Vintage vs. New

New or vintage?

Hmm...

Both?!

I currently own two vintages Slingerland kits, a 1966 that I use at home for daily practice , and a 1975 that I keep where my band rehearses each week.

I own a DW Collector's Series kit from 2008 and a Gretsch USA Custom shell bank that I bought in 2019/2020. These are my gig kits.
 
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If you want a vintage sound, then you need to go with vintage or C&C. I have played the Hip Gigs and like the Gretsch Catalinas, they do a fine job at what they were designed for. They do not, however, in my opinion, sound like vintage drums. They look the part but they don't sound the part. C&C come damn close.

What is your price range? I bought a vintage Ludwig set a few months ago for $1400. Yes, it has quirks and idiosyncrasies but it sounds and looks like a vintage kit.
 
Hey guys, I'm on the hunt again for my next kit and I am conflicted. I love vintage drums, and have several 60's/70's Rogers and Slingerland kits bookmarked. But I'm also looking at these Pork Pie Hip Pig kits in the duco finishes. What I like about them is the vintage style and the center-point beavertail lugs and of course the duco finishes. I'm also a big fan of C&C kits, which are out of my price range. These Hip Pigs look a lot like those C&C kits. What do you guys think, should I go with a vintage Rogers or Slingerland, or go with a modern, vintage looking Pork Pie at a much better price?
All I'm going to say regarding the newer kits you mention is that neither one of them is going to hold their value on the resale market due to them having little brand recognition. Which is fine if you plan on keeping them for a long time. Sure, we know about C&C and Pork Pie but many drummers don't so keep that in mind when you make your decision. What I'm saying has little or nothing to do with the quality of their kits. It's just reality. For example, I have a gorgeous Noble & Cooley Walnut Classic for sale at a very fair price and I haven't even gotten a nibble on it. Regarding your interest in vintage, if that's your thing I'd go that way.
 
I own 2 vintage kits (60' & 70's) and 2 modem kits (90's & 00's)'and I'd probably prefer in this scenario a vintage modelled modern kit.

All that lovely modern, reliable and sturdy hardware and new bearing edges being the main reasons.
 
All I'm going to say regarding the newer kits you mention is that neither one of them is going to hold their value on the resale market due to them having little brand recognition. Which is fine if you plan on keeping them for a long time. Sure, we know about C&C and Pork Pie but many drummers don't so keep that in mind when you make your decision. What I'm saying has little or nothing to do with the quality of their kits. It's just reality. For example, I have a gorgeous Noble & Cooley Walnut Classic for sale at a very fair price and I haven't even gotten a nibble on it. Regarding your interest in vintage, if that's your thing I'd go that way.

For whatever it is worth, I'm in Pittsburgh and have been drooling over your Noble & Cooley kit since you put it up for sale.

I retired at age fifty in 2009. My fun money (AKA gear fund) comes from gigging or a part time job bartending. I recently played my first gig in two years, and I have not worked as a bartender since March of 2020.

In the case of your N & C kit it is not lack of interest, it is lack of funds. I have a very good friend on Long Island who in in the same situation regarding your kit.
 
In the case of your N & C kit it is not lack of interest, it is lack of funds. I have a very good friend on Long Island who in in the same situation regarding your kit.
This. Its a hard time for selling now, maybe even more so for high end kits.

I bought DW my 2,5 years ago for 6k.

I sold it in a week last for 4k, after I tested the waters at 6k, and 5k.

So sometimes we have to come down conciderably with the price we have in mind, for a quicker sell.

In hindsight 4k is still a lot of money and can get a just as good replacement.
 
This is all good stuff guys, thanks for the input. I'm still not 100% sure, but I'm circling ever closer to the Hip Pig in the red/gold duco finish. My only hangup is that it's only offered in 22/13/16. Which is fine, I can deal with it, but being 5'2", I really prefer a 20/12/14 setup which is only offered (as far as I can tell) in the black/gold duco finish which I'm not nearly attracted to.
 
I want the vintage build built to specs shells from Pearl but I'm waiting for Pearl to use an exciting new state of the art aging process to order my new 50 year old kit. I messed with the red duco pork pie kit for a minute and really liked it.
 
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And then of course, there's the thought in the back of my mind that at this point I have the skills and know-how to just get shells and beavertail lugs from Precision and DFD and just make my own kit in the sizes and finish I want. But the only hangup with that is that there's virtually no resale value to a home-built kit like that.
 
This. Its a hard time for selling now, maybe even more so for high end kits.

I bought DW my 2,5 years ago for 6k.

I sold it in a week last for 4k, after I tested the waters at 6k, and 5k.

So sometimes we have to come down conciderably with the price we have in mind, for a quicker sell.

In hindsight 4k is still a lot of money and can get a just as good replacement.

That's part of it. I'm not in a situation where I NEED to sell it. It's just sad to have a kit that nice sitting in the corner in cases.

For whatever it is worth, I'm in Pittsburgh and have been drooling over your Noble & Cooley kit since you put it up for sale.

I retired at age fifty in 2009. My fun money (AKA gear fund) comes from gigging or a part time job bartending. I recently played my first gig in two years, and I have not worked as a bartender since March of 2020.

In the case of your N & C kit it is not lack of interest, it is lack of funds. I have a very good friend on Long Island who in in the same situation regarding your kit.

Price for local pickup here in da 'burgh is $2150 for any DrummerWorld member. ;) That's $250 off the Reverb price. No tax, no shipping.
 
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I have a new and a vintage kit. Think of them like cars

New = Reliability, mod cons, made for everyday use
Vintage = Labour of love, comes out on special occasions but has a character that the new one can't come close to.

Having done restoration work on my Ludwig I'd buy new any day!

Buy that swine!
 
Have you checked out the SONOR vintage series-I'm not so fond of finishes but kit sounds awesome. Drums are like people they don't lose their mojo but just more wear and tear shows and it takes more maintenance with age LOL.
 
Have you checked out the SONOR vintage series-I'm not so fond of finishes but kit sounds awesome. Drums are like people they don't lose their mojo but just more wear and tear shows and it takes more maintenance with age LOL.
I'm gonna go ahead and say that those drums are out of his price range being that he could buy 2 hip pig kits for what one of those Sonors costs and still have cash left over.
 
Have you checked out the SONOR vintage series-I'm not so fond of finishes but kit sounds awesome. Drums are like people they don't lose their mojo but just more wear and tear shows and it takes more maintenance with age LOL.
Yeah the Sonor Vintage line is out of my price range, but I have looked at the AQ2 line. Not so much of a vintage vibe, but they look like nice drums.
 
Well I have an ulterior motive and wish some forum member had one to get their impressions of them. I went from eyeing Renowns to the SQ1 and Vintage series.
 
Well I have an ulterior motive and wish some forum member had one to get their impressions of them. I went from eyeing Renowns to the SQ1 and Vintage series.
octatonic seems to have recently acquired a set
 
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