Hi! I'm no expert either, but I do love that big old rock sound! I think you were bang on with the Ludwig - Bonham used them, and although it was his playing and the production, I'm sure the drums themselves had a lot to do with the sound. I don't need to tell you as a producer that you can't get an amazing sound from average gear. I had a mid-range kit when we went in, and we sampled tom sounds because mine didn't cut it! I's suggest a 1970's Ludwig, maybe with a bigger than standard Bass drum (maybe 24) to get that big rock sound. Hope my rambling help a little!

Agreed Bonham is amazing he used Vistalite kits live I am not sure if he tracked with those kits though. I think I want something more even keel then a Vistalite. Anyone have any specific models of early Ludwigs I should look out for? 24" kick would be ideal!

I also agree that you can always find a way in the studio to get a decent sound. I use drum replacement for kicks and toms more these days then I would like to admit. I have some decent sampled collections but not exactly my dream sound. I want a real "house kit" for myself (I pretend I can play sometimes haha) and to create my own samples for drum replacement if needed.

Thanks for the reply!

Bonham only used the vistas for a little bit live (late 70's), but he didn't record with them. He preferred the maple kits.

I own a replica of his kit made by Fibes with maple shells, and that could be exactly what you are going for. Except, with the big sizes, a lot of drummers tend to not be able to get used to them at first and don't feel comfortable with the size.

I think maybe 24" bass, 12", 14", 16", 18" toms would be ideal for a studio situation. Or maybe just 24", 13", 16" to keep it simple and very classic. Look for the all maple B/O badged Luddy kits from the 70's. It is just my opinion but I'd go with the earlier 70's more than the later for sure.

Go with early 70's 3 ply Ludwigs. 14x22 bass / 8x12 & 9x13 rack toms and a 16 x16 floor tom. All toms with Evans G1 coated on top and clear G1 heads on the bottom. Bass drum fitted with a EQ3 batter head. The two smaller toms need to be mounted with RIMS suspension mounts. This will give you a great big vintage sounding kit.

That's my opinion and experience.

All the kits listed above are good choices. They all have a diferent type sound IF they all have the same heads on them. The sound you are after is not just the drums themselves but more so the heads. I can take the cheapest set you can find, and make it sound just as good as the top of the line drums with the right head and tuning combination. If you could find New Old Stock heads from the 70's, you'd nail the sound you're looking for with the older set. I have a few older sets, and I have found that the new heads of today can come CLOSE to the vintage sound but are not the same as they are not made like the heads of yesterday. It is very hard to get that vintage sound with todays heads, although I have heard that Remo makes a few heads that are still modeled after the older heads. I think it was in the Ambassador line if I remember right. I prefer the huge attack and projection type sound so I use only Aquarian Heads. There is another option as well. Triggers. You can have the sound of any set you want from a drum set sold in a department store. Just another thing to think about especially if this is going to be a house set and in a recording environment. Good Luck in your search.