Ludwig's new Signet 105 drum line!

I just spoke with them at this GC location. It's the three piece, not 4 as TheHeelDrummer has already mentioned and it's the Indian Teak finish. They're changing the item online to reflect. They say it IS a kit that was at NAMM.

I was just coming on to share my experience with them.

Last night I called but it was late and there was no drum guy there. So the guitar guy tried to help me out. Said it was Teak and he could only find three pieces.

This morning I called GC and spoke to Sasha online. She said they couldnt guarantee they wouldnt sell it because they were closed and its not like they could put it behind the counter for me because they werent open yet. So I bought it, under the condition that I would talk to the store to confirm what it was before they shipped it and I had to pay for it.

12:00 ET I call back and speak with Cole, who informs me its a three piece with a 12 up, 14 floor and 20 bass. Which is weird because that doesnt match up with what Bermuda said was at NAMM... but its possible Cole was wrong. Either way I was out.

So I had to call GC online back up and cancel the order.
 
Understood. It's still a good deal for a Gigabeat config. I'm not looking to buy as I have another kit that's coming in on Wednesday but I was going to seriously consider having two kits if this was a real Terabeat 4 pc in blue or ebony for $599. :)
 
Understood. It's still a good deal for a Gigabeat config. I'm not looking to buy as I have another kit that's coming in on Wednesday but I was going to seriously consider having two kits if this was a real Terabeat 4 pc in blue or ebony for $599. :)

Agree its a great deal. I dont need another 20 inch bass drum though. Considering I just bought a Zep Centennial kit last week and I'm trying to sell a Gretsch Catalina 6 pc and dont have room for the other drums I already have... .... .... I just couldnt justify it. Especially since after shipping and taxes I was somewhere closer to 700.
 
When i first heard of this line i thought it was a great idea and would sound great. I went to guitar center and tried out a gigabeat config and it sounded heavenly as you would expect 6 ply maple shells to sound.

Like many others I was weired out by the lugs. I think they look cool and the function is great but I have had a lot of drums break on me ( i bought a Ddrum kit once and the lugs cracked in half and many came broken in the box before I even opened it so i no longer trust that company) so i am uneasy at the thought of a partially plastic lug but its still a really cool idea.

That being said i hate to make anything look bad but thrn i saw the posts about small chipping around the hole where the lug goes and even saw pics. When i looked closer at the one at my guitar center there they were. You need to look close bit its there. I really hope this isnt a problem on all of them...
 
Like many others I was weired out by the lugs. I think they look cool and the function is great but I have had a lot of drums break on me ( i bought a Ddrum kit once and the lugs cracked in half and many came broken in the box before I even opened it so i no longer trust that company) so i am uneasy at the thought of a partially plastic lug but its still a really cool idea.

The plastic piece on the lug isn't structural, so nothing bad can happen to the lug as the result of that being there. I imagine it simply keeps the metal rod insert in place, the same way springs and plastic shims keep the inserts in place on other lugs.

Bermuda
 
Okay, I got more curious about the plastic bit, and removed a lug:

signetlug.jpg


I tried to 'pop out' the plastic insert to see exactly what it does, and it won't come out easily. I tried prying and pushing from inside with a screwdriver and worked it pretty hard, but no luck.

Suffice to say, that plastic piece is not going to break or fall out without some dedicated human intervention.

Bermuda
 
Bermuda,

What about 'cracking' within the shell where the lugs are placed? People seem to be raising this issue quite a bit.

-Rob
 
People have raised a lot of questions, and honestly, only time will tell. I can only answer based on what I've seen of the drums after spending an intimate week with them at NAMM, and now playing them on gigs.

That said, I don't see any reason that the hole in the shell would have any issues because the lug isn't screwed into it. As for the occasional breakout seen on the holes, that's not a structural issue and not likely to spread. With the lug in place, it's invisible. I see it on a few of the holes on my drums, but those are in the minority. I've also seen that on other drums from other manufacturers, and it doesn't bother me. I simply want a drum to remain structural and make a good sound, and I see no evidence that the Signets can't do both.

Bermuda
 
I'm playing mine tonight and digging them! Not because I have to, I really like them!

Bermuda
 
So I thought the Signet line was going to feature toms that you could purchase individually to add to your shell pack. Where can a guy find these for sale?
 
Ludwig dealers* can order them, available add-ons are:

7x8"
8x10" (may be listed as 8.5x10...)
14x14"
16x16"
16x22"

Since the 12" tom is common to both kit configurations, there's no need to offer it separately. But I don't know why the 15x20" kick isn't sold separately, I'm really digging mine.

A Berm's eye view from last night's gig:

signet6.jpg


* Although GC carries the kits, I'm not clear on their their status as a full dealer and not sure if they can order/sell anything apart from the few items they carry. But any other Ludwig dealer can fill the order.
 
Ludwig dealers can order them, available add-ons are:

7x8"
8x10" (may be listed as 8.5x10...)
14x14"
16x16"
16x22"


The 12" tom is common to both kit configurations, so they don't offer it separately. But I don't know why the 15x20" kick isn't sold separately, I'm really digging mine.

