Ludwig Breakbeats vs Sonor Safari

[Fredr]

Hello all!

I'm getting a second kit for practice/small gigs and I want something that's compact. I've been looking the Ludwig Breakbeats and Sonor Safari kits.

Does anyone have any experience with these kits? I'd like to know other thoughts before I go out and look at them.

Thanks,

Fred

[Jackie]

[/IMG]

Its basically a small bebop kit. Set up is quick and has a small foot print. It actually has a big kit sound. I think its made out of bass wood. I dont know much about the safari kit, but sonor kits are good kits too. Which one is cheaper ? Compare kit shell material. I personally like bigger kits and deeper sounds. I did have fun with this kit.

http://youtu.be/3w2CmkDqQZ8

Listen to the kit.

[FlyByNight]

The ludwigs are "Hard wood" and the safari is poplar. Poplar is almost the same as birch. Which will give you some low end. I don't know much about the breakbeats.

[porkpieguy]

I had a Sonor Bop kit for a while. It had basswood shells, and the Safari has "select hardwood" shells. I don't know if this is the same thing. My bop kit had a really great wrap finish, and had great hardware, lugs, and tom mount. However, it had really rough bearing edges and a snare that I could NEVER get to sound decent...even after a few head changes. All in all, I don't think that I could get used to the sizes either. One thing about that bop kit though... It sounded sort of "meh" in the driver's seat; however, if you stood about 5-10 out, it sounded really good! I don't know if I just couldn't get used to the sizes. I ended up trading the bop kit for a drum set with more traditional size drums, and I haven't looked back.

If you are buying the Safari from a music store, I'd at least try to remove either the snare head and/or a tom head just to check the edges to see if they are rough or not. This is probably just me being paranoid though.

[MDK]

I have heard a few of these kits in person and have not been impressed at all. If it's not totally out of the question I would just look for a nice 3 pc kit with a 20" BD like renowns, saturns, etc

[drummerMD]

I have one and I love it! Bought it for small stages and or livingroom partys.I customized a 16" emad for the base drum. The smallest evans makes is 18". The snare I use with this kit is a pdp 6x10 blackout snare. Octabans made myself. My smallest kit out 5 kits.

[kaosotis]

What about a Silverstar bop kit? Or Yamaha Stage Custom? All birch and probably higher quality than the 2 mentioned.

[FlyByNight]

I have one and I love it! Bought it for small stages and or livingroom partys.I customized a 16" emad for the base drum. The smallest evans makes is 18". The snare I use with this kit is a pdp 6x10 blackout snare. Octabans made myself. My smallest kit out 5 kits.

Very cool! Do you get enough low end from the kick? I've played 16" kicks and I just can't get that sound.

[drummerMD]

Oh yeah,the first time I gigged with it, it was at a good size club and I had 2 marshall amps on each side of me and I had the kick mic sitting on standby waiting to use but I didn't need to use. The bass drum cut through just fine I was blown away how it sounded.

[NPYYZ]

I have a Sonor Bop kit. The difference between this kit and the safari as far as I can tell is the kick size. The Bop has an 18" kick vs the safari 16". The badges on the bop kit say select hardwood but I believe it's basswood. Also the snare is not great. I can get it sounding ok, and it's fine for practice , but I wouldn't want to gig with it. Toms and kick do sound very nice though.

[Michael]

I have one and I love it! Bought it for small stages and or livingroom partys.I customized a 16" emad for the base drum. The smallest evans makes is 18". The snare I use with this kit is a pdp 6x10 blackout snare. Octabans made myself. My smallest kit out 5 kits.

That is a very nice "small-large" kit! :D

[Olimpass]

I have one and I love it! Bought it for small stages and or livingroom partys.I customized a 16" emad for the base drum. The smallest evans makes is 18". The snare I use with this kit is a pdp 6x10 blackout snare. Octabans made myself.
My smallest kit out 5 kits.

Love the custom bass head, octobans and that bass drum riser! I found that Aquarian made a 16" Superkick bass head but would have bought an Emad if they made one.
I have it on my Star Jr. kit.

[carbohydrate kid]

A while back I traded a couple low end cymbals for a groove percussion jungle kit.I thought maybe I could use it as a club kit. I didn't have high hopes considering the brand, but it seems to be fairly well made and after putting a kick port and some new heads on it and it sounds great! A power stroke 3 batter head and a kickport worked wonders on the bass drum.

[carbohydrate kid]

[IMG]http://www.drumchat.com/picture.php?albumid=1069&picturei

[kay-gee]

Very cool! Do you get enough low end from the kick? I've played 16" kicks and I just can't get that sound.

The thing is this...if someone is looking at a set up like this, they're probably thinking small venues and/or more acoustical type performances and "that sound" isn't really required. A 16" bass can sound deep when played with acoustic guitars and at low volumes.

all the best...

[Bish]

What about a Silverstar bop kit? Or Yamaha Stage Custom? All birch and probably higher quality than the 2 mentioned.

That is what I was thinking as well. I own one and it's great for live mic'd/acoustic venues. All the characteristics of its big brothers yet half the price.



I think new they are around 500-650 depending on the finish. I've thought about selling mine and had an offer of 350 but haven't really tried to sell it.

[Kazaamski]

Wood type really doesn't matter all that much. My dw's have the same g2's as the kid's Pearl Forum's up the street.