1949 Leedy Broadway Nite Club

Gold sparkle and chrome.
A 'virgin' bassdrum, the spurs, tomholder, woodblock, cowbell, cymbalholder are all clamped to the bassdrum rims. Best sounding set I ever heard.

click here for close-ups

Gretsch Broadkaster Nameband Outfit

NameBand sets were the 22, 13, 16 & matching SD sets. This beautiful Midnight Blue set has a 24 inch bassdrum. While Gretsch was promoting their (Dave Tough's) 20 inch bassdrums as opposed to the 28 and 26 of an earlier era, somebody ordered this powerful kit that suits a small combo that likes it fat.

Thanks Blair Holben. This is the materialisation of the ultimate sound and the looks of course. I think they belonged to an old lady. Always kept inside.
Gretsch TomTom Sound, That Great Gretsch Sound. A 24 inch bassdrum like a cannon and the pistolshot 3 ply snaredrum with mint MicroSensitive snarestrainer and stickchoppers rims. Beat That! The King of the Jungle!

This Slingerland set is from June 1962, the badges on the snaredrum and the bassdrum are Niles gold/brass, pre-serial numbers. Convenient PushButtons Floortom legs, I love the railconsollette too, as opposed to the Ludwig rod, this one has a lip, which avoids slipping of the tomtom towards your SD-hoop. All drums have 3ply shells, mahogony inside for that warm and fat sound. Snaredrum is solid maple with Zoo-Matic strainer.

Slingerland GENE KRUPA DELUXE OUTFIT NO. 1N

Slingerland 1962 Black Diamond Pearl 22,13,16 & Matching Radio King.

This came from Doug Carrington who brought it to The Chicago Show 2001. All original, very dusty with all the original calfskin heads. I had to reglue the TT reinforcement hoops, if you do this carefully, you don't have to redo the typical bearing edge. A very round bearingedge gives that real Gene Krupa sound to the toms.

The deep Super Classic snaredrum was called The Symphonic Model, I found this SD at Rob Cook's Chicago Show. All 50's/60's A.Zildjians 15 inch hi-hats, 20 medium ride, 2 18 thin crashes, too high for the picture.

Slingerland 1963, White Marine Pearl, 22, 13, 16 & 14

Winnie Mensink behind one of the vintage drumsets in his drumschool Winnie's Drumkit

Slingerland 1963, White Marine Pearl, 22, 13, 16 (maple shells) with 'matching' Chicago era (1955-1959) 6,5 x 14, 8 lug Student Model. I found the snare at The Chicago Show 2002, thanks to Billy Jeansonne's Atlanta Vintage Drums and Classic Drummer.

This is what Gretsch called the Rock 'n Roll model with twin 12 inch tomtom's. Gretsch double tomtom setup. In the early sixties they used twin toms, 2x 12 inch. In the picture I use only one, as you can see. Matching Serial No.'s. This set was featured at the Amsterdam Vintage & Custom Drum Show 2003

Gretsch set 1966, Silver Sparkle, 22, 12, 12, 16 and Chrome Over Brass snare drum

I remember buying this Round Badge Gretsch kit in 1985 as a used drumset and removing a lot of gaffer tape. That was my kit for over 10 years.

Josephine & The Jukebox back to the fifties in 1983. Ludwig set with Premier mount. See the position of the FT badge, early sixties. I had a Premier 6,5 x 14 to match the White Marine Pearl. With die cast hoops a real fat SD.

Billy Cobham was my first inspiration, on his Fibes.
So I traded my Fender Rhodes for a White Staccato set in ...... 1979 I think it was. Ad Wammes Band, with Johan Jongstra, bass and Evert Lemaire, vibes and marimba and of course Ad Wammes keyboards, Winnie Mensink, drums

This Staccato set was factory-fitted with a Premier tomholder and I guess Hayman lugs.

My first NEW drumset. Bought in 1977 at Servaas Muziekhandel, Den Haag. 5-ply, chrome over wood. I swapped the 6,5 x 14 Gene Krupa Sound King that I ordered with the kit for a 70s Gretsch 4160. Both are chrome over brass shells and great snaredrums.