Need help picking out a present

Tokyo

Junior Member
Ok, so I'm going to buy a drum set for a friends birthday. The only problem is I'm not a drummer. I've been looking on craigslist and a few sets I'm interested in.

The person the set is for is a guitar player who wants to get into drumming too. This would be his first set.

I've been looking at Ludwig sets so far. I figured it was a good place to start because jack white plays a Ludwig set and my friend is a big fan of jack white.

I figure a vintage 5 piece set is a good choice, but I'm not sure what brands to look for. Is Ludwig a good choice? I'm not looking for anything overly expensive. Under $500 would be good.
 
depends. do u want a full kit with hardware & cymbals or just a shell pack. And Ludwig has some really amazing high-end kits. It's a reliable brand.
 
depends. do u want a full kit with hardware & cymbals or just a shell pack. And Ludwig has some really amazing high-end kits. It's a reliable brand.

I would like a full kit with hardware and everything. Pretty much ready to play.

I think I will go with Ludwig. Is there anything specific I need to look out for, hood or bad? I already know to look for cracks and warping of the shells and that damaged heads are not a huge deal as they can be replaced fairly easily. Please correct me if any of this is wrong or if I'm using the wrong terminology.

I found an 80's Ludwig 5 piece set, plus cymbals for $250. It seems like a good deal to me.
 
I think I will go with Ludwig. Is there anything specific I need to look out for, hood or bad?
Unless you are a drummer, lots of small stuff might get "under the radar, so to speak. Mainly, if the drums look like someone drove over them with a car, pass on the deal.
I already know to look for cracks and warping of the shells and that damaged heads are not a huge deal as they can be replaced fairly easily. Please correct me if any of this is wrong or if I'm using the wrong terminology.
If you could post a picture of them, that would help tremendously. As far as saying buy it/don't buy it. If the drums can be played, listen to them. Do they sound good? Think of the drums, as 4 voices. Bass drum, snare drum, hi hat, and ride cymbal. If your friend is just starting out, that's what a drumming foundation consists of. Get a good kick and snare sound. Hi hat cymbals that don't "invert" when you step on the pedal too hard, and a decent sounding ride cymbal. This also leads to a functional hi hat, and at least one good cymbal stand.
I found an 80's Ludwig 5 piece set, plus cymbals for $250. It seems like a good deal to me.

Sounds like you "already" found your kit/present.
 
Thanks

I'm still waiting to hear back from the guy. Hopefully this sale will work out.

Here are the pics:

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Hmmm . . . well, with the first kit, most folks nowadays want double-sided toms rather than single-sided, or "concert toms", which is what the second kit has. However, the pictures of the first kit are a bit hard to make out for everything. For one, the pedals look very funky in it--both the hi-hat stand and the bass drum pedal. With the second kit, everything looks structurally sound that you can see (although what the heck is that on the bottom interior of the bass drum?), but there are tons of cosmetic blemishes. If he doesn't care about that, and there aren't other problems that we can't see, that kit should sound good with new heads, you just have the concert toms, and apparently, no hi-hat stand (you'd need a hi-hat stand and cymbals plus another cymbal or two). With the first kit, it's tough to guess just how many problems it might have, if any. You really need good close-up pictures of all of the drums, all around, and inside and out.

Considering the stuff you need to upgrade or replace, I don't know why you're not considering a new so-called "entry level" kit. I do not agree that there is any problem with those kits. I'm a pro who has been gigging for over 30 years now, and one of the kits I gig on--both for live and studio dates, is considered an "entry level" kit. You can get a brand new Ludwig kit, with good pedals and eveything else you need to start, including cymbals for $519. Or you can even get the same exact thing minus the cymbals--but still with one cymbal stand, for $399. It's not a bad idea to get it with the cymbals though, as you're going to have to buy those anyway, and for $119, you're getting hi-hat cymbals, an 18" crash-ride, and a 14" crash.

Here's a listing for that. You could buy from another vendor, of course:
http://www.samash.com/p/Accent CS Combo 5 Piece Drum set w Hardware and Cymbals Black_541033
 
You should avoid these concert toms. And finding a good, not abused vintage kit with low price is pretty hard. The first kit looks alright, no big huge damage or anything but the pics are kinda hard to see. Or you could also buy some used modern drums. They might not have the vintage sound, but they're still pretty darn good.
 
hmmm - the 2nd kit comes with a Supra, a Speedking pedal and what appears to be a decent vintage Zildjian ride cymbal. You could probably sell off just those three pieces, if they clean up nicely, and recoup most of the cost of the whole kit. Concert toms are a bit of a drag, but I also played out recently with another drummer who was playing a kit with single headed toms that sounded just fine IMO, so meh...

