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Drums & Percussion/Questions Answered by Expert John M. Aldridge
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Indentifying my pacific drums | 5/3/2011 |
| Q: I bought a used set of pacific drums 8 years ago from a friend who didn't know which series they ... A: At the time your drums were built, there was only one series of Pacific drums and that's what they ... | |
| Ludwig Gold Triumphal reissue | 4/7/2011 |
| Q: First off,hello to you Mr. Aldridge.I've had the pleasure of being able to call and talk to you a ... A: Hey Ron, To the best of my knowledge, there were about 40 triumphals built and sold. While I'm sure ... | |
| my ludwig kit | 4/2/2011 |
| Q: Someone told me that my kit was a 1974 monster tom ludwig, is there such a name. A: In 1974, there was no kit in the Ludwig catalog by the name of "Monster" or Monster Tom. That was ... | |
| 1920's Ludwig | 3/26/2011 |
| Q: What can you tell me about this drum. Rob@ a drummers tradition in San Rafael, Ca. Examined it and ... A: The drum in your photograph is NOT a black beauty. This drum was made prior to 1926, it has a nickel ... | |
| premier drums | 1/26/2011 |
| Q: i have a set of premier drums.i looked up the badges on them and it says premier england.they have ... A: Most premier drums made in the late 80s are good quality drums made with beech ply constructed ... | |
| Rogers Vintage Set Value | 1/7/2011 |
| Q: Can you give me an idea of the value of this set, and where might be the best place to sell? It is ... A: If your drums are as clean as you say and your photo indicates, you've got a nice chunk of change ... | |
| pearl snare | 1/2/2011 |
| Q: I have a B4514X, with a S-017 strainer. i was wondering how much $ its worth, and how can i adjust ... A: Although there isn't a page devoted specifically to the S O17 strainer's problem, there is a video ... | |
| pearl snare | 1/2/2011 |
| Q: I have a B4514X, with a S-017 strainer. i was wondering how much $ its worth, and how can i adjust ... A: Jeff, I don't have any idea what a used Pearl snare drum would be on the current market, but if ... | |
| 70s Ludwig Black Beauty Super Sensitive | 12/16/2010 |
| Q: Love your work! I will be acquiring a 6.5'' x 14'' Ludwig Black Beauty Supersenstive from the 70s ... A: Hey Mike, While I don't know the name of the company that did the engraving on the 70's black ... | |
| Rogers Drum Set | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: I have an old 3 piece set of Rogers R-360 drums with a Rogers cymbal and HH's. Can you tell me if ... A: Your kit will not appreciate a lot from this point on but the cost of recovering it may be more than ... | |
| Rogers Drum Set | 11/14/2010 |
| Q: I have an old 3 piece set of Rogers R-360 drums with a Rogers cymbal and HH's. Can you tell me if ... A: The R-360 and R-380 lines of drums were built in the late 1970s in answer to the influx of Japanese ... | |
| Slingerland Drums | 10/23/2010 |
| Q: My husband has a set of Slingerland Drums probably bought new in 1970. The set includes 14" snare ... A: A typical set of late 60s, early 70s Slingerland drums and Paiste Cymbals as you've described should ... | |
| Zildjian | 9/23/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering if you know when the Zildjian drum key was released on the market? Also I wonder if ... A: Charlie, I got my first Zildjian "Z" key about 12 years ago, so it was at least that long ago. I ... | |
| 1972 Rogers Londoner 5 Kit | 9/12/2010 |
| Q: What were the shells made of? A: Rogers shells were made in the early years by Jasper Wood Products, and most were maple/poplar or ... | |
| Slingerland Snare Drum - blue sparkle | 8/17/2010 |
| Q: I have a slingerland snare drum that i picked up at a garage sale few years ago. It was almost ... A: Your drum is from the late 60s and, as a six lug model, would have been the lowest priced snare made ... | |
| Possible very old Zyn 14" Cymbal | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: John. I (Fatz) once sold merch for REO back in 2006. Remember? Anyway, my mother-in-law's father ... A: Hey Fatz, Long time no hear from! I'm in Washington DC with the band tonight. Those Zyn cymbals are ... | |
| lower back pain | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: February 2009 I experienced a work related injury(stock worker) diagnosed as a "pulled muscle" in my ... A: Mike, I started to say I don't know anything about your back, but then it occurred to me that ... | |
