Ludwig Stainless Steel kit updates

Evilbagua

Silver Member
Ok so the Budget Steel kit saga continues. I just had an 18x10 Steel marching quint? modded into a double headed floor tom. I own 4 18's but all were 18x16 or 18x18. This tom sounds pretty sweet not my usually monster deep tom roar but brighter and it's beyond loud. I can't wait to record it in a pro studio in january. Current price into all 4 drums, hardware, mods, and new heads is right at 600$.
Snapped a few crap pics. Current set up is

24x14 Ludwig b/o steel kick w/steel hoops
18x10 Ludwig b/o Steel floor tom
14x10 ludwig b/o Steel Marching snare as a rack tom
14x5 Old pearl steel snare.
14" Avedis Rock hats,21" Z Mega Bell, 20" Z Projection cat, 20" Sabian APX China
 

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Aaaaaugh!!!! I WANT that! Seriously, I just wanna sit behind that beautiful monstrosity and pull an "Animal". "RAAAAWR!!* *bam bam bam bam!!*

How are you liking the 14", 18" setup? I was thinking of adding a 14" to my setup instead of this dinky 12" but I feel that it might be a little low for a rack tom. How do you have them tuned? I know you like the bass drum nice and tight so it carries more. How did you end up getting the mangled BD straightened out anyway?

I think I'm gonna mail you a big bottle of Windex and a microfiber cloth so you can get all the dust off those beautiful drums. Don't think I've forgotten about that new Brass snare! Its gotta be SHINY!

...ok, no more coffee for me

Given any thought to thinning out the stable of 18's? I would love to have one on my kit.
 
Aaaaaugh!!!! I WANT that! Seriously, I just wanna sit behind that beautiful monstrosity and pull an "Animal". "RAAAAWR!!* *bam bam bam bam!!*

How are you liking the 14", 18" setup? I was thinking of adding a 14" to my setup instead of this dinky 12" but I feel that it might be a little low for a rack tom. How do you have them tuned? I know you like the bass drum nice and tight so it carries more. How did you end up getting the mangled BD straightened out anyway?

I think I'm gonna mail you a big bottle of Windex and a microfiber cloth so you can get all the dust off those beautiful drums. Don't think I've forgotten about that new Brass snare! Its gotta be SHINY!

...ok, no more coffee for me

Given any thought to thinning out the stable of 18's? I would love to have one on my kit.

Woah woah! That snare came that dusty from the seller lol I only take responsibility for these being dusty.

I had Clay at rainbow fix the BD for me, it's essentially hand hammered into place and the steel hoops are very rigid and hold it back into shape. I think the getting hit by a car/hand hammering gives it a unique sound. It's real dry and punchy.

Since selling a kit I'm now down to 4 kits all with the smallest tom being a 14 and all have 1 18" floor tom so you can see my preference. Only my gretsch kit has a 16 and 18 floor tom so I don't think I could let one go right now. If your kit doesn't have that hard of a finish to match I'd add a 14 and 18 so you could have essentially 2 tom set ups and have an 18 to convert to a bass drum if you ever needed that. I think your playing some lower volume stuff now? I'm the opposite you can sort of see the wall of amps in front of the drums it's up to a 8x15,8x12,1x18/2x10 with a zillion heads.
 
So how do you tune your toms?

I may be playing some smaller venues these days but as long as I have the ability to carry it then I'm not getting a smaller bass drum. Kevin (Crazy8's) was at a gig of mine this past weekend and declared that I really could use a 26" for the style of music I'm playing.

On a side note, have you ever heard a 26x10 before? Do you think that's too shallow for a BD?
 
Ten deep is to shallow it will have a great attack but not much sustain so the carry will be lacking. The best depth once in the 22" and up is a 14" to me, it has great sustain and the kick back is the best to be able to hear it over the backline amps. Use a full reso and find the sweet spot lugs and go. The 24" is the largest I played after that I think it gets more of a show display thing. In a marching band the majority of the bass drum work is way less then what comes out of a drummers kit. Things could get muddled and that BIG sound does get boring after a while if its set up as a featured part of the kit. I like the big drums played dry off the stand if your micing I see less reason to use them. If your playing tribute to Appice or Bonham or duplicating a Big Band Era it makes sense if not it stays one dementional to me.
The ten deep can be used but its not the same as a 14" I had a 10x22 slingerland I used in a pit for a playhouse as a kid, I took the reso and put it facing the stage wall, it was ok but when I moved it got "shallow" sounding quick. The old up against the wall omni bass tones hahaha!! Doc
 
Talk about a dust and fingerprint magnet. Get to wiping, young man! I'd got through a ton of Windex with those. And earplugs.
 
So how do you tune your toms?

I may be playing some smaller venues these days but as long as I have the ability to carry it then I'm not getting a smaller bass drum. Kevin (Crazy8's) was at a gig of mine this past weekend and declared that I really could use a 26" for the style of music I'm playing.

On a side note, have you ever heard a 26x10 before? Do you think that's too shallow for a BD?

I tune both toms rather low, not JAW low but low. I'm with Dr. D I'd want a 26x14 or 26x16 (which I have), but I know a 26x10 can be had for like 250ish on ebay all the time for a steel one. I've been tempted to get a 26x10 steel kick but I know a 28x14 will pop up again someday.
 
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