Buying and Fixing an OLD Kent Drum Set

[@rdavidr]

*Who here has ever played a Kent drum set before?* Drums Only Version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3TMdZ-Kn8l6ndE Follow me on IG: instagram.com/davidraouf/

[@curthoffmann6784]

My first kit as a kid was a hand-me-down red sparkle Kent from the 60's so I've always had a soft spot for the brand. I bought another red sparkle kent set last year with plans to restore it. They can sound great with some elbow grease! Good luck on finding a floor tom. I've been searching for a year with no success.

[@danlozza]

I used to play out on one. It was the two ply maple. Had to cut in bearing edges, but after that those drums were great. Light, airy and loud. The six lug on the bass drum took some getting used to but was great. I retrofitted modern Spurs and a Tom holder. I miss those drums.

[@TK-eg6vp]

I have that snare....no badge on it, so never really knew what brand it was until now. Thank David!

[@malcolmporter8158]

My first set was one of those which was more a "Frankenstein" kit which I had to piece together from several different sets and parts.

[@Noteven0]

That’s what I’m talking about rdavidr!

[@joeday4293]

This is absolutely my favorite resto you've ever done. And your playing at the end - . Did you reveal some hidden mojo buried under all that gunk? I don't think I've ever seen you rip it up quite like this in any of your other resto/flip videos. These things awoke some beast in you I haven't seen yet!

[@bigvrocks2480]

Kent was made about 2 miles from where I live. They were made on Military Road in Kenmore,NY. A Buffalo, NY 'suburb'. My younger brother, Paul, bought a sweet Black Pearl kit from them in the mid 60's. We went into the manufacturing facilities, etc. I also remember their Orange Sparkle kits which looked great back then. Jimmy Edwin (A great family run Business, including Mr. Edwin, Doreen, Greg & Jimmy) aka (Johnny & Jimmy) from Edwins Music, On Broadway in Buffalo,NY bought the line in the mid 70's and had parts made in Japan to build kits. Where did the time go?

[@Skeleton_Dork]

No way I live like an hour away from there!

[@N8palmDeath]

The time went to the floor, which is where you dropped all those names.😅

[@bigvrocks2480]

@@N8palmDeath lol, you obviously did not know the Edwins. Just classy people and I will always treasure, at how I was no one special, they treated me better than I could ever have expected... What's your issue? Jealous? lol

[@N8palmDeath]

@@bigvrocks2480 Absolutely no issue, just find name dropping hilarious.😉👍

[@bigvrocks2480]

@@N8palmDeath what's more hilarious is commenting negatively at someone's sincere appreciation for people who someone has deep respect for and equating it to 'name dropping'. Time to grow up kid... 😂

[@rloasby]

That kit sounds quite nice recorded, especially the snare! Great job

[@d-rock737]

Fat sounding snare. I like it!

[@bigvrocks2480]

I agree. It sounded great...!

[@DoppelgangerShockwave]

For older drums, I recommend the Evans Level 360 heads. They're a bit oversized to allow the head to fit better on out-of-round drums, giving better resonance because they're not being choked fitting snugly over the bearing edge.

[@ChristopherSmithNYC]

cant find any 360 heads online.

[@erraticboss168]

@@ChristopherSmithNYC I’m pretty sure all evans heads are level 360.

[@rdavidr]

Yeah all Evans heads are level 360. I debated getting oversized heads but tbh I had these already and didnt feel like buying any lol.

[@DoppelgangerShockwave]

@@rdavidr I can understand. But if you replace them, that's where I'd go.

[@DoppelgangerShockwave]

@@ChristopherSmithNYC Every single music store that carries drums carries Evans heads. And all are Level 360 now. Sweetwater, Musician's Friend, Chicago Music, Memphis Drum Shop, Guitar Center, etc., etc., etc.

[@MusicShed]

Kick ass playing, great sounding kit, fun AF to watch!!

[@arel4333]

Woorrddd!!

[@osky516]

That sounded lovely. Watching your videos really makes me want to get a drum kit again. It's been over 25yrs since I last had one. I was awful but you're really inspiring me.

[@rdavidr]

Go for it!

[@danmayo9182]

I got back in about 9 years ago after a 30-year hiatus. It's never too late!

[@adamimberti6948]

@@rdavidr Random bit was that a Condor knife you used to open the box?

[@davidgomersall7185]

Do it! There's so many great education resources on line now that it's really easy to get back into playing without having to immediately fork out for face to face lessons. Drumeo is a great place to start.