| Ludwig Black Beauties | 5/23/2010 |
| Q: My father had a small collection of Ludwig Black Beauty drums. My sisters and I have now inherited ... A: Jeannie, If your father was a collector of black beauties, there's an astoundingly good chance that ... | |
| double stroke | 5/11/2010 |
| Q: and I wanna ask some questions about double stroke techniques. So I was playing the double stroke ... A: Ling, While I'm a drummer, I'm not much of a teacher! What I told you in my previous answer pretty ... | |
| double stroke | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: and I wanna ask some questions about double stroke techniques. So I was playing the double stroke ... A: Ling, While there is definitely finger action in the technique that Weckl is demonstrating, the ... | |
| Air vents | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: I need to source 4 air vents/gromets for Rogers Swivomatic. Dont mind if they are reproduction. Who ... A: Mark, I'm not sure exactly what air vent grommet you need but I do have a friend who specializes in ... | |
| Re:Rogers Rekorder bass drum photo | 4/7/2010 |
| Q: Here is a photo of the bass drom I questioned you about. The hoop on the batter side has been ... A: I'm not sure what you want in this question. But there is something I can comment on. When you ... | |
| Re: Rogers Rekorder bass drum; other vintage Rogers drums | 4/6/2010 |
| Q: I have a 1979 Rogers Rekorder model 20" x 14" bass drum I bought used in 1990 at a drum shop in ... A: I don't think your drums are all maple. They came from a time period where Rogers was rampantly ... | |
| ludwig snare | 3/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a light maple shell 14 x 8 ludwig snare ( Monroe ) serial num 3218925 - 8 lugs , no internal ... A: Trevor, To the best of my knowledge, your drum is not a coliseum model, simply because of the lug ... | |
| cymbals | 3/16/2010 |
| Q: could you tell me what these cymbals are worth. the hihats are kashian all the other cymbals have no ... A: For the pair of hi-hats, about $75. For each of the other cymbals, between $25 and $50 each, ... | |
| cymbals | 3/10/2010 |
| Q: could you tell me what these cymbals are worth. the hihats are kashian all the other cymbals have no ... A: That looks like a pair of high hats, a ride and a couple of crashes. If the Kashian is anything to ... | |
| snare drums | 2/22/2010 |
| Q: I saw a early 60's Pearl snare drum for sale. This snare drum has been on the shelf and never ... A: I've never seen a vintage Pearl drum sell for more than a couple hundred dollars, so that's about ... | |
| fl tom | 2/10/2010 |
| Q: its me again. This is a pearl flour tom. I think it is vintage. I also want to put it on ebay. How ... A: This is an 80's Pearl Floor tom from one of their entry level series of that time, most likely ... | |
| Ludwig drums | 2/5/2010 |
| Q: I have a piece Ludwig set, I was told it is a 1969, blue sparkle shells, not in great shape, tom ... A: Steven, In order for me to give you any accurate information about your drumset's value, I need to ... | |
| old high hat | 1/25/2010 |
| Q: when i moved into my home the previous owner left some things in the basement. One thing being a ... A: About the nearest place with someone who could take this any further would be Steve Maxwell's ... | |
| old high hat | 1/24/2010 |
| Q: when i moved into my home the previous owner left some things in the basement. One thing being a ... A: It would help if I could see the entire high hat rather than just the pedal. But from what I can ... | |
| old high hat | 1/24/2010 |
| Q: when i moved into my home the previous owner left some things in the basement. One thing being a ... A: Without a picture of the high hat and a pretty closeup view of the footboard, I'm not going to be ... | |
| Vintage Ludwig Beatle drum kit | 1/24/2010 |
| Q: I am the origional owner of a 1965 Vintage drum kit,black oyster pearl. The same set that Ringo ... A: Whoever told you the snare drum was quite valuable wasn't kidding. In the vintage drum world it's ... | |
| slingerland | 1/23/2010 |
| Q: i think i have talked to you before. i put my slingerland drum set on ebay for a starting bid of ... A: Dylan, Anything you do to clean up the drums will help them to sell. I'd use something besides ... | |
| slingerland | 1/23/2010 |