Personally, I'd stay away from the 1st kit and go with a new like BrewBF suggests.
 
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That's a newer low-end kit. It could probably hold up for a while, but I wouldn't drop 200 on it. Especially since it only comes with one cymbal. You probably want to find one that they are selling at least the hi-hats with. Have you checked eBay at all?
 
I looked at eBay but didn't find much under $500.

How about this 5 piece Ludwig/pinnacle set?

http://nh.craigslist.org/msg/1891683478.html

Thanks for all the help. I don't mean to have everyone here do my work for me.

Edit:
Disregard that link I found out that Ludwig pinnacle is just a entry level kit. The asking price of $375 is only about $25 cheaper than buying it new.
 
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The 200$ ludwig costs around 450$ new, with crappy cymbals & decent hardware, I think. I've played those, surprisingly good for a cheap starter kit. Also, try searching for Yamaha Stage custom or mapex mars or some vintage rogers/ludwig/slingerland. on ebay. If ur just buying the shell pack, u might find some deals that are way cheaper than CL. Now if you still can't find any deals on eBay, the 200$ Ludwig accent will work just fine for him. It's not some bargain like fender starcaster. My ratings for the Ludwig would be 3.75/5. The kick has a nice "thud" if u tune it good and use some sort of dampening. The snare has a crisp ,punchy sound, not too bad, little overtones but for a new drummer, he probably won't notice it. The rack toms are acceptable, floor tom is somewhat better than the rack toms. 200$ is a little too much, you could probably get it down to 175$ or 150$. And then with 350$, that's enough to buy some top-notch quality cymbals. Personally I think cymbals are more important. With crappy cymbals, the overtones would be very unpleasant.
 
So far, set #2 would be my pick. Large Classic Ludwig lugs. Kick drum will rock. Double headed floor tom. Keeper. Snare drum, will rock. Speed King pedal. Coolness.​
Personally, I'm not a big fan of concert toms ... but ... black cortex ... just about the easiest finish to match. I'd either turn one of the rack toms into a double-header, using lugs off the other, or sell/trade 'em both off, maybe just play the kit as a 3 piece, for a while. Kick, snare, floor.​
The "problem" with beginner/intermediate kits ... like the Accent ... the Pinnicle .... new ... they cost $500-700. Used, they become $200 drums. Real fast.​
That 6 ply Luddy kit, it's a pro level kit. Sure, a few years on it, but it will remain a pro level kit, for it's entire lifetime. My Luddies are 6 ply, 26, 13, 16, 18. Sure, their 30+ years old. They'll last me the rest of my life.​
 
Yeah, right now I am definitely leaning towards the 70s ludwig kit.

What is the deal with concert toms? Why don't people like them?
 
What is the deal with concert toms? Why don't people like them?
Just a sound/look that came ... and went ... for the most part. Phil Collins and Peter Criss made 'em work fine. Thing is, you can take the reso head off any "regular" tom, and make it into a concert tom. The inverse opperation is not quite that easy.​
 
I don't really have anything to add, i think everyone else has givin some very good advice and input.........


I would just like to say.......... can we be friends? (i'm partial to DW's and vintage Slingerland kits and my birthday is in November) :)
 
I don't really have anything to add, i think everyone else has givin some very good advice and input.........


I would just like to say.......... can we be friends? (i'm partial to DW's and vintage Slingerland kits and my birthday is in November) :)

Haha, this isn't a regular thing. Usually I just end up buying a few rounds and leave it at that. But he is a very good guitar player and I know he will spend the time to become a good drummer, so I don't mind spending the money on something he's been wanting for a while.

Besides, when he becomes a big rock star he can let me live in his mansion. haha

Alright, so I have comitted to the vintage 70's set with the concert toms. I really don't think he will mind the concert toms. I am picking it up next saturday. The guy agreed to sell it for $400, not a huge drop in price, but good enough. He will also drive it most of the way to me for an extra $25, which I'm kind of on the fence about. He only lives an hour away, but I'm going to be driving two hours in the other direction the same day.
 
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