club date se

StaggerLee

Silver Member
Ok so after my band had me playing a 60s luddy tonight, they fell in love with the warm sound of drums and rounded bearing edges and set me up to buy one this year. Now i dont think i can afford over 1k for a vintage luddy (cheapest i could find was £1119 for a 62 club date) but i am finding club date se for £560. Now these are tempting but i have a few questions:
1) how close do they mimic the vintage sound, eg do they sound warm?
2) what level are they meant to be... i heard lots that they were meant to be part of element line but have nothing indicating that to be the case. in fact marketing promotion have them with up line stands and snares like black beauties, have pros using them (bun e carlos apparently owns one and has used it a few times, our own bermuda uses one, lots of forums have pros using them). The best i can see from it is they arent mid line kits as they beat catalinas out the water from reviews and comparison talks, and that they are effectively a warmer but quieter gretsch renown level drum that is on par with the signets, and effectively not really a position of beginner etc but simply an alternative kit for pros or guys who love the vintage sound. what can anyone weigh into this with?
 
You should PM bobdadruma, he loves his.

Personally, I don't think these Club Dates fall in line anywhere. They are Ludwig's Club Dates. They're a different wood, they bring their own vintage vibe (even moreso than if you bought new Legacies in the same sizes). And that rounded bearing edge really does make them sound cool. The snare drum has re-rings in addition to a slightly sharper edge, but the shell packs don't include a snare, so you can use what you have, or spend an extra $179 or so for a snare.

I'm excited to get a Downbeat set of them to use when I need to be smaller than my Classic Maples with the 24 bass drum.

I was suggesting to someone at NAMM (since a lot of manufacturers are coming out with Club Date-like kits with the long rods and single lugs) that they should supply a couple of spare rods for each size they need, and the nut insert for the lugs. Those will be the first things that break if you're not careful moving them around. Other than that, I think if you're careful, the set will last forever. Go get a set, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Also, if you buy a new Club Date, you won't be dealing with those vintage quirks inherent in the older drums (like bad edges, or out-of-round shells).
 
The new Club Dates have a cherry/gum shell. I'm pretty sure they were never meant to be in the Element line. They are a very warm sounding kit. Total vintage sound and vibe, in a modern kit.​
 
I had a look at the 2014 'Jazzette' club dates at GC. It had a pro feel and the snare reminded me of a Pioneer. I had the same feeling about them as I do my Renown. It's looks, feels, and sounds 95% like the real thing. There isn't a non-drummer in existence that will be able to tell the difference. Drummers who haven't owned/played the real thing won't know till they see the goofy looking badges.

I give some credit to Ludwig/Gretsch. If you know that someone's going to make an APAC knockoff of your flagship products, you might as well set up a subsidiary and be the ones making the knockoffs.
 
I was under the impression that the shell material and edges were the same for the Element SE (No Longer Made) kit and the New Clubdates but I could be wrong. There are still a few Element SE kits floating around if you look and they seem to be a better bargain than the Clubdates (if they are indeed the same shells and edges).

FOound this -> http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52797
 
Not sure which configuration youre looking at, but I can tell you the 14x22 kick is out of this world.
 
I've been playing a CD SE kit with snare for 3 years. I gig with it regularly. It is lightweight and dependable. It is as close as you can come to a vintage Lud kit without buying one. I have tried many types of heads on the drums and they always sound great. I have had no problem with the long rods becoming bent. I transport in soft padded bags.
I did however opt to remove the rail mount and install a vintage style post mount. I also ditched the Vibra band tom mount and I shell mounted the stock bracket to the high tom. I also discovered that in order to fold the BD spurs for transport I have to turn them around in the mounts rear facing and fold them against the drum or remove them and place them in the hardware bag.
The tension rods don't allow the spurs to fold against the shell from the setup position.
Thread; http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117796
 
1) how close do they mimic the vintage sound, eg do they sound warm?

It's a different edge than Ludwig has done before (at least in the last 70 years or so,) so it's not really copying the classic 1/8" rounded edge & 30° bevel. The sound is warm and punchy though, with a very vintage vibe. The price makes them an especially attractive kit. I have the 22/13/16 and 18/12/14 kits, and they sound great!

2) what level are they meant to be... i heard lots that they were meant to be part of element line but have nothing indicating that to be the case.

They're the Element SE, so they're part of the line, but not strictly just another Element offering (a lower line series.) But you can't go strictly by price in terms of what should sound good, and what shouldn't. The Club Date series shouldn't sound this good for what they cost... but in fact they sound much better. If you listened without looking, you would think it's a great old kit, not a new, budget kit.

