How many drum kits have you owned?

bmuren

Member
Something I wonder about. I'm 17 and still use my first kit, a cheap one, making it sound as good as possible. How many kits have you guys owned? How many do you use now? How many kits did you have before you got a professional one (if you have gotten one)? To say how old you are can make sense.

Doing this for fun! ;)
 
I used second hand junk from the pawn shop, until I was about 16.
- Bought a mix and match Rodgers kit when they went out of business.
- Bought a used Tama Imperialstar kit in black wrap when I was 19
- Bought a new Roland TD7 just after I got married to be able to play in Condo.
- Bought a new Roland TD10 when we moved into out first house
- Two years ago, bought my first new professional level acoustic kit at the age of 45. Mapex Saturn.
- Recently purchased two Limited Edition birch/Walnut Saturn's because I loved both of the finishes.
 
I've owned maybe 40, but currently have 22. Brands have included Ludwig/WFL, Impact, Yamaha, Sonor, Gretsch, North, Staccato, Tama, Slingerland, Premier, Remo, Corders, Whitehall (Pearl)... I'm probably forgetting a few.

Bermuda
 
I've owned maybe 40, but currently have 22. Brands have included Ludwig/WFL, Impact, Yamaha, Sonor, Gretsch, North, Staccato, Tama, Slingerland, Premier, Remo, Corders, Whitehall (Pearl)... I'm probably forgetting a few.

Bermuda

If you're overwhelmed I'll take the Yamahas off your hands. You know, just to be nice :)
 
I've owned maybe 40, but currently have 22. Brands have included Ludwig/WFL, Impact, Yamaha, Sonor, Gretsch, North, Staccato, Tama, Slingerland, Premier, Remo, Corders, Whitehall (Pearl)... I'm probably forgetting a few.

Bermuda

Mark me down for the Slingerlands. Would be interested in seeing what they are/look like Bermuda. :)

BTW, I've owned only 2 kits. My bank account fears that a couple more are on the way in 2012.
 
I've been playing over 30 years and am on my 5th kit.

I played my POS Reuther 5-piece from age 14 to 19. That's when I got my

Tama Superstar (1986) in red wine. Too bad I didn't have the sense to pass on the power toms. It was my only monster kit: 8/10/12/13/16/18/24/24. Sold it after a few years and got a

Garcia Custom, which is a Keller shell done up by a local guy named Jerry Garcia. After 4 years on it, I finally accepted that I wasn't crazy about 10/12/14/16/22 configurations so I sold it and got

Ludwig Classics. I bought them new in '95. It was the thicker shelled maple - poplar - maple (not the thin shell Super Classics). This kit is when I upped the sizes to where they still are: 13/15/18/22 in a one up two down setup.

Bought a second kit in 1999 - another Garcia. Same color and sizes as the Ludwigs, but thin shell maple Keller again. I eventually sold the Ludwigs.

I still have this kit and just keep adding to it. I've added a 20" gong drum, a 12x8 tom, and a 24x14 kick. I'm thinking about adding a 14x10 and a 16x15 so I can run a 13/14 up and a 16 down. Saw a guy playing that config last weekend as blown away by how cool and simple it was. I like larger sizes, too. Not quite Bonham big, but big nonetheless.
 
My first kit, 1966, a Japanese stencil kit. POS, but it was mine. The band I was in had a Ludwig keystone kit, so I knew what a "real" drum set was supposed to sound like. And I worked real hard to make that stencil kit sound as good as I could.​
I wandered thru Blaemire, CB 700, Roto Toms for quite a few years, and then, in 1979, bought my first professional kit. Ludwig Vistalites. Those were my main stage drums for 25+ years.​
Currently, I have a Ludwig 6 ply kit, a Yamaha Recording Custom, a Gretsch round badge, and a 1975 Premier "Baron", project kits, to be completed ... an RMV kit and a Ludwig red Vistalite kit.​
On the "electric" side of the coin, I have an old Tama Techstar 305 (honest to gawd analog synth.), a Roland, and a Yamaha e kit, a Roland SPD-S, two Korg Wave drums, and two Mandala V1's.​
 
Don't sweat it, you'll have plenty of time to buy yourself many, many kits.

