Sorry I ever got rid of those.

john gerrard

Senior Member
I just happened to mention on another thread about a set of PDP CX's that I had and got rid of. Then I got to thinking about how many times I've read that some comment on so many other threads about drums that we have parted with only to regret it later. Just think about how much money we could have saved. ha ha. I'm sure we can all look back and say this, because we are all constantly looking for that DREAM KIT. ha ha. Let's hear your story.
 
I'm not sure I've regretted flipping any kits I've owned. And I like to think it was that Buddy Rich mentality I was taught early on that "If you can play - then you can play on anything" attitude. So although I love the gear I play, it's not the end all of my happiness as a player if I don't have a specific piece of gear to define who I am. In fact, most of my fond musical performance memories were made on borrowed kits, or supplied gear, or just sitting in on somebody's set and having to make do.

Although now that I've said this, I am getting more and more hooked on the concept of the cable hi-hat, and may need to always have one of those to use ;)
 
In some ways, I regret letting the little cappuccino kit go to one of our artists, but I'm happy it's in the hands of someone who can bring so much more out of it than I ever could. Those drums will never be built again, so I couldn't even replace it if I wanted to. Unique instrument that has no direct equal :(
 
Bo, thank goodness you feel that way because you have been through as many kits as I have. If you would ever have any regrets I'm sure that it would be devastating. ha ha
 
Andy, I can appreciate what you posted. That kit was something special and I'm sure that it warms your heart to see it go to a good home. You make kits to sell and I'm sure that it's like giving a child up to adoption because I know you put your heart and soul into every drum that you build. And to be able to build something that wonderful and pass it on to someone who will love it and enjoy it, has to give you great pleasure.I just hope that anyone who buys one of your drums appreciates it and knows how much it meant to you building it for someone else to enjoy.
 
Andy probably wouldn't feel so attached to the drums he sells if they made them all single-headed, though ;)

Well, he'd probably say he'd be attached to them anyway because they'd never sell!
 
The ironic thing is that I've had more fun playing on vintage, beat-up, or off-brand kits than I've had playing on expensive professional-grade ones. Right now I have 2 kits: A set of Ludwig Classic Maples that cost me over $1800 new, and a cheap, janky Sound Percussion kit I bought for $300 new. Guess which one I like more? That's right, the crappy Sound Percussions. I like them because they have a certain sound and a certain feel I've never been able to get from any other instruments. Are the Ludwigs superior in nearly every way? Of course! But I don't think I'll regret selling them (as I'm currently trying to do), because I'm simply ready for a change, and I want a different drum sound from a different kit. Some people would say I'm absolutely crazy to even think of doing such a thing, but oh well. Diffr'rent strokes for diff'rent folks. Even though I'll be losing money, I think I'll be happier in the long run.
 
Definite regrets - mostly on cymbals though.

I had a preserial# 1960's Paiste 602 ride, with bad keyhole but I bought for only $50 on ebay. It sounded spectacular, but I stupidly flipped it to finance another cymbal purchase.
I've missed it ever since...still searching for that sound.
 
I have one, maybe two or three snares that I can't see myself parting with. One because it was a custom job that a friend made for me. It is like my first love. I have accumulated a few snares over the years but I don't think I could ever part with this one.
 
I had a CX kit at one point, too. Nice kits, for sure! Actually, I've owned several at various times. Yeah, they were always great kits...tuned up nice, sounded nice and huge and projected well. Wait...what's this? Oh yeah, I just found and bought another one yesterday--what are the odds?!?!?!? :p

I see drum/music gear as being fluid. What's mine today will be somebody else's tomorrow, as I come into other gear that I like better. I've gotten rid of so many nice snares/cymbals/kits it's crazy! But, I've managed to keep the real gems, and I will be holding on to those and using them for the rest of my days.

Sorry I got rid of specific snares/cymbals/kits? Maybe if I dwelled on it, yeah, but I'm over it already as I play on the stuff that makes me happy today.
 
