what kit to go for and things to look out for

[Gogzy]

any tips on what kits to avoid and what to look out for when buying vintage drums?im wanting to get one and restore it so im leaning towards a vintage kit for that.

[peupty duepty pants]

if you want a good vintage set, go for sets from the 60s era.

[Aks]

If ya wana restore kits go for some thing diffrent..Non common eg.. apk etc
also go for some thing before or in 60's range..there was a kit in london i found £55 for a very good condish rogers kit 3 apc

also try get a non common colour..plain sparkles etc

rules i normaly go by

[Gogzy]

cheers guys

[DeadSkinMask]

i really dont know of any kits to stay clear of, but when looking at older kits, be sure to really inspect the shells and hardware..hardware is normally the first thing that needs replacement, especially if its erroded and pretty rusted..the shells are also important to check..check for cracks, or touch up of cracks..wrap can always be replaced, but can get costly.if you get a vintage set, its always good to try and keep the vintage hardware with it..the old slingerland kits are always nice...

[aaron1]

A few things to remember: check plies and rerings for seperation/cracking, drums from before the 60's will often need oversized heads ie. American Vintage, Rogers bread and butter lugs are notorious for cracking, check very carefully for rewrap especially on Ludwig oyster black/blue people will say it's the real deal and try to gouge you, if you run into a burgundy sparkle Camco for a reasonable price buy it and don't look back.

[nickd]

Yew are from Fife right?, surely there must be about every Premier kit that was ever built around there. You Scott's seem to always nab all the Premier kits. The only thing I can say is try to get an old Premier, they are quite easy to find bits for, especially in the UK. Next, if you do find one that you want to restore, make sure it's a nice colour!. Try and look for a kit that's been in some granny's loft of 23 years, that way you wont have to pay much for it, and chances are it wont have had 23 years worth of road abuse. Look for the classic looking setups, avoid the two tom kits-to be honest they are not worth much (ie the Resonater) You should be looking out for the older early 60's ones, they have more of a reputation when it comes to selling them again. Try to find a kit that has the original fittings, and not been modified, no extra tom mounts and stuff like that. Also avoid kits that didnt survive the 70's (no bottom heads or rims) ,it can be difficult looking for original premier hoops. If you find a premier kit that has "screwdriver" type tuning rods, then you know that you are on a winner. Obviously the condition of the shells are quite important, look for obvious signs of being nackerd. If you find a Premier kit that still has its original "ZYN" or "Super ZYN" cymballs, then chances are you have found an absolute original!

[Gogzy]

Yew are from Fife right?, surely there must be about every Premier kit that was ever built around there. You Scott's seem to always nab all the Premier kits. The only thing I can say is try to get an old Premier, they are quite easy to find bits for, especially in the UK. Next, if you do find one that you want to restore, make sure it's a nice colour!. Try and look for a kit that's been in some granny's loft of 23 years, that way you wont have to pay much for it, and chances are it wont have had 23 years worth of road abuse. Look for the classic looking setups, avoid the two tom kits-to be honest they are not worth much (ie the Resonater) You should be looking out for the older early 60's ones, they have more of a reputation when it comes to selling them again. Try to find a kit that has the original fittings, and not been modified, no extra tom mounts and stuff like that. Also avoid kits that didnt survive the 70's (no bottom heads or rims) ,it can be difficult looking for original premier hoops. If you find a premier kit that has "screwdriver" type tuning rods, then you know that you are on a winner. Obviously the condition of the shells are quite important, look for obvious signs of being nackerd. If you find a Premier kit that still has its original "ZYN" or "Super ZYN" cymballs, then chances are you have found an absolute original!


yea im from Fife,currently living in Guildford though at college at The ACM,yea i have noticed their is alot of premier kits in scotland,thanks for your advice guys this will help me out and anyone else when looking to get a vintage kit :)

[erwinner]

if you're across the pond, definately look into a British kit! Hayman, Beverly, Premier all all great and you could probably find them a lot more easily and cheaply than an old american kit. Haymans are my fave brit kit. They look like Camcos!

[Thrush]

if you're across the pond, definately look into a British kit! Hayman, Beverly, Premier all all great and you could probably find them a lot more easily and cheaply than an old american kit. Haymans are my fave brit kit. They look like Camcos!


Out of which only Premier's are still being made! Highly unlikely you'll find a good condition Beverly or Hayman kit these days for sensible money!

One of the kits I learnt on was a Beverly, and the first kit I ever owned was an old Hayman :)

[bribrihitdrum]

Hey man this one is gonna go on ebay soon i think, if i can't sell it before hand, the BLUE OYSTER PEARL one, not the silver sparkle. But yeah vintage drums are an absolute Blast to play, and they start many conversations when you gig with them. Classic. Look for condidtion of the Chrome, and the plys, and the wrap. Make sure its not coming off. Yeah i have the bassdrum hoops and everything.