| Q: i think i have talked to you before. i put my slingerland drum set on ebay for a starting bid of ... A: The high hat stand, like the cymbal stands, is worth from $20-$35 if it's in good condition. I don't ... | |
| slingerland | 1/22/2010 |
| Q: i think i have talked to you before. i put my slingerland drum set on ebay for a starting bid of ... A: That's a tougher question than you think! Because the vast majority of Pearl's early 60s/70s ... | |
| slingerland | 1/21/2010 |
| Q: i think i have talked to you before. i put my slingerland drum set on ebay for a starting bid of ... A: Hey Dylan, The condition of your kit seems to be "Ridden hard and put up wet!" Your honesty in ... | |
| drum/value | 1/6/2010 |
| Q: i have a slingerland snare drum its chrome and its an 8 lug i was wondering what year and how much ... A: Scott, With the details you have given (I'd need a lot more to be 100% sure of the age) I can tell ... | |
| cymbals | 12/17/2009 |
| Q: I am after some jazz hats and didn't know what to get. I have heard that the best are the old k ... A: That would depend on what kind of jazz you're looking to play. I played for several years on a ... | |
| Martin Chambers drum stick | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I have a drum stick used by Martin Chambers of The Pretenders. It is a Dean Markley 2S stick that is ... A: I had the pleasure of seeing Martin Chambers play a couple of years ago when the Pretenders were on ... | |
| Carl Palmer's stainless steel drum set | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: Did Carl Palmer's stainless steel engraved drum set from the early to late seventies ever end up at ... A: The last time I spoke to Carl, I think he told me that Ringo had bought his stainless steel drumset. ... | |
| 18x20 slingerland floor tom. | 11/14/2009 |
| Q: MR ALDRIDGE, I HAVE A 18X20 FLOOR TOM -4 LEGS WITH A STAMP ON THE INNER SHELL MARKED-M,WITH ... A: Hey Ken, An 18x20 floor tom is an odd sized drum for the time period when your drums were built ... | |
| drum pedels? | 11/11/2009 |
| Q: I have a 72 8 pc rogers set, would like to know about the pedels! bass pedels hook at the bottom and ... A: Kevin, Any documentation you can provide that will pinpoint the original date of sale or ... | |
| 1952 Slingerland Radio King | 11/5/2009 |
| Q: John, Can you give me a ballpark figure of what my 1952 Slingerland Radio King 4 PC set w/20 inch ... A: Ron, If there are no modifications or alterations to the drum and they're in excellent condition, ... | |
| drum pedels? | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: I have a 72 8 pc rogers set, would like to know about the pedels! bass pedels hook at the bottom and ... A: Kevin, Without a photo to check further, I'd say you've got a pair of Orange brand pedals from ... | |
| Ludwig super classic | 10/18/2009 |
| Q: I purchased in 1999 a 90th aniversary ludwig super classic black oyster pearl fab four drum kit.I ... A: Kerry, Since your kit is only 10 years old, it's still too new to have appreciated beyond it's ... | |
| Tama king beat snare drum lugs | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: John,where can I buy replacement lugs for a Tama kingbeat-imperialstar snare from the 70's?. These ... A: Ron, I'm not familiar with that lug or series of Tama Drums. A quick google search produced an ... | |
| VINTAGE LUDWIG CONCERT TOMS | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: John -- I bought 2 Ludwig concert toms (10x14 and 12x15) with a tom stand to add to my kit back in ... A: While Serial numbers are not the most exact way to determine date of manufacture, the other features ... | |
| '93 pearl session pro | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: Hey John, I'm looking into buying a pearl drum set from the early 90's. The badge on the drums ... A: to the best of my knowledge, the Session Pro series was an upgraded version of the midline Session ... | |
| cymbals | 9/17/2009 |
| Q: . ummm..i want to buy some new cymbals but i just dont know which... i want the meinl soundcaster ... A: Julio, My recommendations for you would have a lot to do with your budget. As you mentioned, the ... | |
| Value of my drum set | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: Hey John, I'm wanting to sell my 1994 Ludwig Rocker and I am unaware as to the value at which to ... A: Giovanni, I have a son who was born in 1994, so it's odd to think that a drumset that's as old as ... | |
