I look for reviews on this kit every so often to see how others view it. I bought one in 2018 and have been extremely impressed with it. Live gigs and recordings. It does not lack for tone, punch, or overall playability. I did switch out the toms to coated Ambassadors, but also keep a set of clear Emperors. The snare has been good for me. I did put a double wide snare and use a Pinstripe head. Moongels are my go-to for muffling. I did find upon buying the kit that the kick pedal felt like it rubbed against the hoop. I solved that by buying longer bolts and a few washers for the kick riser. Never an issue since. I'm not sure if the kit would be great for extended travel, but without a doubt, it was well worth the investment.
Thanks for your feedback! I may try what you suggested with the kick riser. I don't have too many problems but I do have to be careful that I don't place the pedal too close to the bass head. I have to pull it back just a bit to make sure it doesn't rub the head and put a hole through it😒
For sure! Yeah, the bolts and washers gave just enough gap to correct my issue. We're talking about a 1/4 inch that I added, and it worked. I can put my pedal all the way into the foot plate without hitting the hoop. I get you on beater head angle. It didn't affect that. I kept the stock kick head as it really was nice and punchy. I play mostly swinging blues, and it gives a very nice bottom end punch. Btw, the jazz beat you played in the video was very tasteful!
@@erinpitman8246 Thank you. I like lots of types of music. A few years ago I got the chance to play with some amazing jump blues guys. Seriously, this sax player was one of the best I've ever heard. He toured with The Coasters and Jan and Dean. I love really good swinging blues!😀
Had this workhorse for about three years. All I can say is the snare struggles with higher tuning/screws strip very easily. Very happy otherwise - it has so much punch, I love a smaller kit. Thank you Mr. Allen for the demo
Thanks for your feedback! Yes I think the snare drum is the weakest link. Hopefully Ludwig will take note of this since it seems to be the consensus. If they would simply improve the snare drum a bit I could recommend this set without reservation.
I'm thinking about purchasing one of these kits because I'm finding that my traditionally-sized Mapex Armories are too large for most of the gigs that I'm currently being hired for. The space I'm given to set up is usually too narrow between my throne and the bass drum, causing me discomfort while playing. Also, transporting them is a hassle as well, which I think a smaller kit like this one could help mitigate, especially if I have to park far away from the venue and do multiple trips. I don't want to buy another kit but if I do it'd either be this kit, or some kind of easily movable pancake kit; but this kit I think sounds better than most pancakes based off what I see online. Any advice?
I think the sound of the Breakbeats kit will be much better than those pancake kits. The Breakbeats kit is much lighter than a full-size kit but not as portable as those pancake kits. I'm very happy with the sound, but I'm playing all straight-ahead jazz now. If I was playing other styles- blues, rock, etc. I would always bring a mic to stick on the bass drum. It's fine for what i do but weak if the volume is just a bit louder. I think you will be much happier with the Breakbeats kit as far as quality. I think you might really hate playing those pancake kits. One thing you mentioned though that you should be aware of is the space required for the bass drum. It's not tall, but quite long. It's the same size as a basic floor tom. One of the clubs I used to play in had the same problem you were describing - not enough room for the throne and bass drum. It was a piano bar and extremely cramped. I don't feel the Breakbeats kit will be an improvement for you for that particular problem. So if you are going to play there quite a bit it's something to be aware of before you buy this kit. Another thing you might consider is just buying a cheap used pancake type kit for that one gig only. Hope this helps. It's your decision. But at least hopefully now you have more information.
That's a good suggestion. I don't have any way to compare these to Pearl. I can tell you though that I'm completely happy with the sound quality of these Ludwig drums. I had lots of opportunities to play Pearl kits when I was in the army band. I was very impressed with the sound of the Pearl drums as well. But I'd have to hear 2 small kits next to each other, both with the same kind of heads to know which I liked better. I think both brands would be excellent choices.
@@vincenzoa2929 thanks for your feedback. Many times you get what you pay for. The Safari kit is about $800. So about twice as much as the Breakbeats kit. But I'm sure it is better quality.
Do you have the first or second generation BB kit ? The second gen kit has better hardware, including the butt and throw on the snare. I also changed the rims on the snare and the difference was night and day. I'm sure if you were to do that on the entire kit, it would sound much better. The only thing on both generations of kits are the tension rods and lug tension rod inserts. Again, a change up of those parts and you've got yourself a decent sounding kit.
@@rhythmista7707 I have a first generation kit. I would like to update the bass drum spurs if possible. Mine don't work they way they should anymore. What type of rims did you update to? Brand and model? Just new 2nd generation Breakbeat rims?
