Tommy,

Nice kit! I've never been able to see the Avacado finish in person, but I really like it. As for muffling your BD, instead of the towel, have you ever tried felt strips? They work great, are cheap to make and really add to the authentic look of older drums. More pictures!

Randy

I just want to weigh in on the bearing edges being cut if I may. In my shop I recut bearing edges when they need to be cut, period. On most older drums (pre 1900 especially) I prefer to do the bearing edges by hand with sand paper rather than running the risk of ruining a perfectly good 100+ year old drum on a router table. Because I have a shop and deal in resale of used and vintage gear a lot I can understand both sides of the argument on this. The collectors always want to keep the drum in original condition for value and sometimes this mentality is to a fault. (Sorry in advance here to the folks that are strictly to collectors.) If you drove three hours to go and purchase this set of drums then I can only assume that you are going to play them out live with a band or that is, at the very least, your intention. If you want your drums to remain sounding good them occasionally the instruments need to be serviced and maintained. What's the use of playing them if you can't get them to sound good.

My advice would be to have someone very reputable cut the edges if they need to be and make sure they re-cut them with the edges the drum already has. I recently saw someone re-cut bearing edges on a 70's era Slingerland kit that had re-rings and round over bearing edges which are classic Slingerland. The person that cut the edges re-cut them as dual 45 degree edges which changed the sound profile of the drum and also the way the stick reacted to the head a little bit. I have also seen vintage Ludwig kits in my own shop that had bumps the size of a BB in them right from the factory so they would have to be sanded down or cut to get the drums sounding their best.

Bottom line, if you want to play them and keep them sounding good then by all means, maintain them. It's a drum and it was made to be played. If you are buying them to try and flip them and make money then leave them alone and let the next person figure it out.

Hope that helps and doesn't seem like too much of a rant.

That was not a rant at all! That was beautiful haha! So I think I wall get them cut soon, but not now. I am experimenting with making the imperfections work for me, the 12 needs it bad though like I said previous. I'll post the picture again,but it will be upside down!

The floor tom resonates more than any drum I have ever heard!

I had them tuned high yesterday now I am trying them low, the bass I'm keeping wide open, it sounds beautiful! Sings so much!

The toms don't resonate as much as I would like but I don't think they sound too bad.

And you are right, I am going to be playing this kit, and that's what I realized when I was doing more research, I bought these Ludwigs to put more miles on them and have that sound! So if I need an oil change and tune up, so be it!

Now here's some more upside down pictures......

And my younger brother making faces.

More pictures, man I don't know how to work this, and I'm 23! I think I'm going to upload my pictures in a folder it's not really letting me do this

Here is his funny face....

Here's the kit when I purchased it, before my cleaning and wax job!

youre giving me vertigo! lol...

mike

Keep on Pl

I know it's horrible....

Drumrtommy Lee!

[img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3Mw0FWhLBc/UiHgm9z___I/AAAAAAAAD_k/vDabVax7apo/s640/motley_crue_750.jpg[/img]

BTW, the term I prefer is bearing edge "restore" or "level and reform."

Use those and you'll inspire fewer admonitions from vintage purists.

"Recut" sounds so brutal, like I can see the 45-degree router bit cutting into the rering!

Plus one! That's funny!

Actually I really dig the sound now, the 12 needs some work but you're right, cutting sounds bad, but man I'm having a blast!