Old drums, new hardware. I grew up using pliers to get that stuff tight enough or if worse came to worse, getting leverage on a wing nut with two drum sticks pinched together between clenched fists. My shoulders hurt from reaching for a tom on a rail consolette I could not get high enough and a floor tom on legs couldn't go high enough for where I naturally wanted it. That bass drum mounted cymbal arm would invariably fall over.

Today I've got everything on Pearl arms with the Pearl system no holes mounts. I use stands for a few drums or a racks for a lot of drums. I relive the glory days with the sound of the drums, not the flimsiness of the hardware.

That said, the Swivo-stuff looks very cool and seems like the very best in its time period. I started with a '65 Gretsch kit and the hardware was lame compared to that.

Best,

Gary

Dix HIlls, NY

Granted the fullerton 9/72, and even before, swivo collets and tighteners sucked major butt, they were weak, however the Cleveland/Dayton era parts of the same stripe were top of the line then, and on the three sets I own equipped with that hardware, they continue to serve like new.

The first set I ever played on in 1975 was a 68 Rogers Blue Glass Glitter 4 piece, 20-12-14 with matching Tower 5x14 Snare drum. I fell in love. In 1979, I bought my first drumset, a barely used, 1977 Rogers Big R set in 24-13-14-15-18 sizes in Silver Metallic, with 5x14 COB Dynasonic. A few years ago I sold the 14 and 15, picked up a matching 16x16 with a close range serial number, and still have that set today.

Memrilock, or Swivo-matic, take your choice, Rogers was the innovator in drum hardware. And Pearl owes much of its success to the design they copied from Rogers.

I have a two 60s sets of Rogers, (with which I use Swan Leg Cymbal Stands), two memrilock era kits (with which I use DW 9000 series stands), and the XP8 kit I resurrected with Swivo hardware. Nine Dynasonic drums including three 10 ply maple versions from the USA Big R era.

I would easily choose any of the Rogers kits, over the 8,000 dollar Ayotte Custom kit I own, any time, any where, any venue where it would be reasonable to bring them. And the reason is not to preserve the Ayotte set.

And I am an old ****.

No offense but you are really speaking of something that sounds like you never owned or played any Rogers swivelmatic's, which i have for almost 42 years i have have gigged them drug them across the country in trailers greyhound busses,trains and airplanes and never have i broke a set screw or had a tom or anything collapse while i was playing and i will tell you i hit hard...the only piece of Rogers equipment i ever had a issue with was their foot pedals,never liked them still don't. I use Ludwig speed kings it has nothing to due with nostalgia,it has to due with sound and quality,and toughness...

You tell me what hardware is better today? what a rack? FFS they look stupid i am a drummer not a brick layer on a scafel...it is a useless argument to try and tell a drummer or guitar player that what he likes is crap,but i will put to test anything made by Rogers between 1959 and 1970 against anything you can find today..

BTW i loath suspension systems i hate stuff that moves when i hit it. mine don't and even if they were a brand new company i would like them ..of course this is all my opinion and i mean no offense to anyone we all like what we like .. :)

PS Ploughman great looking set with the swivo harware they look just like clevlands and i would kill to have two of those cymbals stands the swivo internal ones they work great...

Good argument,better debate,excellent feed back!!

I got the cymbal stands when I bought this kit on ebay last year. 20-12-16. Red Wine Ripple, Clevelands, 1964ish. The Dynasonic is a Seven Line from 65 or 66.

Gorgeous Drums!!!!

Tell us what you really think!

Think we have problems, look at the guys in the early 1900's.

Here is an early suspended snare drum system from 1898.

Click Here

I have not added much to the discussion, just throwing in my 2 cents

of humor. x-mas2 (It's cold in Chicago!)

David

I look at this analogy from the point of athletics and anything else that has evolved over time. For example, back in the early years of football, players wore very little protection....maybe a little leather, jock-strap for a helmet or so. As the game progressed and guy grew bigger and stronger, those cheesy helmets were no longer enough to protect. Soon, they became full face masks and harder material etc.....

Now relate this to the evolution of music...from what was, to what is. Music is no longer light polka - boom-tat boom-tat boom-tat-tat-tat or a light big band swing. I'm even thinking of the traditional grip on the sticks with a pair of 7a's to the double fisted barbaric slamming with tree clubs. As the style and energy of the music evolved, so too did equipment drummers and other musicians, for that matter, used.

I'm surely not knocking the nostalgic aspect of 'collecting' vintage gear, but to argue in its defense, 'quality and toughness' and to be so bold as to contend that it is better than todays stuff, is a little off the mark. Guys that were a part of the ever changing and evolving music scene moved away from the 'flimsier' swivo stuff, in favor of more reliable, durable, and tougher hardware. I have an inkling that Bonham would have ripped swivo spurs off a bass drum before he hit beat one of measure 12. To me, quality is relative to what you are using something for and comparing it to. To play your typical 'bar gig'.....even I'd be breaking swivo stuff and I don't play all that hard.

So in sum, I beg to differ that most of this debate (and yeah I love to debate anyway) is in the name of nostalgia....leave quality and durability at home....unless and only unless....you want to compare the stuff to the stuff during that era. To todays hardware, it cannot compare period!

Rack systems? Love em. I can put more stuff on them with less stands. I can alter the set up any time I want. Two toms, 3 (ususally) , 4, 5? Cowbell in just the right place. Couple of splashes. A picture of my mother. Whatever. It is unbelievably versatile. Set up is a breeze and a smaller foot print than using stands. Look like a bricklayer? Yea, that's what I look like. I use stands sometimes too but only if I'm going simple in a really tight space, 4 piece and 2 maybe 3 cymbals.

Suspension systems? If my drums move, I don't notice it. It's the only way I can think of having a modern set up with old drums without putting holes in them. Tama Air Ride for the snare? Don't knock it until you've tried it, the snare is definitely more resonant. It's a pleasure.