Friday, 4 January 2013

Gear sluts 3: Semi Pro kits

Now this is the sore area. You want a professional kit, but without the thrills and spills of a premium kit. You want a kit that's great in the studio and live but don't really care about how it looks. For some this is enough, you can have this as your last ever kit if you want, but for some the lure of the premium is too much. For now, here is the best of the best.

Third place is the Ludwig Epic. Set in the intermediate price point, but sadly for a reason. Heads. By far and large the worst heads ever placed on a drum kit. Once fitted with appropriate heads it hits into the high price point. Used by Ludwig artists in the studio and live it has proven its worth many times over. If you can catch a downbeat kit, then you are a very lucky person. Thin shells, vintage sound and one of the very few kits to stand out with a unique sound. If it had standard great heads, it would win this hands down.


Second place is the Mapex Saturn. Great sound and the industry standard as professional kits now. Come with great heads and pre tuned means great right out of the box. Great price point too.


First place is the Gretsch Renown. Amazing all maple kits by a fantastic company. Very punchy, great heads and again great out of the box. Not much else to say, at this level all the kits sound great and have there own things to offer.


Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy your new kit. Oli.
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5 comments:

  1. Anonymous6 September 2013 at 18:48

    Are you sure Ludwig Epic ( funk) would be a good kit to buy, I have am getting replacement heads, for the bass drum aquarion superkick 2, for the toms evans g plus coated, and for the snare drum Remo Emperor.

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    1. Unknown7 September 2013 at 03:35

      I will stand by that they are FANTASTIC kits. The pros use them, studios love them. They can easily be our final kit unless you decide you must have all the extra thrills that a premium kit gets you. I say don't hesitate. 100% amazing bang for the buck.

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    2. Anonymous11 October 2013 at 09:39

      I managed to get an epic funk for 578$, so I'm happy with it, I read about the heads and got aquarian superkick 2 for the bass, evans g plus coated for the toms, Evans Ec2 SST for the 8" and evans ganera g2 coated for the snare due to some mix up. But between these and the Gretsch Catalina Maple, which one is better in your opinion? on the retailers, it's hardly got any reviews, while the Grestch is getting great reviews.

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    3. Unknown12 October 2013 at 10:29

      The Ludwig Epic is considered a professional alternative kit, and the catalina an intermediate kit, the Ludwig outclasses the gretsch in all manners in my opinion. The hardware is from the USA line of Ludwig, and the shells are far superior hybrid and thin.

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  2. Anonymous11 October 2013 at 16:24

    I am worried I won't be able to play metal with the Epic funk it, I couldn't find the epic Power kit, on Musicians friend or Guitar Center, which I consider the most reliable, I found it on one website, and not in any finish I wanted. I play alternative/ rock/ metal, have I just limited my metal playing by buying the kit?

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