Vintage Drums

Professional drummers, producers and studio engineers know that vintage drums deliver totally different tonal characteristics than any contemporary drum available today. The differences in manufacturing techniques in the mid-20th century and those used today mean that it's almost impossible to replicate 'that sound' served up by a vintage drum shell original to its time period. Due to the relatively simple, basic construction techniques used by all drum shell manufacturers pre-1970 - combined with different raw materials - means they can only sound and perform differently to any contemporary drumset. Armed with this knowledge, you begin to get a better understanding as to exactly why they are so different. And with that, why good condition vintage shells are still in such high demand.

In our experience of working with players in the most demanding studio and live situations, we at London Drum Company know that in certain circumstances a vintage shell is the only option. Sometimes modern drum shells just don't cut it. It's a situation that's reflect in the fact that almost 90% of our existing client base of professional drummers and percussionists attempt to strike a balance in their equipment between new and old, vintage and contemporary.

While this may appear extravagant it is in fact closer to being a necessity for working pros - and a great tip for anyone attempting to enter the world of studio drumming. For a professional drummer being scrutinized predominantly on their sound, having the security of a variety of sounds available means that they can avoid the situation of not being able to fulfill a producer's (and ultimately an employer's) request or requirements. This enables them to concentrate fully on giving their best performance, free from the concerns of worrying about their tone being up to scratch.

LDC is repeatedly asked for brands such as Ludwig, Gretsch and Slingerland by London studios to ensure that a producer can achieve the specific sound for a certain track. Many engineers and producers find themselves requesting vintage drum sets on the simple basis of knowing exactly what they will be getting.

We maintain good stocks of vintage drums in the LDC hire department, all of which are available for trial. Following discussions with the customer to ascertain just what they want we can also source various options through our extensive range of vintage drum contacts.

Where vintage drums are concerned, there is a growing tendency for customers to be lead by the heart and rush into purchases. Our focus is on long-term customer satisfaction and as such we work hard to ensure that we understand what you really want. So please call us to discuss your vintage requirements and we'll give you all the help you need to match you with your perfect kit.

Currently we have Ludwig 60's and 70's shell kits, Vistalite, Slingerland and Gretsch kits in stock as well as numerous snare drums. We maintain good stocks of original spare parts as well as some popular hardware models.