines" stuck on the wall behind the front counter, and the rather gruff customer service guys there.

My first rental set was a Kent and the first kit I was able to buy was a Kent. Of course, I wanted a Ludwig (because of Ringo), but no money.

Trying not-very-successfully to impress others, I pulled off the blue foil badges and replaced the Kent resonant bass drum head with a Ludwig. My skills at drumming didn't impress anyone, but maybe my "undercover" Kent set did? Two up, one down in Champagne Sparkle. Photos attached - I play lefty.

Regards, MB

Two more memories of the Kent factory. After I got my driver's license, I went back there a few times - to buy replacement snare throw-off assemblies. I was inept at tuning, and in my attempts to eliminate snare buzz, I'd choke the snare wires until the fragile throw-off arm broke off!

And I went back to buy a straight cymbal arm and bass drum mount, so I could put a cymbal between and forward of the two mounted toms.

And back there again to buy another lousy Kent cymbal (couldn't afford Zildjians).

Those items, plus another opportunity to ogle the centerfolds! I was THAT age! All ancient history now. But fun reminisces, and hence my interest in reading the new Kent book.

Regards, MB

I bought the book and it arrived a couple days ago. Generally I'm impressed with it. There are some spelling errors here and there but overall it's nicely done. I don't regret buying it and with shipping and tax it was $35. A nice addition to my drum library.

I had some Kents years ago that I bought at a local auction about 30 years ago. I bought the red sparkle set because the snare drum was a Jazz festival and the floor tom was a 14x14 Slingerland. The bass (20") and small tom (12") were Kents. Paid $35 for the whole works. The Kents formed the basis of my rehearsal set at a band mate's house. Unfortunately the damp basement took its toll on the kents and eventually I gave them away to the grandson of one of my mom's friends who was a youngster wanting some drums. I still have the JF and the 14x14 though. I just added a matching 20 and 12 Slingerlands to it after all these years to have yet another set.

Anyway, kind of cool to learn more about those old Kents I had.

Your story about the Kent drums not surviving a damp basement while the Ludwig and Slingerland drums are still viable does not surprise me. Call me a drum snob if you want. But, from a very early drumming age--fourth grade band--I knew that Kent and stencil brand drums were crap compared to Slingerland, Ludwig, Gretsch and Rogers drums.

To be fair my Kents didn't have reso heads or hoops on them and the basement was REALLY damp...to the point where I would not leave my snare or cymbals there when not rehearsing. To be honest I really didn't give a crap about the Kents and therefore didn't do anything about the situation. They were still playable even then but the egg shaped bass drum and mildewy tom were not something I was ever going to do anything with so I gave them away. I'm not sure that any of the major brands would have held up any better if left under similar circumstances. Just was not a good environment for anything made of wood.

The Kents I had were made of maple but in a weird way. The bass drum appeared to be a single ply of maple wrapped over itself twice to make it a double thickness. That made it sturdy but such construction lacks the added strength you get from laminating multiple plies in different grain directions.

The new book does document the connection to Gretsch that has always been rumored about Kents. One of the Kent brothers apparently worked at Gretsch's Brooklyn plant in a fairly high up production capacity as an engineer.

Never state of the art, but their upper lines weren't terrible either. The majors did some questionable things back then too.

I ordered the new Kent book on Aug 29, but it wasn't mailed until Sep 8. A bit frustrating.

It's softbound, 116 pages long, full of anecdotes, color photos of Kent kits and catalogues. And it features some popular Buffalo-area drummers who played Kents. It's a cool history for anyone interested in Kent drums, or anyone who once owned Kents and would like a nice trip down Memory Lane.

My only complaint is that I'm an obsessive/compulsive proofreader with no patience for grammar and spelling errors. If you are afflicted with this same disorder, the text of this book will be frustrating for you. The author should've taken the time to have someone proofread the book before it was printed. His sloppy amateurish text detracts from what is otherwise a great little drum history book.

Regards, MB

As Paul Simon wrote, "When I looked back on the grap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all." I'll add, it's a wonder any of us can write or spell. At least I was trained in child-parental conflict in the 7th grade. Terribly useful on a daily basis, as if raising children was not supposed to be filled with conflict.

I'd like to have a copy of that book at some juncture. I recall the Kent drums very well though I have never owned any. The first set I saw was owned by a guy a few years older. Last I knew he still plays occasionally with my guitarist brother-in-law. Unfortunately, not on Kent drums.

The book came in today and boy am I impressed. So glad i pulled the trigger on this one. Full of great info and great pics. this is a must have for any drummers library!

Sounds as if I will have to do it.