I think you hit the nail on the head, WMP kits just look fantastic on stage. I have a rewrapped Ludwig in black oyster pearl that I just stare at all the time...in my basement! Is it nostalgia for a simpler time? I don't know, but, I always feel good when I see an old kit with the those classic wraps!

I didn't want to jump in on the Rogers hardware debate, but...

I have a 37 year old Rogers set, that I still use the Swivomatic tom arm, and it works great! It's my favorite kit right now...

[QUOTE=bill young]wow...with all due respect, I love Rogers, but their Swivo hardware was complete crap QUOTE]

Sorry, but I haven't been around for a while and I just had to jump in on this!

Thanks Bill for saying what a lot of us have been thinking since the first time one of those damn collet noses stuck and you bruised the hell out of your hand trying to loosen it. I have played the same Rogers set and Dyna since 1964 and I take good care of them and keep the swivo's lubed and clean. They get played a lot on gigs and in the studio. I've been a professional musician for over 40 years and still gig quite a bit. After my last swivo cymbal stand broke (Rogers didn't put enough threads on the clamp and they always stripped eventually) I bought a complete set of Memri Locs and have been using them for about thirty years with NO problems. I've had the baseball bat handles on the collet noses break off several times. The swivo cymbal tilters didn't work properly. In order to get any angle at all you had to lay the thing at a 90 dergee. There were a lot of problems with Swiv-o-matic. That's why memri loc was so important and it had it's problems (poor quality chrome finish). Today almost everyone uses memriloc.

Oh, and by the way IT'S NOT Swivelmatic. That just drives me nuts.

I love my Rogers drums and still have the SWIV-O-MATIC tom mounts and spurs because I don't want to drill the drums. I wouldn't give up my old Rogers drums for any DW ever made. My 64 Dyna (#28**) has given me 43 years of the best sounding snare ever made (after I really learned how to set it).

How much evidence do you want? I can give plenty more. Nasty attitude, man. This is a mans opinion not a war. Maybe anger management is in order.Kiss

Don't want to fight...we all love our Rogers!

Jack

HMMMMMM well all i can say is when you let a piece of metal get the best of ya time to figure out why? So my question to you would be why was the collet stuck in the first place? If you had cleaned and lubed them like you said how could they stick? mine don't , not ever simply because i do not have to over tighten them ...

here is a tip for those that have problems with collets and their counterparts ...take the collet off and get the correct thread chaser and go over the plates with the thread chaser sometimes chrome gets in the threads and makes them tough to close properly, by doing this once every 5 years you too can have no hassle swivo fun.... IF YOU HAVE TO FORCE IT SOMTHING IS WRONG! :)

I have had clevland collets, dayton collets and now i have fullerton collets and i have never in 40 years broke one or had to use pliers, all i can tell ya is they work for me..and i agree with you i would not trade my Rogers drums for any DW set ..

[QUOTE=. You guys are just like my wife. This has been twisted way beyond my original contention [/QUOTE]

LoLoLoLo Man , can I ever relate to that! Laughing H woo! I never had any problem with the collet, it was always the stinkin' set screws on the swivel. I know, I know- I over-tightened. Well, I probably under-tightened initially, then I over-tightened. Then I over-over-tightened. Then I---bought Ludwigs. BUT I STILL OWN A ROGERS SET!! I LOVE MY ROGERS SET!! The tom still falls once in a while, but I gently lift it back into place, carefully tighten the screws, kiss 'er and smack'errightinthemiddleofthehead!

Ok here is a tip if you have a set screw that will not hold re cup it the ends of those set screws have a cup so that makes the perimeter sharp if you have over tighened for a while they get dull and actuly end up flat and usless that is the point most break them take em out put them in a vise andvery carefully drill the end out like a 32/nd of a inch you will have to have the right drill bit so you only recup the enside of the end..

Mike T, that's an awesome tip! DOH It never occured to me to cup (or actually re-cup) the set screws- a perfect example of knowing how the hardware is designed to work and maintaining it for years of trouble-free enjoyment. The drill press (and bi-focals) made it much easier to center. Thanks man!

always a pleasure to help someone with a problem, i am a tinkerer and i am a fanatic on matinence so i would take them apart and look at things and it is how i discovered that brand new they were cupped and that used ones were almost flat. LOL

Great tip...I will take all of my set screws out and check them and repair if needed!

Jackflowers2

The memory lock hardware was the downfall of the Rogers drum co. The swivomatic hardware, when it worked, was the best thing on the market. I think that the hardware manufacturing process wasnt regulated well, so the swivo stuff is pretty hit or miss. I have a swivo tom arm that is complete crap, and another one that could hold a bass drum to a bass drum. The swivo bass pedals are my second favorite pedals ever, second only to speedkings. If I wasnt afraid to break em they would be my favorite, I just cant afford to keep buying parts or new swivo pedals, so I only play my swivo pedal at home when im feeling light, happy, and very stress free, so theres no chance of any emotion adding to the weight of my already heavy foot.

Ok folks I`ve read most of the posts so far,lots of different ideas.I`m 51 been playing since I was 8 got my first set of Rogers in about 71,I played them alot in high school and started gigging at that time.I to say the least tore them down and set them up truly hundreds of times.Never and I repeat never did I need to over tighten nor have to replace a single part,other than the leather strap on the swivomatic kick pedal.Played those for 15 years,got real stupid and traded for a set of laugh and I`ll find you a set of Simmons.Worst move of my life.Shortly after got a Londoner set Of XP8`s blue mist,memriloc,still gigging alot and never had any problems with that version.I must admit I play a bit hard especially early before putting mike on drums was the accepted norm.Took a few years off ond recently bought a set of Grestch Blackhawks,total Taiwan firewood.Located a 79 set of XP8`s on ebay and ended up with a super Londoner kit for $ 950.00,bought a nice dynasonic locally in great shape.All the memriloc hardware still functions the way it was designed.I have played Ludwigs,Sonor,Pearl Tamas.and a couple of electronic kits.Nothing IMO matches the sound,quality and the durability of the Rogers brand.The XP8`s are some of the best shells I`ve ever used,they will bury me before I sell this time.I currently gig using just three of the rack mount toms one on a memriloc stand using just one arm.I disagree that the memriloc takes anything away from the tone of these drums.Well so much for my opinion,this thread was so long had to throw my 2 cents worth in.Long live the Rogers die hards and by the way Ploughman no one should have that many nice Rogers kits wish I had kept all of mine,by the way the new XP8`s I have are also blue mist same as my earlier kit.Later guys rock on.

The Band Gary