[@milan1200]

Same here. Got a kiddy kit for my kid (lol) but looking at used kits for myself now :)

[@Booskop.]

That fill at the end (15:07) is so tasty. It doesn't only looks cool, but it also sounds great! The kit looks great too with the goat skin head. And nickel plated looks so much nicer than chrome plated, and it goes very well with the orange wrap. Very nice episode, thanks for uploading David!

[@jenniferanne4143]

Yeah, if he kept it going it would have sounded similar to Bonham at the end of Rock n' Roll

[@Denverdarbuka]

For single tension rod tuning, really seed the reso head and stretch it out before the batter comes into play. That way you can get it up where you want it. For natural skin, one key thing that keeps them in good shape is a bit of moisturizer/lotion. It is skin after all. Dry rot is the enemy.

[@davidgomersall7185]

"It rubs the lotion on it's skin or else it gets the hose again"... 🤣

[@Unicorns8myPoo]

Say no to the lotion/conditioning!

[@TimBuell]

Hey - it’s me!!!! Haha. That Kent bass drum is literally my favorite kick drum I own now.

[@rdavidr]

Glad it went to a good home!

[@drewsneddon8219]

Mind Blown! My first drum set (1972) was a very used orange sparkle Kent set, with (2) 8"x12" rack toms and no floor tom, also a 20" bass and a 5" x14" (I think) snare. They got me so excited to play that my dad took me to the actual Kent factory in Kenmore, NY and I bought an orange sparkle 14"x14" floor tom right there! This must have been maybe 1972-73??? We only live about an hour away, so my dad was good enough to take me. Haven't stopped playing since... wish I had pics, or better yet, the set...

[@rdavidr]

Dang! Thats awesome!

[@jethrofloyd67]

That fill at 14:13.... I'm stealing that 😂

[@therealeleusis]

The bass drum head is so cool and the colors all blended so super well. Pure eye candy man!!! I've watched quite a few of your videos now and no matter what you're playing on you are able to make them all sound great and that reminded me of my high school band teacher who once told me a good drummer is one who can make ANY drum set sound good and that's the truth and I think a ton of that sound comes from the the skill of the player rather than what they're playing on. A New York street drummer can make plastic buckets and pots and pans sounds great because they play from the heart and have passion for what they do, the instrument is just a tool. Your channel is the embodiment of that truth. Obviously there are drum kits that make an already great player sound better and are so sweet to play on but I've noticed since becoming a guitarist as well and watching guitar channels that the same holds true there, a majority of the guitar tone comes the hands of the player rather than the gear. A great guitarist can make ANY guitar sound great, same for bass etc. Anyway I really enjoy your content man, your passion for what you do really comes through and you've really inspired me to get back into drumming which was my main instrument for twenty years. Really enjoy your pursuit of the craft!!Thanks for sharing...looking forward to going through your whole Library and seeing all I've missed. Peace!!

[@ryanwilson5782]

It's a good day when the DIY Guru uploads

[@rdavidr]

🤘

[@fastfrank-ca1936]

Yo David, backround has been incredible for a while now. Luv the more Jazzie styles rather than hard core Rock & Roll. Keep up the Great work 👍 😎

[@xtrobitzmusic2405]

Fantastic restore. I was glued to the screen like watching a fireplace. Wish I could have my 1969 Rogers Londoner series sounding that good. I have been meaning to change both heads and see if can tune them up so they are not so dead.

[@jrfrondelli2023]

The kit sounds GREAT! I'm not surprised though. I've refurbished a number of Kent kits and drums over the years, and they always sound great. The way they made their shells is unique. Extremely thin maple veneer, on a roll, run through a glue bath, and wound-up like a clockspring, on a mandrel. When dry, the mandrel was popped-out, and voila!... a thin, strong multi-ply shell!!! Usually with a lot of glue residue left behind. Most of them used a "garbage wood" (back then) that we now call "Bird's-Eye Maple". It was considered junk back then, and often burned. Kent's bearing edges left something to be desired, but that, as well as the sloppy interiors, are what I rectified on the ones I refurbed. Poor man's Gretsch??? You bet!!! 😁

[@that70sdrummer]

That Kent kit looked exactly like the red sparkle one I got when I was 12 years old. My very first kit. I'll never forget it. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

[@CBRansom35]

You don't know how to make a kit sound bad. You always tune, mic, mix, and play so well! Great resto!!

[@db9692]

They cleaned up great! Just the right amount of wear remained. Well done!