Andy, I can appreciate what you posted. That kit was something special and I'm sure that it warms your heart to see it go to a good home. You make kits to sell and I'm sure that it's like giving a child up to adoption because I know you put your heart and soul into every drum that you build. And to be able to build something that wonderful and pass it on to someone who will love it and enjoy it, has to give you great pleasure.I just hope that anyone who buys one of your drums appreciates it and knows how much it meant to you building it for someone else to enjoy.
So true John. There's a piece of me & Dean in every kit, but the little steam bent Origin was the first of it's kind, & the only one in that configuration. The 12" deep bass drum brought more pleasure & surprised faces over a period of two years than any drum I've ever encountered.

Andy probably wouldn't feel so attached to the drums he sells if they made them all single-headed, though ;)

Well, he'd probably say he'd be attached to them anyway because they'd never sell!
Correct on both counts ;)
 
In 1976, at 17 years old, with proceeds from a very small illegal business I started....I plunked down my cash and purchased a brand new set of 3 ply Blue Oyster Pearl Luds, 24 bass, 12/13/16/18 toms. The set came with a Supra, a Speed King, an Atlas snare stand, and 2 Atlas cymbal stands for $835.00. Yeah, I know. I think it came with a hi hat too. I remember the look on my Dad's face when he told me the drums were in. Concerned. Worried. On one hand, even though he didn't show it, he was glad to see me earning money, but OTOH, it worried him about where it was coming from. I didn't even have a car then so he drove me in his blue 1975 Ford F150 pick em up truck to fetch the drums. That was a happy day for me.

However, as time went on, I realized I didn't like the toms. I didn't know how to tune then, and the bearing edges on that particular kit were really pretty hilly. Dead spots and wonky overtones is what I remember. That was also the days before the isolation mounts were born, so not only did the drums not tune up easily, but the rack toms choked out when you mounted them. So I thought the kit was a dog and sold it for 100.00 in 1982.

My next kit, #3, in 1982, was my first custom built kit...an Eames kit... that was everything the Luds weren't. Perfectly precise, and by that time the ISO mounts were available. I still have them on loan to a friend. Great sounding drums.

It wasn't until I came on these boards, and then I realized I unloaded a highly desirable, classic set of Ludwigs for next to nothing. At the time, I had no idea. But that wasn't my biggest regret.

My biggest regret was the Tama Bell Brass I bought new for $500.00 in about 1982 and sold for 100 a few years later. Actually, I thought the bearing edges were too sharp on that drum, to the point where I feared they would split my bottom head. They never did, but I remember thinking that if I pressed my fingertip down hard enough on the edge, and slid it around the drum, I remember thinking it might break my skin. That's too sharp IMO. Heavy ass drum too.

It wasn't until I came on these boards, and then I realized what a bonehead I was. That drum goes for thousands of shekels now. Who knew?

DOH!
 
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I use threads like this in the opposite manner: to remind me not to do something stupid.

I recently (a year and a half ago) got back into acoustic drums. I ended up trading an Orville Les Paul for a set of 1984 Pearl MLX (individual lugs, lacquered on the insides). Since then, I've read numerous internet lamentations that the MLX's were the ONE kit someone wishes they hadn't sold.

That teaches me something right there...
 
The ironic thing is that I've had more fun playing on vintage, beat-up, or off-brand kits than I've had playing on expensive professional-grade ones. Right now I have 2 kits: A set of Ludwig Classic Maples that cost me over $1800 new, and a cheap, janky Sound Percussion kit I bought for $300 new. Guess which one I like more? That's right, the crappy Sound Percussions. I like them because they have a certain sound and a certain feel I've never been able to get from any other instruments. Are the Ludwigs superior in nearly every way? Of course! But I don't think I'll regret selling them (as I'm currently trying to do), because I'm simply ready for a change, and I want a different drum sound from a different kit. Some people would say I'm absolutely crazy to even think of doing such a thing, but oh well. Diffr'rent strokes for diff'rent folks. Even though I'll be losing money, I think I'll be happier in the long run.


Tell me about your Ludwig Classic Maples please.
 
Last year I sold a vintage 1984 18 inch Sabian Flat Bell Ride to help finance the purchase of a new cymbal. I suffered instant seller's remorse when it sold. Glad it went to a very good home, but I still kick myself every time I think about it.
 

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about to list my Gretsch USA Custom 22/12/14/16 for sale. less than a year old and in pristine in coniditon. Natural Maple finish. i kinda just want a beat up vintage ludwig. i can see this becoming a "seller's remorse" situation very quickly....
 
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