Buddy Rich question

The Slingerland model he used a 24 as most drums weren't mic'd in the early days. Not sure about when he went with Ludwig.
 
In the in 1960's and 1970's Buddy used a Slingerland bass drum that was 14 x 24. When he switched to the Ludwig kit, he used the same size as his Slingerland kit. Buddy didn't like the "Power Bass Drum" which was 16 x 24, so he used the 14 x 24 instead... I don't think he ever switched, unless he borrowed a kit, like on the late shows ect.
 
I don't think he played anything smaller than a 22". His last kit had a 26" bass drum, and Joe MacSweeney has a story of building him a 28" before he died and he never got it to him. But back in the early days, 28" bass drums were pretty common and he played one. In the Slingerland and Ludwig catalogs his kits were advertised as 24x14, but the 1980 Ludwig catalog shows a 24x16, which I actually saw him play at Disneyland in 1979. But in the 80s he went to a 26".
 
the 1980 Ludwig catalog shows a 24x16, which I actually saw him play at Disneyland in 1979.

You lucky SoB. My historical hero. You lucky SoB! Do you think that kick was a prototype?
 
You lucky SoB. My historical hero. You lucky SoB! Do you think that kick was a prototype?
No. Carmine Appice has Ludwig make him 24x15 bass drums when he played for Rod Stewart, and there is a distant rumor that one of Bonham’s kits had a 26x16 in the early days. But although Ludwig called the catalog “ ‘80”, it was published in late 1978, and it featured the new power sizes that were to become popular soon after.

Personally I’ve owned 26x16 Ludwig bass drums, but now I have a 26x14, and I like it better for some reason.
 
In his Traps days Ludwig used to build him bigger and bigger bass drums to give the impression he wasn't growing.

Not sure what the biggest they ever made for him was.

The last kit he used (30s Radioking) was a 26.
 
Now I have a 26x14, and I like it better for some reason.

Probably because the shorter depth gives more punch and less boom. Punch will carry more into the audience than boom, so maybe Buddy liked that more.
 
You get more boom like a 26 in a smaller diameter?

In the shorter depth I suspect.
Like I have a 22 (diameter) x 20 (deep) kick & I found out it has more cubic inches of volume than a 24x14. As such, it seems to have a good balance of punch & boom rather than having to pick one or the other.

I might be talking out my butt about the sound characteristics, but it sure sounds this way to me.
 
It is in a Modern Drummer interview, you can look it up, no it is about Buddy the Man, Back In the day before everyone had a sook about being offended, Ha Ha! Sounds like Old School Professional Cool to Me! or Rap Music he was ahead of his Time.
 

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I hope he meant nice things about Buddy’s drum skills. Always figured it was fair to judge a man based on how he treated the people around him. I ain’t perfect buuuuuut.

Everyone cites those bus tapes as some kind of definitive evidence that Buddy was a terrible person, but I just don't think it's that bad. I don't know what precipitated that rant. It could just be a veteran bandleader dealing with a bunch of young musicians who aren't taking their gig seriously enough. I'm no Buddy fanboy, but there's other stuff he's done or said that I would probably consider before those tapes.
 
Ha. Buddy’s bus tapes are what I listen to for inspiration. They may be tough words to hear, and out of fashion for a boss/leader to go that route in our PC culture these days, but it’s raw and true to his emotion and passion. Reminds me of how Frank Zappa’s passion and leadership in that groups that he was the leader of. Both two of the most successful bandleaders in American history and there’s much to be learned from that.
 
Everyone cites those bus tapes as some kind of definitive evidence that Buddy was a terrible person, but I just don't think it's that bad. I don't know what precipitated that rant. It could just be a veteran bandleader dealing with a bunch of young musicians who aren't taking their gig seriously enough. I'm no Buddy fanboy, but there's other stuff he's done or said that I would probably consider before those tapes.

Buddy was a known perfectionist. Anyone not cutting the mustard at that level (rightly) heard about it.
As Neil Peart once said, "You don't become a professional player without learning to play professionally."

Buddy expected this & got it from those who wanted it.
 
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