[@jamesclarkalindayu6753]

When rdavidr uploads~ celebration 🎉

[@eloicyril8703]

It is funny that you came across a E.W. Kent kit at all! I had bought a wood lacquered snare, the throw off on those drums are garbage. the good thing about the Kent is that it has a very resonant sound. The shells are thin and solid and sounds nice. I recently thought about putting a thin or small felt strip on the batter side. I had tried to outfit it with a Ludwig P85, and I learned the hard way that it needed the piccolo throw off instead! One idea for a video subject would be about bearing edges - the different angle cut the difference in sound and the material and function of the drum. I also would like to see what is the best way to condition bearing with the various materials that drums (metal wood, acrylic) are made of. Something to chew on. I always enjoy your videos, great work. Classic Vibe!

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

I'm new to your channel, loving what I'm seeing so far. Have you use evaporust before? It's actually a miracle the way it removes rust. I'm a drummer turned woodworker, and I've restored several machines and evaporust is definitely handy for getting light corrosion off surfaces without any elbow grease, and you can re-use it over and over too.

[@rdavidr]

yeah I have a jug of it, still havent tried it yet haha

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

@@rdavidr it's calling your name right now

[@jscan]

I'm pretty sure this is the same shell set my mom bought me second-hand in 1967 - at least the kick, snare and mounted tom.. it definitely was a gold sparkle Kent and at 10 years old I was thrilled.. no clue where they are now but I suspect I might have hacked them up or recovered - Anyway, thanks for the nostalgia and as always, you make this kit sound legendary!

[@servicedepartment8550]

A little history Of the KENT DRUM CO. It Was located in Buffalo Ny, they were a cheap very small company located on Broadway in buffalo, they were purchased by Edwins music store and the KENT DRUM CO. Closed it's doors sometime in the mid 80's for good, my first kit was an orange sparkle like yours...great vids man!

[@patflat456]

For the rinsing phase after the vinegar I ONLY use isopropyl alcohol. This keeps flash rust from occurring.

[@IJoeSimmonsI]

I skip the vinegar and just take the hardware to the wire wheel on a bench grinder. Is this wrong? I've restored two yamaha's and it didn't rip off any chrome, it's much faster.

[@doktoruzo]

That's a lovely vintage kit and it sounded FAB. Your playing on this one is some of your best ever. Fantastic.

[@davidcarbonnel6396]

Hi Dave, that knife you got is the run of the mill everyday French Opinel, I'm from France and I have one in my pocket at all times. Very useful.

[@bobbieschke599]

My first set were Kent's 1968, then Lido Supremes and before I went in the Navy, an all chrome set of Gretches with a Ludwig SuperSensitive snare. My dad bought the snare at a pawn shop on the Block in Baltimore !

[@DMSparky]

That kit, your mic’ing and your playing all sounded excellent!

[@marksaxon]

Wow! I was not expecting that kit to sound that good!! The snare has a nice low end.

[@micah_bush]

That kit sounds really good. The goat skin head was also really cool!

[@matthewpayne9861]

Fixing up my brother's Kent just in time for this video. Won't be as clean a fix-up as yours, but will run and already sounds better than you would imagine!

[@kimseniorb]

This is how the drums should sound in my opinion. Brilliant job

[@lagartogrande1908]

Nice. My first kit, circa 1966 was red sparkle Kents. Took my paperboy money to the Kent factory in Buffalo and got those first real drums. 79$. Canadian money at par. Oh I loved those drums.

[@bradwolf9897]

Dude, you're getting really good! Congratulations on your progress with the channel, but also on your performing!

[@LewiDoesMusic]

Wow!, what a kit!, you should have a lot more subscribers because your videos are really great!, so is your drumming skills, it's amazing!

[@craigstrickland1572]

It is better to be busy and in demand than to sit around and wait. You still need to try some 0000 steel wool for polishing the pits/rust out of the metal. It works.

[@caryd67]

My main snare is an old Steward in the identical orange sparkle as yours. It’s really sensitive, and sounds killer. The rest of my kit is Camco Aristocrats in burgundy sparkle, with Oaklawn badges.

[@tonyvincent9753]

One of the partners / owners of KENT Drums was a former employee of Gretsch Drums in the Brooklyn facility. Their drums varied in quality. Some were very good with much better hardware / lugs than the ones you’ve got. Yours were their low end student drums.