| yamaha vintage drum | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: Can you tell me please about yamaha vintage drum from early 70s..are they good like Ludwig , Gretsch ... A: Nikola, I knew both the first two endorsers for Yamaha when they started signing endorsers. Jamie ... | |
| Slingerland ( circa 1959-1959) | 9/4/2009 |
| Q: I have recently purchased an amazing set of drums ( Black Diamond finish) the Slingerland logos ( ... A: Terry, Given the picture that you included with your question, there are a couple of things that ... | |
| Mounting 12" Ludwig | 8/25/2009 |
| Q: I've got a set of Downbeats and the tom mount that came with the kit is made by Rogers. It a ball ... A: George, You can blame Ringo for that Rogers mount on your bass drum/mounted tom. When he had one ... | |
| Paint Drums | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: . ummmm i asked my uncle if he could paint my drumset..and e said yes..i haven't send it to him, so ... A: I've never heard of muffs either! I did a little research on the internet though and found a couple ... | |
| TAMA Drum Mount | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: I have a TAMA SuperStar Custom 5 pc kit with 22" bass, 10,12,14" toms, and obviously a snare. I ... A: Hey Scott, Your bass drum mount was designed to hold the toms in either configuration, single tom ... | |
| Do you know how the worth of my drumset?? | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: ! I've got a question about how much is the worth of my drumset?? It's an old Pearl-Set manufactured ... A: I based my answer on the prices I'd seen for similar kits sold in the USA. Since I deal mostly with ... | |
| Paint Drums | 8/14/2009 |
| Q: . ummmm i asked my uncle if he could paint my drumset..and e said yes..i haven't send it to him, so ... A: Julio, While your uncle may be a great painter of cars, cars and drums are not even remotely ... | |
| Slingerland Drumset | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: Hey- Just bought this Slingerland kit, I was wondering where I could look up the serial number? ... A: I believe that Rob Cook's "The Slingerland Book" contains a chart of serial numbers that may help ... | |
| Do you know how the worth of my drumset?? | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: ! I've got a question about how much is the worth of my drumset?? It's an old Pearl-Set manufactured ... A: Ilja, Your drums were most likely made in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, Pearl Drumsets made ... | |
| vintage drums. | 8/11/2009 |
| Q: Tn. I have a set of 1968 Ludwig Mother of Pearls that I bought while I was in the Army and am ... A: Hey Billy, I don't buy or sell vintage drums anymore, so chances of me coming across a set that ... | |
| Slingerland | 8/8/2009 |
| Q: Hey, I've just seen this slingerland drum kit and I'd really like to know any information about it - ... A: Paddy, That's a mid '80s Slingerland Chrome-o-wood kit, meaning that it's a chrome colored covering ... | |
| Vintage '60s Ludwing Downbeat kit | 8/1/2009 |
| Q: I have a vintage '65 Oyster Black Ludwig (Beatles style# downbeat kit that I bought brand new at ... A: Hey Bob, Funny how a name stencilled on a fiber drum case can evoke such strong memories from so ... | |
Drums & Percussion
Answers by Expert:
John M. Aldridge
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Questions related to vintage drums, drum history, drum engraving, drum construction, drum design
Experience
Author of Guide to Vintage Drums (dist. by Hal Leonard Corp), Founder/Publisher/Editor of Not So Modern Drummer Magazine (20 years). Drum tech for REO Speedwagon for past four years.
Organizations
Percussive Arts Society
Publications
Modern Drummer, DRUM!, Classic Drummer, Not So Modern Drummer, History of the Ludwig Drum Company (by Paul Schmidt), The Slingerland Book (by Rob Cook), Rare Drums (By Mike Curotto).
Education/Credentials
B. A. in Music
Past/Present Clients
Ludwig Drum Company, Slingerland Drum Company, Drum Heaven, Joyful Noise Drum Company, Drum Workshop, Not So Modern Drum Company, Vintage Drum Company, Kenny Aronoff, Jamie Oldaker, Bryan Hitt, Jason Sutter, Garry Peterson, Todd Sucherman, Carl Palmer, Jon Cohan, and literally hundreds of other drummers - famous and not so famous.
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