What drum/cymbal/piece of gear have you owned the longest?

Midnite Zephyr

Platinum Member
I thought this might be a good idea for a thread. What have you held onto (drumming related) the longest. It can be a book, a pair of sticks, or something like a drum tuner.

Mine is a swivel-style Ludwig drum tuner. I've had it since I first started playing drums (34 years ago), and I have always managed to keep that thing in my possession. It stays in a little bag now in a lock box with a few other trinkets that I've collected over the years. It's probably not worth much, but it's very sentimental. I've had my Gretsch snare drum almost as long, but the tuner has it beat by a couple of years.
 
My '65 LM400. It was my old mans spare so I've been banging on it in some form or another since I was old enough to hold a stick. I seemed to inherit it permanently when I started playing around with others in my teens. I've always been grateful for it as having it meant I've never had to play on a crappy snare in my life. I treasure it to this day. If I had to give up all my gear tomorrow, that 400 would never leave me.
 
You all know me - nothing seems to last very long in my house. But when I think about it, it's probably both my Reunion Blues all leather cymbal bag and stick bag. I've had both now going on 30 years! That's a record!
 
Unfortunately (I guess), I'm like Bo and all my stuff is easy come easy go. The 2 things that have lasted the time (12 years) are a Zildjian Stick Bag and a non branded (quite crappy) cymbal stand, that I only have because I forgot to give it to the person who bought my first kit off me.

Apart from that, I have a Paiste 400 ride cymbal, which is a mid-level cymbal that I absolutely love, it's loud sound suits my playing, and I've owned that around 8 years.

Good thread.
 
Elements of my Dad's 1940's Ludwig Set. Bass, snare + hi hats and mallets.
 
Most of my gear has been replaced quite recently, but my stool, a gibralter moto seat stool, my timp mallets and a sabian drum key are the oldest three things I own. Oh, and my wind chimes, which haven't even been out of the cupboard for 25 years....
 
My Kit. Pearl Thunder King 5-piece. Got it brand new in 1975. Its still my one and only kit.
 
Mapex Pro-M kit Fusion Sizes.... I'm talking the OOOLLLLDDD Pro-M kits... I ended up taking the labels stuck to the side of the shells off as they looked awful. I just call her a custom kit now ^_^ hahaha
 
Sabian AA Hihat. Had it since '90.

2 Iron Cobras. First gen. Still have both of them in my basement. Never needed any kind of maintenance ever.

I've since started using Speed Cobras, but can't seem to get rid of old Iron Cobras...
 
I have an 8" bell cut from my first crash, a 16" Pearl. I still have my first Zildjian, a 19" medium-thin crash from 1988. And I still have a used Ludwig floor tom that I was gifted over 25 years ago, and will now be re-wrapped to go with my new-to-me Ludwig Standards.
 
A pair of 14" Zyn Hi hats my mom bought for me. I've had them for 34 years now.
 
I have an old snare drum, Ludwig I think, that I picked up (it was being discarded) in 1970, a pair of 3S sticks that I used in the 1968 Orange Bowl and a Zildjian 18" ride cymbal that I have had since the early 60's. The snare and cymbal I am going to use playing in the pit for "Into The Woods" this week. The sticks I will use later next month in my college alumni band for Homecoming.
 
Since noone else has posted a smart-ass reply yet, I guess I should:

My hands; I've had them for about 33 years now; longer than I can remember.






Serious answer? Probably my Eliminator pedals, but they're by no means old. They're about 6-7 years old by now, I guess.
 
I've had a pair of Zildjain New Beats and a cymbal stand from 1977. 36 years.
 
I have a Zildjian 21" A Rock Ride from 1996 that I got from my aunt who was a firm supporter in what I love doing. I don't use it much these days but it's older than some of my nieces and nephews
 
My first drum x-mas 1973 (40 years, yikes I should be better at this) it's a '63 Ludwig Pioneer snare that was originally a blue-silver ducco finish that I stripped off & poly-urethaned. It came with a blue sparkle Stewart drumset that didn't stick around for very long.
 
I still have the Ludwig metal practice pad I got in 1975, and the sticks that came with the "student rental kit" (the bells went back). I still have the book that came with it with WFL on the cover, in front of big stacks of drums. The sticks are on a plaque I made in shop class in 7th or 8th grade.

Oldest drum I still have: I got my Acrolite in late '75, or early '76.

My oldest cymbal: a "splash" that was cut down from the 16" Camber POS cymbal that came with my used Royce kit. I was going to toss it in the metal scrap bin I have going, but, I still can't do it haha!

Oldest REAL cymbal: 22" Paiste 602. I got it in 1980 and I still love it. The stick sound is fantastic, the body sound is great, it's smooth for crashing, and the bell is amazing and clean. I would never part with this cymbal. Next oldest is an 18" Zildjian Swish I got for Christmas in '82.

I still have the Royce kit (20, 12,13,16). I stained/sealed the insides Black, which probably kept the shells good for all this time.
I love the way the 12 sounds (and how mahogany drums sound in general), but it would take a bit of work to get the whole thing really playable again.
 
I have two Tough Traveler stick bags that I have had since the mid 80s.. Peace and goodwill.
 
These drums (mish-mash of Ludwigs)I have owned since 1988, nine years old and play to this day. Somewhere on DW there are more clear pics.

The oldest pc. of gear is a drumstick that belonged to Lynn Easton (the kingsmen), who legend has it, threw the stick into the crowd duringa show and my mother caught it. It's safely packed away in storage. :)
 

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