Classic Maple Bearing Edges

I dig the 30 degree vintage feel. The Ludwig Legacy kits are super expensive compared to the Classic Maples.

Has anybody rounded the bearing edges on the CM series drums? I realize that they aren't 3 ply old school, but that's okay.

I've tried my luck with a vintage kit and it's a toughy to tune. I'd just love to get that buttery soft head attack of the old kits and combine it with the hardware and construction of new drums.

Just buy a new Ludwig ClubDate SE kit.
The 6 ply shells have round edges and the cherry/ gum wood is in between maple and vintage 3 ply in tone.
The drums are easy to tune.

I also forgot to mention that I'm looking for sizes in 13x9, 16x16, and 16x18 with a 24x14" bass drum.

I'm also really into that Black Galaxy Sparkle they've got going on.

On a side note, those Club Dates are all sorts of cool. A drummer that I work with has one and it has an awesome sound to it.

Thanks for the help though!

You could also buy unfinished maple shells and have them machined with rounded edges.
You could then finish the shells and add hardware as you desire.
That would cost about the same as a new ludwig classic maple kit.

That might be a good route to take. CM's in my favored sizes/wrap pop up on Ebay from time to time for a decent price. I'm in no hurry, mostly wondering if people have gone through with what I'm asking.

bobdadruma said:

You could also buy unfinished maple shells and have them machined with rounded edges.
You could then finish the shells and add hardware as you desire.
That would cost about the same as a new ludwig classic maple kit.

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And after all that you have a no-name branded kit that has almost no value on the re-sale market. Hmm... Bad idea, IMO.

According to drum builders on this very site, the degree of the inner cut of the bearing edge plays no part in the performance of the drum since it has no contact with the drum head. It is irrelevant. It is the counter cut on the outside of the drum and the amount of edge softening (rounding) that occurs as the inner and outer cuts meet that dictates how much shell to head contact there is, and thus affects the sound of the drum. So don't get hung up on 30 degree bearing edges. Gretsch used to build drums with 90 degree bearing edges and had a full round over counter cut that went from the outside of the shell to the inside. Very vintage tone.

Tommy_D, if deltdrum buys a new Ludwig Classic Maple kit and alters the edges the value of the kit will be lowered just as if he built a custom made kit.
That was my logic.
Buying a used Ludwig Classic maple kit and altering the edges would also be an option.

Well, yes, modifying drums, or anything for that matter, will typically net you less resale value as it will appeal to less people. Thats why I wanted to mention that the 30 degree inner cut bearing edge is not what dictates the sound of the drum and to not get too hung up on it.

It sounds like the sizes and color are what is a driving factor. The "vintage vibe" sound can mostly be achieved through proper heads and tuning. I would mention Gretsch kits to get that vintage vibe - ie. "That great Gretsch sound" - but they dont make a 24 x 14 bass drum unless you go USA Custom. So if those sizes and finish are really what the OP wants then he/she should just get the classic maples and not worry about the bearing edge.

Im surprised that deltdrum finds vintage drums hard to tune. I don't find vintage drums hard to tune. I find that they have different sweet spots that are unique to each manufacturers drums.
Vintage Gretsch drums with their round outer edges have the widest tuning range of the vintage sector. They can handle tighter tunings better.
I believe that Classic Maple drums with round edges would sound very much like vintage Gretsch drums.
The 3 ply Luds like lower tunings and the Slingerlands like the mids. (Slingerland is my personal vintage fav)
Have you tried vintage Rogers drums? They are a different animal than Gretsch, Ludwig, and Slingerland
The 60's Rogers drums are focused and punchy but warm at the same time. They also have a wide tuning range.

I've actually tossed around the idea of the keller route. If I can get the look/sizes/sound I want, I doubt I'll be looking to resell. That's also why I first toyed around with messing with the Ludwig bearing edges.

I will admit, I'm a sucker for the Ludwig brand. Their legacy of drummers is awesome and I've always imagined myself sitting behind a nice one. I think that's why I jumped at the chance to own my current set so hastily.

Mine are pretty damn hard to tune. My bearing edges are a little worn and the shells are slightly out of round. It's not like I'm trying to polish shit though, the drums can and do sound solid. I just want something that has newer hardware, shell construction, etc.

Side note, I'm still kind of in the middle of a long term project with my current kit. I'd like to throw some nice wood hoops and vintage heads on it. Give it a bit of the look of Levon Helm's old kit.

Anyways you guys, thanks for taking interest in my interests haha. I love the depth of knowledge you guys have on this stuff. All of that info on 30* bearing edges was very interesting. I'm gonna dig around on it and try to get my head wrapped around everything.

I never tried wooden hoops on a 3 ply Ludwig Super Classic. I had them on a sharp edge Mapex Saturn kit for a while but I moved away from them.
On my 60's Ludwig 3 ply kit I decided that I prefer 2.3 mm triple flanged hoops over the stock 1.6 mm hoops.
I removed the original Stick Chopper hoops from my early 50's Gretsch 3 ply kit and I installed modern 2.3 mm triple flanged replicas of Slingerland Stick Saver hoops. They resemble the die cast hoops that Gretsch used on their 6 ply kits in appearance but the tone is slightly brighter than cast hoops. I am very pleased with the sound.

One of the amenities that makes 60's Slingerland drums my favorite vintage drum choice is the COB Stick Saver hoops that they offered.

Experiment with hoops your vintage Lud's and have fun. The edges on your Lud's can be touched up without too much work. Usually a good flat table sanding does the trick. Vintage Ludwig 3 ply drums have a bump at the scarf joint. That can also be smoothed out a bit with a little effort.

deltdrum said:

I also forgot to mention that I'm looking for sizes in 13x9, 16x16, and 16x18 with a 24x14" bass drum.

I'm also really into that Black Galaxy Sparkle they've got going on.

On a side note, those Club Dates are all sorts of cool. A drummer that I work with has one and it has an awesome sound to it.

Thanks for the help though!

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I check eBay a bunch just to see what's out there. there's a black galaxy sparkle 5 piece located in Georgia (free local pick-up) for $1,800. looks like about the sizes you're looking for too.

Bobdadruma you the man. Thanks for all the help. It'll be interesting to see how this all turns out.

Cellophanenick, haha I have that bad boy bookmarked. That thing is sweet.

deltdrum said:

Cellophanenick, haha I have that bad boy bookmarked. That thing is sweet.

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haha that's awesome! really nice looking kit.

i just scored this one on ebay last week, after much searching. similar to your size wants. 14x24, 10x13, 16x16, 16x18. can't wait for it's arrival!

Holy moly that thing is gorgeous. Congrats dude!