I still have my first kit, a silver Stage Custom that is one bored weekend away from getting re-finished.

I am still somewhat new to the drums so back in my guitar playin' days I'd say I've owned about 10 guitars. Still have 3 of them that I don't have the heart to sell.
 
Mark me down for the Slingerlands. Would be interested in seeing what they are/look like Bermuda. :).

These are the current Slingerlands:

cutaway.jpg


I have an additional kick & fl tom, but they're not for sale. :(

Bermuda
 
If you're overwhelmed I'll take the Yamahas off your hands. You know, just to be nice :)

Yamaha's are long gone, I used them on the first couple of Al tours & 2nd album (it's the Eat It kit!)

Bermuda
 
Yamaha's are long gone, I used them on the first couple of Al tours & 2nd album (it's the Eat It kit!)

Bermuda

My trusty Billboard Top 40 book just reminded me that "Eat It" reached #12 back in the day, Al's (& Bermuda's) only gold single = between 1 and 2 million 45 rpms sold. The Yamaha kit that started it all is long gone? Say it ain't so :)

That Slingerland kit is insane.
 
I owned two kits ( a Japanese stencil kit and a Pearl kit) before I bought my first profesional drum set at 17 ( which I paid for myself thank you very much). A Gretsch natural maple gloss lacquer 18/12/14 with matching 5 x 14 snare drum. I ended up adding a 22" bass drum; 6";8' and 10" Double headed toms and a 16 " floor tom. I used these until I was in my mid- 30's.


I have had about 12 sets since then. Currently own 3.

Ludwig Legacy Classic Liverpool 4

Ludwig Element SE Citrus Mod

DW Jazz series Champagne Glass glitter

I am quite happy with these three sets and they cover just about any gig I would be interested in playing.
 

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I got my first drum kit when I was 15. It was a used 5 pc. Maxwin (Pearl) concert tom kit. I lost interest in it at about 20 and sold it. I missed drumming at 40 and bought my second kit, a new 5 pc. Yamaha Stage Custom Birch. Two years later I bought a new 6 pc. DW Performance Series kit. 3 Total, 2 current.
 
4 kits, so far

My first kit was bought second hand for me by an older cousin (on behalf of my Mom) for like $200. I really have no idea who made it or what wood it was, but it was a conglomeration of several kits, apparently. It was probably made in the late 70s/early 80s and it looked like someone at some point had taken the wrap off of the core parts of the kit (bass, floor, rack toms). It also came with a set of concert toms in various sizes. I played that one for a few years. Eventually I sold off the concert toms and gave the kit to my younger cousin. I think I still have some of the mounting hardware in a drawer somewhere. I should ebay it to see if anyone needs mounting hardware for a vintage kit.

Once I started playing in bands, I bought a Pearl Export Pro kit (in 1992?). It was a Cranberry color wrapped kit with 8/10/12/14/16 "power toms" (all suspended) and a 20x20 kick drum. I later put a RIMS mount to add legs to the suspended floor tom, since that was a heavy beast to have hanging from a cymbal stand! I played that one in various configurations throughout the 90's and it sat cased up in the garage while I was in the Army. I took it back out when I started gigging again in 2008 and played it as a 2-up/1-down kit. I sold it in 2009 when I bought the Gretsch kit.

In 2009, I made a major upgrade to a Gretsch Renown Maple kit in Cherry Burst lacquered finish. It came with 8/10/12/14F and a 22x18 kick, I added a 16" floor tom later and I currently play it as a 1-up/2-down kit (12/14/16). This is currently my only kit and I am sure that I will play this kit for a long time. At some point I hope to swap out the 22" kick for a 20" kick, just so I can get my rack toms a tiny bit lower.

