Ludwig’s Accent CS Combo 5 piece set is an incredible set of drums at a price that’s truly hard to believe. Silver, Wine or Black, pick the color that rocks your world. Two deep ‘Power’ Toms, a nice 22″ Bass, Floor Tom and a decent snare drum round out the 5 piece offering. Included in the way low price is Bass pedal, snare stand, a cymbal stand and a hi-hat. The kit is sharp – the fit, finish and sound don’t give away the fact that these drums go for less than $400.00 USD on the Internet. And that includes shipping!
Last December, after a 15 year absence from drumming, I got a wild hair and bought the Ludwig Accent CS Combo. I’ve owned 4 or 5 sets previously and had gotten away from beating the skins, but I wanted to get back into taking my aggressions out on something besides my family, my employees and the dog!
I opted for the Silver Sparkle look this time around – they look very sharp. The kit I chose is equipped with a 12″ x 10″ and 13″ x 11″ dual mounted Toms, the ‘Power” Toms used by rock drummers. A 16″ x 16″ Floor Tom, 22″ Bass and 6-1/2″ x 14″ Snare rounds out the drums in this offering from Ludwig. Also available is a Jazz Fusion set-up with smaller mounted Toms, if that’s the sound you’re after.
The construction is of good quality, and the hardware has a nice finish applied to the metal lugs and mounting arms. The snare stand and Bass pedal are entry-level quality, but they work flawlessly and look just fine. The cymbal stand and hi-hat are nicely plated, as are all the metal parts. The Floor Tom pedal and the hi-hat are chain driven, as they should be.
The kit arrives in multiple boxes and the recipient has to do a little construction: placing the heads on the shells, attaching the bands that hold and tension the heads, tightening the bands so as to put tension on the heads, and lastly, tune ’em a little. And don’t worry if the drums don’t have that ‘concert quality’ sound – what do ya want for $400.00? If one wants a kit to play in a band, a serious band, this is not the set for you. However, if an entry level drum set is in your future, this is the one to buy.
Would you love to get that first drum kit? Or, like me, get back into playing just for the fun of it? Do you fear the disturbance you’ll cause your neighbors? Not any more, because for $49.95 USD you can purchase drum mutes for the entire 5 piece kit, as well as mutes for 1 cymbal and the hi-hat. And man do they work great. Short of playing in the middle of the night, have no fear.
I purchased Vic Firth Drum Mutes. They are made of a sort of porous rubber, about 1/4 inch thick. They are made in various sizes so that you can purchase the exact size you need. They even attach to the Bass drum, so pound away with no fear. The beauty of drum mutes are that they provide the tactile feel so necessary to playing drums.
I checked out electronic drums, but they just ain’t the same. However, an acoustic kit with mutes gives the feedback from the sticks that I need to play the darn things. Even my family can be in the house when I’m playing and they tell me the sound is minimal and except for the disturbing of one’s sleeping, the report from my drums is non-intrusive, so unless your better half is trying to nap, go on and play ’em.
Finally, Ludwig has thought of everything – also included are a drummer’s throne and a pair of Ludwig 2A wood-tip sticks, although if you’re gonna sit and play the drums for a very long stretch you’re definitely want to get a better seat. This is the only part of the set-up that I felt was a little on the inferior quality side – but again, what do ya want for $400.00?
