There's already been a lot of speculation and opinion and misinformation about these, based entirely on a cursory press-release, and the handful of kits that GC has displayed over the last few weeks. Hopefully I can help clarify what these drums are - and aren't - with more complete info, and my observations having played and been hands-on with them for the last three days.
First off, the 105 in the name is not how many loose parts come in the box... it stands for the 105th anniversary of Ludwig. However, I doubt there'll be a Signet 106, Signet 107 etc in subsequent years.
The shells are made in Ludwig's Monroe factory, alongside the Classic Maple, Legacy and Keystone drums. It's a 6-ply maple shell, with the 7th ply being the finish. It's not applied as a wrap though, it's a ply, and there's no obvious seam. The edge is a dual 45, like the Keystones, and the three finishes are Indian Teak, Alpine Blue, and Macassar Ebony, which is my favorite. (see pics below, sorry about the flare on the teak bass drum...)
Assembly is painless and fast, they say 30 minutes for a full kit, although it would certainly go faster for most people, 20 minutes maybe? Lugs snap into existing holes, and the legs and mounts are tightened into place with a drum key - no other tools needed. (see pic below) And you need only do it once, nobody is expected to regularly disasemble and reassemble them. A lot of people will buy them right off the dealer's floor, so they've already done the work for you.
The drums are supplied with Monroe-made clear Ludwig heads, so they have some attack, but not in a cheap, bangy way. There's obvious full tone and good decay, and I'm sure that your favorite heads will yield an excellent sound. I'm thinking a coated head would sound best, even on the kick. Don't forget, these have a Classic Maple and Keystone pedigree, they're not engineered to sound cheap. They sound like more expensive drums, go figure!
The lugs are lightweight, with a hint of the old Standard lug design and the familiar 3 lines Ludwig has used for decades. Tom and floor tom leg mounts are the triad Suspension Mount, an ATLAS-like mount that also serves as a replacement or upgrade to the Keystone mount (same hole spacing.) It's a lower profile than the ATLAS, the T-screw is more on the side of the mount so it doesn't stick out. It's designed for a larger post, but easily grips 9.5mm (3/8") classic antler holders. The kick spurs are a very simple, fold-down, one-position design. There is no height adjustment, and the front of the drum is angled up at a comfortable level, possibly a little high for some though. But they're sufficiently sturdy. And if a drummer expects to be able to thrash on these, he's barking up the wrong kit in the first place. They're not designed for abuse.
Head changes are as normal, with one small detail... the lugs may rotate slightly out of alignment after the tension rod is removed. They won't fall out, but they can skew a little. It's a simple matter of turning the lug back into the right direction when screwing the rod back in. It's not really a big deal, unless you're constantly changing heads.
I was amazed at was the lightness of the drums, particularly the kick. The lighter spurs, lugs and claws make a huge difference, and that’s nice for everyone who carries their own drums... which is everyone.
There are two configurations. The GigaBeat: 8.5x12, 14x14, 15x20", and the TeraBeat: 8x10, 8.5x12, 16x16, 16x22. MAP on the GigaBeat is $950, and the TeraBeat is $1100. I don't know if there are plans to expand the line, I suppose that depends on how well sales do.
Go check these out!
Bermuda
First off, the 105 in the name is not how many loose parts come in the box... it stands for the 105th anniversary of Ludwig. However, I doubt there'll be a Signet 106, Signet 107 etc in subsequent years.
The shells are made in Ludwig's Monroe factory, alongside the Classic Maple, Legacy and Keystone drums. It's a 6-ply maple shell, with the 7th ply being the finish. It's not applied as a wrap though, it's a ply, and there's no obvious seam. The edge is a dual 45, like the Keystones, and the three finishes are Indian Teak, Alpine Blue, and Macassar Ebony, which is my favorite. (see pics below, sorry about the flare on the teak bass drum...)
Assembly is painless and fast, they say 30 minutes for a full kit, although it would certainly go faster for most people, 20 minutes maybe? Lugs snap into existing holes, and the legs and mounts are tightened into place with a drum key - no other tools needed. (see pic below) And you need only do it once, nobody is expected to regularly disasemble and reassemble them. A lot of people will buy them right off the dealer's floor, so they've already done the work for you.
The drums are supplied with Monroe-made clear Ludwig heads, so they have some attack, but not in a cheap, bangy way. There's obvious full tone and good decay, and I'm sure that your favorite heads will yield an excellent sound. I'm thinking a coated head would sound best, even on the kick. Don't forget, these have a Classic Maple and Keystone pedigree, they're not engineered to sound cheap. They sound like more expensive drums, go figure!
The lugs are lightweight, with a hint of the old Standard lug design and the familiar 3 lines Ludwig has used for decades. Tom and floor tom leg mounts are the triad Suspension Mount, an ATLAS-like mount that also serves as a replacement or upgrade to the Keystone mount (same hole spacing.) It's a lower profile than the ATLAS, the T-screw is more on the side of the mount so it doesn't stick out. It's designed for a larger post, but easily grips 9.5mm (3/8") classic antler holders. The kick spurs are a very simple, fold-down, one-position design. There is no height adjustment, and the front of the drum is angled up at a comfortable level, possibly a little high for some though. But they're sufficiently sturdy. And if a drummer expects to be able to thrash on these, he's barking up the wrong kit in the first place. They're not designed for abuse.
Head changes are as normal, with one small detail... the lugs may rotate slightly out of alignment after the tension rod is removed. They won't fall out, but they can skew a little. It's a simple matter of turning the lug back into the right direction when screwing the rod back in. It's not really a big deal, unless you're constantly changing heads.
I was amazed at was the lightness of the drums, particularly the kick. The lighter spurs, lugs and claws make a huge difference, and that’s nice for everyone who carries their own drums... which is everyone.
There are two configurations. The GigaBeat: 8.5x12, 14x14, 15x20", and the TeraBeat: 8x10, 8.5x12, 16x16, 16x22. MAP on the GigaBeat is $950, and the TeraBeat is $1100. I don't know if there are plans to expand the line, I suppose that depends on how well sales do.
Go check these out!
Bermuda