Bermuda
 
I have 2 matching shell packs (Downbeat and Fab 22 plus a snare) and I absolutely love them. They are warm and have a vintage thump due to the round edges. The snare sounds fantastic but is sold separately. These are some of my favorite drums I've ever owned and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a vintage vibe in a modern kit. But who cares what I think.
 
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thanks to everyone, and big thanks to bermuda too. One thing bermuda, you say they are budget kit, but in uk they are far from it, coming in at the same cost as a gretsch renown and some peoples saturn offerings. And you also said that although kinda under element line, its not under the lines offerings (eg its not a lower line kit like the element, or at least thats what i got from it), so are you saying what the rest are saying in that it has no level, its simply there for everyone, pros and beginners, as simply a reliable alternative to vintage gear and currently the best alternative on the market? Thanks :)
 
I have 2 matching shell packs (Downbeat and Fab 22 plus a snare) and I absolutely love them. They are warm and and have a vintage thump due to the round edges. The snare sounds fantastic but is sold separately. These are some of my favorite drums I've ever owned and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a vintage vibe in a modern kit. But who cares what I think.

Been on the fence on getting the matching snare,never can have to many right????
 
I have the 5.5 depth Club Date SE snare. It sounds just as good as my 65 Slingerland Artist snare that is in the same dimensions. I bought the CD snare used after I bought the kit. I was shocked when I first played it when I heard how good it sounded.
As far as pigeonholing the CD kit goes. I agree with Jon that it is in a place of its own. It is a hybrid between vintage and modern.
 
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I have the 5.5 depth Club Date SE snare. It sounds just as good as my 65 Slingerland Artist snare that is in the same dimensions. I bought the CD snare used after I bought the kit. I was shocked when I first played it when I heard how good it sounded.
As far as pigeonholing the CD kit goes. I agree with Jon that it is in a place of its own. It is a hybrid between vintage and modern.

Thats 2 that love it so i was Just was looking on E Bay, there dont seem to be any in stock at the moment.I guess i have to order one.I Have the blue oyster finish......
 
The used ones don't last long on eBay.
They do pop up from time to time though.
 
One thing bermuda, you say they are budget kit, but in uk they are far from it, coming in at the same cost as a gretsch renown and some peoples saturn offerings. And you also said that although kinda under element line, its not under the lines offerings (eg its not a lower line kit like the element, or at least thats what i got from it), so are you saying what the rest are saying in that it has no level, its simply there for everyone, pros and beginners, as simply a reliable alternative to vintage gear and currently the best alternative on the market? Thanks :)

'Budget' is sort of relative, I guess it depends on the particular brand. One company's lower line prices may not be close to another's, and the differences between those and the 'pro' lines vary as well. In the States, the Club Dates are reasonably priced. I picked up a new 22/13/16 Club Date at Guitar Center for $499 (grabbed a snare later for $150) so the prices here are attractive.

The concept of 'pro' gear is a bit of marketing, but does actually stem from a time not long ago when an inexpensive kit was pretty bad. the old Made in Japan stuff from the '60s was considered really cheap, and while the hardware was, the shells weren't too bad. (A number of guys have tricked out the old drums with better mounts and hoops, and have perfectly wonderful deep, punchy drums.)

But budget and entry-level drums over the last 25 years fare well against top of the line kits. A cheap kit is much more obvious now, and entry-level gear is pretty good. So, pros would certainly use lower line gear if they like the sound, and most of it does sound great. While most companies don't typically affiliate their artists with particular lines, at least one does. DW has a roster for its PDP line, with some impressive and unexpected names.

Bermuda
 
Thanks :) But it doesnt quite answer the question as to where these sit. Most people are saying it doesnt sit anywhere, it is just what it is. I know a lot of professional drummers are using them, and i know they arent a USA ludwig or top of the line, but it seems to be that it has ticked a lot of boxes for a lot of people. If people are actually willing to use this over classics in some cases, it must have merit that its not just an intermediate kit if you get what i mean? I just would like to know where you would place it, or if you follow the suit that it cant really be placed anywhere.
 
I would place these drums in the upper intermediate/pro region.
The original Club Date kits were also a less expensive alternative to the top of the line kits. They were designed for an advanced player to use as a gigging kit.
They had top quality shells with less hardware to make them cost less and weigh less.
Gretsch and Slingerland also made similar kits back in the day. So did Rogers.
The shells on the new CD kits are top quality.
I don't feel that there really are intermediate kits anymore. The quality of every major manufacturers intermediate level kit is so high that any pro can easily be content playing them. Manufacturers make kits in different price ranges so they classify them as beginner, intermediate, and pro. The new CD kits don't offer top end finish and hardware choices. That makes them intermediate kits by todays standards.
 
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Wonder if the Ludwig guys could answer a question I have.
Are Element Se and Club Date kits both cherry/gum hybrid shells of the same thickness and identical bearing edges?
Thanks
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