[@drummattk]

So from what I know Kent drums used to be made in Kenmore NY, aka Western New York, basically Buffalo NY, lol. Back in the day they were the budget kit no doubt, it was my dad's first kit along with some Camber cymbals. Now in WNY they're still sought after I mostly would guess for nostalgia value. I have a Kent Champagne sparkle from 67 that I love, even though it's from before my time, it's cool to have a piece of local history. It's not the best quality by any means but fixed up with some good heads, it has that vintage sound. I believe the company sold out to Japan or dissolved towards the end, not sure.

[@nataIieatbest]

i ❤️ wny

[@rdavidr]

For sure, the few people I know with kents seem to have them for the nostalgia. Almost like mij folks, but more cultish lol. Still awesome little kits though!

[@drummattk]

It definitely is cult-like I'd agree lol

[@thisthat283]

Groovy little kit! Yeah, these had a lot of Gretsch styling, and luwig Leedy bits like those stick chopper hoops and mounting. Had three of these kits years ago. Nice work m8! I have a lovely 59' Broadkaster that has some very interesting things to it, first It had an 8, 10 and 14 floor and an 18 bass. Had a fight at a gig years ago and the bass drumm got trashed when someone landed in the middle of it splitting it in half so I fibreglassed a new middle section making it 22.5 inch deep now it sounds incredible and added a 51 progressive jazz snare can't play another kkit now as it is just too sexy

[@rotek824]

Sounds good. I'd take that for some vintage recordings

[@ChurchOfTheHolyMho]

You have the gift to make any drum look and sound great. Nice.

[@thomasmoje5926]

Kent drums were originally made in Kenmore, N.Y. close to where I live. Back in the 1960's they were very common in my area; being that they were locally made, stocked in virtually every local music store, and relatively inexpensive compared to the 'name' brands like Ludwig, Gretsch, Rogers, etc. The original Kent drums had the thin round foil shell badge the later ones which were imported had a rectangular plastic shell badge. I have two Kent 5 x 14" snare drums and a Kent marching snare drum, none of those currently are players but I may restore them some day. I also have a Kent imprint 18" crash cymbal. Like the Kent drums not of the quality of 'name' brands but it is in excellent condition I do use it.

[@wilfredomendez3450]

Oh, I love the background song, nice "vintage" kit, thanks for sharing

[@briandipierro8865]

The recording at the end, the kit sounds so HUGE and I like it.

[@MiningMyBusiness]

Kent Drums Buffalo NY My Hometown Had a Kent Floor & Rodgers Bass Drum Part of my beginner set Loved The Way They Looked Lol

[@ScottJarreau]

Wow!! That sound is clean vintage!!! Great job bro! Love your videos!!

[@alexcarrillo2132]

I love those drums. The hoops, hardware the whole vibe.

[@jamisonlyman6912]

Darren King vibes for sure! Loved this one, my dude.

[@fernandoperdomomusic]

was not expecting these to be the rock machines they are!!!

[@johnhanes4442]

I knew David would do this set justice. Great job!

[@Dan-pj4pp]

This is, hands down, probably the best video I've ever seen on KZbin. Amazing job 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@angeloantonio5483]

I bought a Kent set never even hearing of the brand. I got it cheap from a home owner. It sounded great with a little tuning and good heads. I was was really happy with it

[@ChrisPernaDrums]

Kit sounds like my old MIJ 60’s Stewart o used to have. Sounds great and that last fill is killer.

[@Ryan98391]

Such an amazing restoration. The calfskin resonant head was a perfect touch.

[@BrandonMobley614]

14:56 those last three fills were dope.

[@iamnoone9041]

WOW! I love how those drums sound!!!!!

[@billmatthews2463]

While I never owned one, a classmate of mine back in school had one that I played once. Since I had a set of Slingerlands I wasn't impressed. Just FYI, Kent's we're made in Buffalo, NY, and went out of business some time in the '80's.

[@dennishritz4677]

My favorite restoration you have done!

[@landon3162]

Those last three fills at the end of the video were 🔥🔥🔥

[@blakemcfarland4293]

That fill at the end is FIRE!

[@billtrieshmann5979]

Sounds killer! Fixing up these old cheap kits is fun!

[@galvino_66]

this man has more patience than anyone on the planet. i’ll never be able to completely disassemble and clean my drums and lugs like this. power to u if you can lmao.

[@robrawlingspercussion621]

I once restored a nearly identical Kent kit. Nice work. I recut the bearing edges on mine and they sound pretty great! The maple shells on the old Kents were inconsistently assembled. The good ones sound great, though. Good video! - rdwightr

[@Hawiianlion67]

That sounds AMAZING

[@kbbird]

Sweet man, that thing looks and sounds REALLY good. I’m impressed!

