Hey CoolBeans, I own a Ludwig Epic set in Black to Natural Burst. When I had bought them, I replaced the stock clear Ludwig heads on the toms and bass drum with white Remo Coated Ambassador heads. I'd done this so that I would have a specific "jazz set"....mind you I can also set it up in a number of ways, with one, two or three rack toms.
My Ludwig Epic set in Black Burst To Natural Fade, with Antique Bronze Hardware. Stands are mostly Tamas, with a DW hi-hat stand and bass drum pedal.
As for sizes, the bass drums range from 18" through to 24" (in a variety of depths from 16" to 20"....so you can have an 18x16" like what I have, a 24x16", 20x18", 22x18" or 22x20" and so on), rack toms vary from 8x7" (diameter/depth) through to 13x10" (once again with varieties of diameters vs depths), floor toms range from 14" to 18", snare drums are either 13x5" (with the 'Jazzette' model in the Epic range) through to the 14" snare in variety of depths from 5" right through to 7". They even have offered a few kits with a 10x6" effects snare as an 'add on'. In fact, there are 5 or more 'basic configurations' that the Epics come in.....'Jazzette', 'Pro Beat', 'Euro Shell', 'Funk Shell', 'Power Shell' and maybe one or two others. But what's great is that they can do add ons part of your order, so that if like me, you wanted some extra drums or some sizes that are not part of the particular configuration you like, they can do those....if you're prepared to wait, that is.
Another view...
Before I ordered this particular kit I also had tried a similar set in Attic White. The kit at the drum shop was configured in what Ludwig called the "Jazzette"......an 18" bass drum, 12" rack tom, 13" snare and 14" floor tom. That one also had the clear Ludwig stock heads on them.
Ludwig Epic in Attic White, the first one I was looking at, when it was at one store.
As for the sound.......basically it had, even with clear heads, a fairly bright cutting sound when tuned up high (which was what I was seeking in the first place), yet when tuned to medium low, surpisingly even the small 18" bass drum and small toms have a nice mid-range to somewhat low punch, possibly because of the composite birch/maple/birch shell plies. The shop also had a leftover 8" tom in the same Attic White finish, but from another drumset, which the client wanted all the other drums except the 8". So, at that time, a friend of mine who was working there said that I could also order a 10" Ludwig Epic tom in Attic White from the company, but would have to wait for a while. I was hoping to do that, so that I would have a complete 8", 10" 12" and 14" tom set up with a small 18" bass drum and 13" snare.
BUT that very month,
Ludwig decided to discontinue the Attic White finish, much to my disappointment. However, Billy Hydes, the chain store here in Sydney that I was dealing with, were very kind to transfer the deposit I paid on the Attic White kit that I paid for at my local Parramatta store to the one in Black Burst to Natural finish in the Surry Hills store (a big thank you to my mate Nick Pansini at Parramatta and to the one and only Nik Downing at Surry Hills, both legends for doing that!). I get nothing but compliments on the sound and looks of this set. The snare just has a great crisp sound to it, perfect for delicate to loud press rolls when cranked up a bit, which is how I usually like some snares anyway. But the whole set is a joy to play and to look at.
And how they sound?
Ludwig Commando Video #12: Epic Series Drums in ProBeat Configuration - YouTube
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