Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl Drum Set: Too Much Resonance Can Be A Bad Thing

May 16, 2008
Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl Set

Read the manufacturer's product description on any drum set, guitar or instrument for sale. Chances are, you won't find any boasting about having a moderate amount of resonance. However, as Jeff Botta of 54 Seconds adeptly points out, too much sustain can be a bad thing.

That's why he plays his Ludwig Black Oyster kit live instead of his extremely resonant Gretsch kit. Especially in live sound situations, it's important to remember that what sounds great on its own will change in the mix with several other instruments.

Visit Ludwig's official website and 54 Seconds' official website for more information

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Nice feature, but I Would

By: Oysterstruck (not verified)

Nice feature, but I Would have loved to see more PLAYING and less talk. Let's hear how these Ludwigs SOUND.

Mon, 2008-05-19 14:32

the problem is

By: Anonymous Coward (not verified)

that me holding a camera with a shotgun mic is really not going to tell you much about how good or bad an instrument sounds....especially in a live setting. It really shows you very little unfortunately...

thanks!

Patrick

Mon, 2008-05-19 23:46

nice purse

By: bee.rad (not verified)

good points jeff. my favorite part of this interview was that your purse matched your coat so well. i only hope you matched your shoes and belt as well.

nice see'n y'all in nyc. keep rockin or i'll hunt you down and eat your babies.

luv ya buddy,

bee.radical

Wed, 2008-05-21 23:31

botta bing

By: stewy (not verified)

this guy never ceases to amaze me....

Thu, 2009-12-24 15:23

Bass drum Ludwig black oyster pearl.

By: Sal (not verified)

I work out here in the Palm Springs Ca. area. Love my ludwig set. I have a problem with the top layer seperating from the shell. The glue seems to not stick well causing kind of a ripple effect look just on the base drum. Any Ideas? Sal

Sun, 2011-10-09 15:28

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[JEFF BOTTA PERFORMING]

JEFF BOTTA: My name is Jeff Botta of 54 Seconds. I'm the drummer. I'll just ramble.

Right now, I'm playing some '65 Ringo-finished, the Black Oyster Ludwigs, 22", 13", 16" with a hand-hammered Ludwig brass snare. I used to be a dyed-in-the-wool Gretsch guy because those drums really sing, but the problem with that is when you're in a live situation, the sustain becomes a real issue. It's just like having a guitar. You know, it's like how much sustain does an electric guitar really have. It has some but then you plug it in into an amplifier and turn around and it sustains for days. That's something you really don't want with a drum kit, so that's why I use these older drums now because they're deader, they're punchier so that when you're dealing with a drum monitor about this tall and maybe Texas headphone, you know, you got one on each side of you, it's not going to cause the drums to sympathetically resonate to the point where they have to start gating you and messing with the tone you've already arrived it.

It is largely due to the construction they have. The older Ludwigs have three-ply shells but they have a reinforcement ring which is about 1/2" thick and the bevel on it is really curved, and once they get older, it's -- it gets flatter and more of the wood touches the drumhead and it mutes it more. And the bearing edge, exactly. Yeah, and the Gretsches have a 30-degree bearing edge and they're kind of a good compromise as far as, you know, say a Yamaha or a DW, and they go 45 degrees and that's sharper so they sustain more, which is great if you're playing drums in your bedroom and you can sit there and, "Oh, they sound so good!" but as soon as you put a microphone it front of it, the sound guy is going, "I don't enough gates to deal with your tone," so then you run into -- well, you know some sound guys love your tone because the drums have great tone, and some guys hate your tone because it's hard to deal with. So these drums, I mean the bearing edges, they've gotten really rounded because they have been, you know I mean the drums are 40 -- what 43 years old so the bearing edges are (a} they're wider to begin with and (b) they've worn down, and the glue starts to separate, so it's just really the quality kind of -- as the quality decreases of the tone, the functionality of it in a live and loud setting improves.

PATRICK OGLE: So basically, as they deteriorate, they get better?

JEFF BOTTA: Amen. Amen. I found some Ludwigs cheap, this kit, for like 500 bucks with a Supraphonic, and it was ridiculous so I bought them because they looked so good, and I want a bigger -- I have a smaller sizes in the Gretsch. I have 20", 10", I have a 12" which I haven't used, and then 14", and so I wanted bigger drums because louder rock and roll stuff, you know, bring your arms up, hit them harder, they like to be hit up, you know, bigger drums like to be hit hard. So, I got bigger drums and then I discovered this after having had those drums. I still use the Gretsch for fusion gigs and things that nobody will ever hear, but as far as the rock gigs, yeah the Ludwigs are the most functional. They [SOUNDS LIKE] brutalize them. If he doesn't, I'm going to do.

You know, if I always play in these gigs, you know I'd probably get a reissue Ludwig because they are built the same and I can get the same -- I wouldn't be as worried about breaking them because they're new, but I really don't know. I still love to play those Gretsches and as far as my favorite bank, those are the ones but as far as live playing, and actually studio playing too because like every situation where I'm in in front of microphones, the Ludwigs seem to work better.

[JEFF BOTTA FINISHES PERFORMING A SONG]

I need awesome gear... I'd like a free gear catalog!
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