Purchasing A Ron Tutt Ludwig "Tribute" Kit & I Have Some Questions

[Tony Trout]

Hey, ya'll!!!

I recently got the amazing opportunity to (over the next six months, at the least) purchase a Ludwig Ronnie Tutt "tribute" double-bass drum kit for the astounding price of $650.00 & the seller is going to let me pay him for the kit in monthly payments of $100!  I'm blown away because I've always wanted one of these kits but never had the money or knew how to put a kit like this together - and this one basically falls in my lap a few nights ago during a chat with the guy who formerly owned the kit!!!

I say "tribute" because the kit has been put together in a way that resembles Tutt's blue sparkle Ludwigs from 1971-1973 (the actual kit can be seen in the documentary, "Elvis On Tour" & the 1973 television special, "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii." 

I have some questions regarding the kit and drum stuff in general. 

1.  In 1972, Ronnie began putting the 12" concert tom on a metal pole that went through the kick drum.  I'd like to replica the same thing - is this difficult to accomplish?

2.  Since I can't find out what those blue bass drum "dampers" were that he had in his kit in 1972/1973, are those foam eggshell things good for placing inside the kick drums to deaden the sound?

3.  This last question is in regards to drum tuning.  Is it or will it be possible to get close to the drum tones that Ronnie got from his original kit in '72?

[Bart Elliott]

Congrats on the drum kit!

1. I would not alter the drums in any way that would change their current state. You can mount the tom tom or concert tom in a variety of ways. If the kick drum has a tom holder or a way to receive a "pole" you can mount the 12" concert tom that way.

2. There are a lot of products on the market designed to dampen kick/bass drums. It all depends on the sound you are going for. Some drumheads come with their own dampening material as well.

3. Tuning a drum based on what you are hearing on a record is tricky because the recorded sound is processed. What you hear is a sound that has been altered electronically ... not to mention drumhead selection, dampening material, microphone selection, pre-amp selection, room acoustics, etc.

Ron Tutt is an acquaintance of mine here in Nashville. It would be interesting to ask him his thoughts on some of your questions.

[Tony Trout]

The deal fell through because the seller, which I would name here but he might see it since he saw other comments I'd made about him causing me to losing the deal, got PO'd at me again for (as mentioned above) saying comments about how he screwed me out of the deal - which isn't and wasn't true.  It was my big stupid mouth that got me in trouble - and now, even though I can't afford it (I'm on both Social Security & Disability because I'm disabled with Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephalus), I'm having to go the E-bay, Reverb and any other drum outlet way to buy the drums now.  I'm highly upset and angered even though this was my fault.  I'm a friend of Donna's (Ron's wife) on FB and I apologized to her for the comments - even though I don't know if she saw them or not. 

So, for now, my dream of having a replica Ron Tutt kit remains just that - a dream.   >:( :(  :'(

I wanted that kit so bad - and I still want that kit but - I know that the person who was selling it definitely won't sell it to me at all now - and that hurts.  But, you reap what you sow.....and I sowed bitterness and anger - and that's what I got in return.  :(

Another friend of mine, Brad Swiger of Texas, also has a very accurate "KING-TUTT" tribute drum kit - right down to the cymbals!!!

I don't know if he's a member here or not but I'll show you what I, myself, am hoping to accomplish if the Lord allows me to live long enough to do so.  This is Brad's "King Tutt" tribute kit.  Since I live at home due to my disability (and I've been made fun of in the past because I do live with my parents and I'm 40 years old - but, I'm not able to be on my own.  Anyway, I didn't mean to turn this into a sob story about me. 

Here are pictures of what I hope to accomplish within the next couple of years (remember, this is Brad's kit - not mine).  Ronnie is familiar with Brad, actually.  I think that Brad told me about a week ago that he would get to meet Ronnie in October.  I'm assuming that means that Neil Diamond is coming back to Texas for a concert.  Or it may be something else, entirely. 

I'm friends with Donna on FB.  She seems like a nice and sweet lady.  Long ago, I had asked her to send me an autographed picture of Ronnie but - it never came in the mail.  :'(

It would be an absolute honor to meet the man that inspired my style of playing drums.  You're blessed to have Ronnie as an acquaintance, Bart!!  I've written to him a few times via email and he's been pretty nice every time - although, those emails happened years ago.  :)








Brad Swiger, the guy who owns the kit that is pictured here, recently gave me the whole rundown of Tutt's blue sparkle Ludwigs.  They are as follows:

6/8/10/12 concert toms
13 & 14 rack toms
16 & 18 floor toms
6.5x14 Supra-Phonic snare (these things go for over $600 dollars on Ebay!)
22" pang cymbal
15" crash (runs through stand on the right kick drum)
22" ride cymbal
18" crash cymbal
20" crash cymbal
24" kick drums

[Bart Elliott]

Sorry to hear that you were unable to acquire the drums you wanted.

[Tony Trout]

Sorry to hear that you were unable to acquire the drums you wanted.

Ehh....crap like this usually happens when I get close to getting something I've really wanted:  I say something to screw up the deal and lose out. 

Oh well.  There's more than one way to skin a cat, as we Southerners say.