A Berm's eye view from last night's gig:

signet6.jpg

I saw that you have an SST on the floor tom. Not a fan of the stock heads? Or do they not come with stock heads?
 
about a month ago I went to guitar center and heard the Signet 105's I was honestly blown away by how good they sounded. The toms were so warm and resonant however the bass drum sounded a little thin. I thought about buying them but I was worried about the lugs and if I could get the bass drum to sound full. Well a few days ago I went to guitar center again and this time I had a little more time to play with them and after tuning the bass drum it sounded great. I have been looking for a new kit for quite a while and I think this is the sound I am looking for (it has a very warm resonance. I wanted something with a good resale value but at $800 with the sizes and sound I want I could care less about the resale value. unfortunately I did not have the money with me to pick It up but I am thinking about ordering one within the next month, I need to sleep on it.

It is really hard for me because I have tried so many "pro" kits out recently and It is difficult for me to admit to myself it is the kit I want. It was hard enough for me to admit it on here and none of you are as judgmental as I am.

Of course this post isn't about me. This post is to let everyone know that this is a quality sounding kit. It was also very sturdy feeling when I played it but also very light weight. This is a kit to be proud of if you buy it. No it's not a classic maple or a legacy, no it doesn't really sound like them. But it is not meant to be. This is a high quality intermediate kit. Do I like the idea of "build it yourself" or the much larger holes in the shell? No, But I also don't really care for the stiletto style spurs but the sound of this kit speaks for itself.

Sorry for rambling. If I do end up with this kit I will give a more thorough review of it.
 
I saw that you have an SST on the floor tom. Not a fan of the stock heads? Or do they not come with stock heads?

Stock heads are clear Ludwig Heavy (batter) and Medium (resos) on the toms, and the kick heads are their Power Collar clear (batter) and "white" (reso). I like Ludwig's heads on kicks and snares, although they don't offer a big selection, and because of that, I'm not a big fan of their heads on toms. I initially tried coated G1s on the toms, and they were okay but not quite there. But the EC2 SST - which I haven't been using lately - sounds great on them! I had changed the resos to clear Evans Resonants, and I find they sing better than Ludwig's Medium heads as resos, even though the Ludwigs are thinner (7.5 vs 10mil.) The kick got an EMAD batter right from the start (clear on the 20" and the 22 will get a coated) and sounds just right without additional damping or a hole.

This post is to let everyone know that this is a quality sounding kit. It was also very sturdy feeling when I played it but also very light weight. This is a kit to be proud of if you buy it. No it's not a classic maple or a legacy, no it doesn't really sound like them. But it is not meant to be. This is a high quality intermediate kit. Do I like the idea of "build it yourself" or the much larger holes in the shell? No, But I also don't really care for the stiletto style spurs but the sound of this kit speaks for itself.

And in the end, it's all about sound when looking for a kit to play. They're definitely don't have the Legacy or Keystone sound, but I think they're pretty close to the Classic Maple vibe, perhaps a little warmer due to the thinner shell & finish, and lighter hardware, especially on the kick.

Once the kit is assembled, you never have to think about it again. It's not as if you'd be breaking it down, and you never have to worry abouit checking if the lug screws have loosened over time! :) I know what you mean about the spurs, they look pretty light, but they're completely sturdy, and I've added a mounted tom with no issues. Not everyone will like the angle that the kick sits at, and unfortunately the spurs' height isn't adjustable. It makes a very slight difference in the pedal action, because the batter head tilts back a small amount - maybe 1/2" - and it's noticeable, but not a detriment to playing. You'd forget all about it before the end of the first song you play.

I've only had mine about 6 weeks, but have been using them exclusively and have no issues or complaints.

Bermuda
 
Like many others I was weired out by the lugs.

I tried to 'pop out' the plastic insert to see exactly what it does, and it won't come out easily. I tried prying and pushing from inside with a screwdriver and worked it pretty hard, but no luck.


Plastic lugs can be a red flag, usually with a delayed fuse. Over time plastic degrades, the elements, wear/tear, it shrinks, dries, cracks, needs extra attention, maintenance. Time will tell weather this lug design is/was a good idea.
 

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Plastic lugs can be a red flag, usually with a delayed fuse. Over time plastic degrades, the elements, wear/tear, it shrinks, dries, cracks, needs extra attention, maintenance. Time will tell weather this lug design is/was a good idea.

Please, this is NOT a plastic lug! There is a plastic insert, and based on how it is implemented, even if it were to shrink, or crack, or somehow fall out, the lug casing would still fit firmly in the shell, and the rod insert would remain in place during use.* Apart from looking a bit odd, the structure and operation of the lug cannot change due to the insert being absent or otherwise failing.

Seriously, I'd love to be able to extract the insert so you can see what it does, but it does not want to come out, and I'm not going to scrape my knuckles or punch a hole in my hand in order to force it.

Bermuda

* If the lug didn't have the plastic insert, I suppose the rod insert would loosen when the rod is unscrewed... although I haven't verified that the insert isn't held in place by some other means.
 
Will reserve further comment until the plastic inserts function is determined, tho my guess is that its design is integral to the lugs performance/function.
 
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