I also bought a Gretsch Catalina Jazz in 2010 as a secondary kit, although I did gig with it a couple of times. I ended up selling it since I needed the cash and couldn't justify having 2 kits.
 
I've owned three kits, right now it's the Gretsch Renown Jazz. Won't get rid of it. Maybe upgrade it with a New Classic (like the idea of gumwood) or a USA Custom. You know the won in with white marble (or cadillac green) with gold stripe and golden hardware. Sexy!

But before upgrading the funky jazzer I'd better get my hands on a Ludwig Legacy or Yamaha Club Custom in rock sizes!
 
If you're talking about "how many kits have you paid money for and had in your possession", well over 100 (I used to buy kits for my students--I don't anymore). If you're talking more along the lines of "how many kits have you bought for yourself and used regularly for gigs", then it's only 8. Right now I own 5 and regularly gig with 3 of them. I am 32. I got my first kit when I was 17, and I bought my 2nd kit, my first "professional" kit, when I was 24.
 
Ludwig 1958 Silver Sparkle
Pearl Sessions Series
Premier Bop Kit
Roland TD-3
Gretsch Catalina Club (16" bass)
Mapex Bop kit
Sonor Jungle Kit Maple
Yamaha Al Foster
Yamaha Club Jordan
Yamaha Rick Marotta
Tama Rockstar 20" bass extra 8" rack tom
Sonor Jungle Black Sparkle
Ddrum 20" Pocket Kit
Drummersworld Nesting kit 18" bass in Mahagony
Yamaha Oak Custom 18" bass
Roland TD-4
Trixon Cocktail kit

I currently only have the Yamaha, Trixon, TD-4, and Ludwig kit (which I've converted into a jazz kit)
 
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im on my 6th kit.

got my first at 10. a 5 piece shiro in blue metallic. with them came a set of old 60`s a zildjians, 14 hh, 20 crash/ride and a 24 with rivetholes.,

had a break in playing between 12 and 16, and bought my next at 19, a yamaha recording
24*16,14*11,16*14 & a 14*6½ sd. all in black.

another break between 20-26. bought a tama starclassic hybrid maple/performer in honey gold/amber gold. 5½ sd, 22*16,16*16,14*12,13*11,12*10;10*8 .used it as a 5 piece.

then a 5 piece of sonor 3003. was not impressed and sold them.

another hybrid starclassic in dark cherry fade.

22*18,14*12;13*11,12*9,10*8 and a lars ulrich bellbrass.

sold the bellbrass and bought my next. my current dw
24,13,18.

now im looking for my perfect vintage kit, preferly a ludwig pre 63 or 69-75ish.
 
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I had a few kits that I owned in my 30 years+ as a drummer, and exept my very first drumkit, all my other kits have been Tama kits, with an exeption regarding snares drums, which have been from differents brands, including Tama of course, Sonor, Premier, Ludwig and Yamaha with either metal or wood shells, but mainly wood shells.

Here"s a quick rundown in chronogical order:

Roy Studio in a metalic grey finish, very poor quality, the toms holder broke after just 2 months!
Tama Rockstar in Artic White
Tama Imperialstar (with concert toms) in Midnight Blue
Tama Imperialstar (with double heads toms) in Artic White
Tama Artstar (cordia/birch) in natural Cordia
Tama Artstar II (maple) in Piano black Laquer

I have also "borrowed" kits from drummer friends for some one off gig to try something different, these includes a Sonor Signature, a Yamaha Recording Custom and a Premier Resonator.

I'm still playing today with the Artstar II (the kit's 23 years old), and as far as cymbals' concerned, I started with Paiste, moving gradually to Zildjian, my current cymbals setup is 25+ years old.

And I still have the same pleasure playing my kit, even after all these years :))
 
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