[@KillerTofuDrums]

I just bought an old 14x5 Kent MIJ with a root beer wrap. 50$. gonna use it for a side piece. good enough for what it's gonna be used for

[@ikeeptime]

Surprisingly great snare sound. Nice and Phat and woody. Would have loved hearing it with the snares thrown off.

[@coreyw5981]

You didn't go over that mount on top of the bd. Is that for like a cymbal arm?

[@rdavidr]

Pretty sure...You can see me pull it out while I was disassembling. Its just a rod with some threads on it. There were probably some other parts for at some point, but I would only trust a splash on it lol

[@joeday4293]

Kick-mounted cymbal holders are cool, generally speaking. Specifically speaking, the kind you'd get on this or a stencil kit are mostly useless, except for holding up whatever sheet-brass crap came with them.

[@gregwonhoff7161]

Seeing this video reminded me of trying to make an ancient Star set decent looking and playable again. Thank you for sharing. By the way, I just love your refurbishing videos the best.

[@garysmith3173]

THAT kit sounds fantastic!

[@shadowbirdstudio9035]

The floor tom is a Star built MIJ .. pre TAMA. Those are called "battleship" lugs. Star used re-rings on most of their drums, Pearls stencil kits did not. That's a cool drum.

[@D.I.tay24]

Man I been watching u for 6 years now still love every video u do 💯

[@mrzachwright]

Killer playing man! I love watching you restore and DIY, but I always look forward to the jams the most.

[@bbqribz570]

excellent playing at the end, such a bop.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

all the changes / upgrades you made are key to how good they sound in the end. Nice work .

[@morbidmanmusic]

No, the drums are the key. He just put heads in and washed it. They did the work,

[@joecoleman288]

My 100% favorite video! I would Love to resto a vintage kit! Great job!

[@richardbartolo2890]

I had a set of new single tension Kents in 1963 in blue sparkle. They were not as good as Gretsch. I remember thinking they were better than Japans kits but, not as good as the big 4 companies drums. Although Kent did make a dual tension/lug kit & they were a more upscale kit. My Kent kit had E.W. Kent printed on their drum heads. The company was owned by 2 brothers and was run out of a small building in Upstate New York. I think by the middle 70's they might have been out of business already.

[@richardhamm2247]

I wish you could've put together a collab with one of the big restore youtubers to blast and re plate the hardware on this kit just that extra love after the polish job the wraps turned out way better than i expected great job as always 👍

[@woody4269]

Your drumming has improved so much mate. Kit sounds fantastic too.🍻✌

[@Salantsoundstudios]

I have a kent kit just like this but with more lugs, love that thing! I used to take it on tour all the time, but now i take a cheap little sonor!

[@danlozza]

Those cans are funny drums. You get the bearing edges good, and everything tight with good heads. They can sound incredible, and are good to get with cuz they're super light. You may have to retrofit better Tom holder or some odds and ends of course.

[@1realwild]

Nice job. Kit sounds great 😊👍🥁

[@mikemtbc]

Great resto! That kit sounds surprisingly good. Seems like it would be perfect for americana/singer songwriter type stuff.

[@tb7077]

Love the kit, esp. the snare and the chops in gravy!

[@FrankB2]

I could imagine you behind this kit singing "the weight"🙂

[@leatherdrums_]

I'm in love with that snare and bass drum, so tasty!

[@migsdrummer]

That little crossover fill at the end was well naughty. Kit sounds great! But... what are those hats...?! They sound delicious...! Nice one, Dude!

[@robertevans2143]

Nice playing. They sound great.

[@carlupthegrove262]

WOW!!! A lot of work, on your part, but those drums look fabulous and honestly they sound pretty darn good too. Well done!! Impressive! Great playing also.

[@ztfstudio]

Great sounding kit! My ears were drawn to the snare right away. Great kit over all 😎😎

[@markwiitanen8949]

super sweet. i dig old kits.

[@sticks2478]

Love the fill at 14:09.. tastey

[@jeffsr8300]

Oh heck yes, my guess would be the idea for single tuning came from original marching band drums. I use an old Ludwig marching band snare as a snom . Great Job as always!!👍👍

[@rmdrums5436]

rdavidr is playing better and better for each video! :D Cool drums, cool video and very vell played!

[@mightyV444]

Woah! I had not expected such a fat sound, especially on the bass drum! Very, very cool! 😍👍

[@bowds7]

For single tension drums they sounded fantastic, well done

[@vstudents]

These vintage drums sound fantastic!