Midnite Zephyr
Platinum Member
I don't play expensive kits.
I like Ludwig, I play a Legacy kit, but.....
At my local music store there was a Live Custom kit set up next to a Classic Maple, both tuned about the same, both with clear heads. The Classic Maple kit was $1500 more than the Live Custom. I was shocked at how much better the Yamaha sounded. The Ludwig kit sounded awful compared to it.
If Ludwig Classic Maple 4 piece kit now sells for about $2,000, then the Yamaha was a $500 kit?
If Ludwig Classic Maple 4 piece kit now sells for about $2,000, then the Yamaha was a $500 kit?
Tuning, setup and taste. Will always end there.
Well, a few months back I played a Ludwig Vistalite John Bonham reissue set. Although they were okay, I wouldn't pay that kind of bucks for them. Seems like a money grab to me.
Far too much ring and the bass drum really needed some heavy duty muting which looks like crap in a clear drum. The bass drum sounded like BOING! As others have said, the problem is usually a head - tuning issue. I'm sure they would have sounded better with hydraulics or EC2's and an Emad on the bass with maybe a kickport on the reso.
I have a Ludwig Vistalite Bonham reissue that I found for a good deal on CL. I don't think I would have bought them new given how much they cost. For that matter, it ALWAYS seems better to find something that retails for big money used, and for a much better price. That BOING that you are describing is exactly the reason that I bought them. Open and loud. LOL. I have been playing some big sized drums 14, 16, 26" for a couple of years now and have been enjoying myself. But by no means is this sound and size everyone's cup of tea. I don't see myself every buying an EMAD head again because I don't care for the sound. I find those types of heads too controlled for my taste. I like little to no muffling and no port in the reso. I also run Remo Emperor on top and Ambassador on reso.
Back to tuning. So many of these big tubs are tuned for near field listening (drummer perspective). We are chasing a big stadium sound in our head. And while it sounds great when you are the only thing playing, it sounds really thuddy in a live situation with other instruments unless you are mic'd up. Otherwise, that person 25 feet back, is not really hearing what you are hearing in your head. I really like how they sound when they ring for days. But again, not for everyone or for all types of music.
I couldn't pass up a good deal, and I wanted something in black oyster, and I've already got that vintage brand covered. And I just have this feeling that maybe I didn't take those two DW kits far enough. It's been irking me that I couldn't make them sound good when every time I heard somebody else play them they sounded great. So I thought I'd re-visit them and see if I had learned anything in the ensuing time I haven't had them, or if I'm still an idiot.
So far the results haven't been bad. When I have the kit complete I'll post a review. I may still get a couple of floor toms for it - since it's DW, I could get a 15x15 and a 16x16. With all the trouble I'm going through with 14 floor toms, I'm becoming convinced there isn't a 14" tom out there I'd like. I've had a couple of 14s now, and they never really do anything for me.
I had this same experience with 14" floor toms.
I only liked them on small sized jazz kits...and only sometimes.
Not to derail the thread but, you aren't alone with 14" floor tom troubles. I cannot get my 14" floor tom to a place where I like it. It's not large enough to hit the lows that I'd like and it doesn't have the feel/sound of a rack tom when tuned higher. I've reached the point of frustration with it as it does not sonically fit my kit.
I'm convinced that 12/15/16 would be a much better setup over 12/14/16.