Where Are Buddy Rich’s Drum Sets?

Practical Guide

Where are Buddy Rich’s Drum Sets: Intro

Buddy Rich was one of the best drummers to ever live. He was one of the few first drumming celebrities, amazing the world with his technical skills behind the drum set. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1987, and all the drum sets he used over his life became important pieces of drum kit history. So, you may be wondering where they are. 

Buddy Rich’s drum sets are scattered all over the world, with Donn Bennet having a few notable ones in his rare drum collection. They can be purchased from him for some pretty high prices. 

Donn Bennet Drum Vault

Donn Bennet is a guy who collects music gear that was used by very famous artists. They’re huge memorabilia pieces, and he sells them to fans who want to get them as collector’s items. 

He has a special section on his site called the Drum Vault, and there are some important kits available there. You’ll see drum sets that were used by players like Kenny Aronoff, Steve Smith, Ringo Starr, and, most importantly, Buddy Rich. 

The Buddy Rich sets are from the 60s, and they’re insanely expensive. They cost between $30 000 and $50 000, so it’s not likely that anyone will buy them soon. 

Buddy’s Other Sets

There’s no clear answer to where Buddy Rich’s other drum sets are. He played so many gigs around the world that there were dozens that he used. Some of them were left at music venues, while others made their way into the hands of massive fans. 

Buddy played Rogers, Ludwig, Vox, and Slingerland, so you’ll find sets from all three of those brands that he used. 

There are even Buddy Rich lookalike kits that were made by Slingerland. While these are Buddy Rich kits, they’re not the drum sets that Buddy Rich played himself. So, pay careful attention to that if you’re someone wanting a kit that Buddy played. 

How Many Kits Did Buddy Rich Have for Traveling?

There’s no definite answer to how many drum sets he had for traveling, but we know he used a few. Since he switched between several different drum companies in his career, there were at least three drum sets that he gigged with. 

However, he was such a regular performer that we can easily assume that he used dozens more. He was the most famous drummer in the world, so drum companies happily gave him new drum sets to use so that they got exposure. 

FAQ:

What drum set did Buddy Rich use?

Buddy Rich was seen playing Vox, Ludwig, Slingerland, and Rogers drum kits over the years. However, Slingerland was his main brand, so everyone associates him with using a Slingerland drum set. 

No matter which brand he played, the drum kit setup was mostly the same. He used a large 24-inch bass drum, two 16-inch floor toms, a snare drum, and a 13-inch rack tom. 

The dual floor tom setup was one of the most iconic things about Buddy Rich’s drum set. 

What was Buddy Rich’s favorite snare drum?

Buddy Rich played dozens of snare drums throughout his career, with most of them being from Slingerland. 

However, the most notable snare drum he played was from a brand called Fibes. It had a chrome over fibrerglass shell, and the dimensions were 14” x 5.5”. 

What brand of cymbals did Buddy Rich use?

Buddy Rich was a Zildjian player. He loved his Zildjian Avedis cymbals, utilizing two 18-inch crashes, a 20-inch ride, 14-inch hi-hats, and a 6-inch splash in his setup. 

He was one of the drummers that boosted Zildjian’s popularity even more amongst drummers. They’re the top cymbal brand today, and Buddy Rich was one of their biggest artists in the 20th century. 

Conclusion

If you want to get your hands on one of Buddy Rich’s authentic drum sets, expect to pay tens of thousands of dollars for it. The best place to get them from is Donn Bennet’s Drum Vault, but there are a few others available from various music stores around the world. 

Buddy Rich was an outlandishly good drummer, and his gear has continued to remind people of his legacy. 

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