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!