Not sure if anybody hit on this, but I like the fact that vintage drums were actually built in their country of origin.

There was no doubt that Ludwig's and Slingerlands were made in America, Premier and Haywood were made in GB, Sonors in Germany etc. Heck, even MIJs were MIJ, not China!!!

I think there's a lot to be said for that and something is really lost on the new stuff, because unless you know or do your research, chances are you'll get a Chinese made kit with an American or Japanese name and not even know it. I know I almost got duped due to my inexperience, and I'm sure many do. That experience made me look into the vintage stuff.

For me it's the sound. I find vintage drums of nearly every kind to be warmer in tone. They don't always project as well, sometimes they are more resonant, sometimes less, but the character of the sound for me is paramount. While I also feel that vintage drums tend to be more aesthetically attractive in the visual sense, that's not even part of the equation for me. I just feel they sound better. Whether it's old Ludwigs, Slingies, Rogers, or even asian firewood, I like them all better than most modern drums. I also find them easier to tune, although I'm sure that point could be argued, but for me they do seem easier.

I like the wood, I like the metal, I like the parts, I like the smell, I like the sound.

Toss in "Newspaper delivery runs".. & O-Lugs does indeed nail it... even across international borders...

Cheers

John

The cool mojo of owning a vintage kit,the look, the build, the history and of course the sound :)

Yea I like the faded pearls, the shrinking wrap that turns into cracks, the strainers that won't stay engaged, the edges that have weathered 57 seasons....what else..o the peeling chrome don't forget that..how about the dummaz tom holder that keeps slipping..

Kidding

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5mcAAOSww~VeKF14/s-l1600.jpg

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1960s-Gretsch-Name-Band-Black-Nitron-Drum-Kit/283753210921?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Joking aside, most of the "pro level" hardware back in the the '60s was mediocre compared to most budget hardware today. Acquiring the appropriate vintage hardware to complete a vintage kit may be desirable, but not because it is superior to the hardware that is available today.

As an example, in the '50s/'60s there was pretty much only one snare drum stand that came even close to the build quality of almost all stands made today, the Buck Rogers stand. Thrones were generally less stable and less adjustable with a very small and hard seat. Until the innovation of the Rogers SwivoMatic hi hat stand, most stands from that period were relatively poor compared to almost anything made today.

And then of course, there were bass drum pedals. There was the Ludwig Speed King and a few other choices if you wanted a pro-level pedal, but even today's basic budget pedals are better than most of them were. Still... I prefer the simple elegance of the small and light, hidden dual compression spring, Speed King pedal compared to even top of the line pedals from companies like DW

Mark, this is a very good point. My Slingerland kit is not museum quality, so I have it tricked out with Gauger RIMS mount on the ride tom and DW stands/pedal. My Ludwig kit is near museum quality, and I use the tom stand that came with it, but the rest of the hardware is current ATLAS hardware.

For me, it's about playing a vintage kit and I play for all the reasons stated above: tone, mojo, history, coolness. Today's hardware is much superior so I can focus on the playing, not whether my ride tom is falling over :) .