Value of a 5-pc. Rogers Butcher Block 9/72 kit?

Chris Shaeffer

Chris Shaeffer

Peavey ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A friend of mine who needs an album recorded has offered me a fun drum kit in trade and I'm trying to figure out a reasonable value for it. I can't wait to get it, throw on some new heads and see how it sounds. :D

Its a 5 piece Rogers kit with the butcher block finish. I don't know how to identify the exact model except that is has 9/72 on a label inside the tom that I looked at. The shells are in immaculate shape, but there is some oxidation of the lug covers and a tiny bit of rust on the rims. The kind of thing you can mostly buff out with some polish, a toothbrush, fine sandpaper and a lot of patience.

They were bought new at the store around 25 years ago, played for 6 months and stored in leather softcases in an attic ever since. It was in the East Bay area so it probably saw quite a bit a hot/cold variations in that attic, but they look flawless other than the specs of rust on the rims and white oxidation on the lugs. Properly cleaned they'll look new except for whatever scarring will be left by cleaning the rust off. If I can replace the rims (I don't know if I can... are they special or can I just find some rim somewhere and buy them) they'll be flawless.

The snare is a crome Ludwig from that era bought new with the set and not a Rogers snare. It also comes with a bunch of hardware that's more corroded so I'm not sure how it will clean up. 3 HH stands from that era, a DW kick pedal, and I think 2 cymbal stands- all bought new with the kit. I'm not sure about cymbals but I think he said its got a set of Sabian sumthin's... I'll have to find out what they are and what shape they're in, but I have a set of Sabian B8's to put on it already.

What's a reasonable value for this kit? I've looked all over the net for info on Rogers and haven't found much except that they were top of the line drums at the time and collectors items now. Great vintage drums. If you have any information to pass on I'd *love* to know more about what I'm getting.

Thanks!
Chris
 
Anyone? Any info about Rogers drums?

Help me feel less like an idiot getting a vintage drum kit I know nothing about. ;)

Thanks,
Chris
 
Hi Chris,
The thing is - you won't have the Rogers snare, and that kind of hurts the value of the kit to some degree.

Don't use sand paper on the metal, use a very fine grade of steel wool.

They are worth at least $500 and up to or over $1,000. It all depends upon if you are trying to sell them, and how long you are willing to hold onto them.

Personally, I'd get them, clean them up, and stick them on E-bay with a minimum of $500 or $600.

You can get new hoops from the link in my signature.

If you do put them on E-bay, make sure you use the term "VINTAGE" in the Title. I sold the Floor tom on E-bay last week for over $300 in less than 19 hours. I screwed up putting a "Buy It Now" price on it, but you live and learn. :rolleyes: That drum could have gone for as high as $500, but dumb me - I had to try the "Buy It Now" thing.



Tim
 
Thanks, Scrubs & Tim.

I'm *really* looking forward to cleaning them up, getting some new heads on them, tuning them and seeing how they sound. I *may* decide to sell them, but if they sound good I may just decide to hold onto them for a while. Probably not that often a vintage kit just happens by.

Now the snare. I'll have to see which Ludwig it is- which will probably be better than the Tama (Camco era) one I have now- but it is a bummer that its not the Dynasone snare that probably could have come with the kit. Oh, well.

We'll see. This feels a bit like my recent excursion into multi-track tape: I want to understand what "vintage" means. The drummer in my band plays vintage Ludwigs and Slingerlands and they're easy to make sound good (of course, HE'S good, too). My own music isn't particularly heavy so I wonder if the Rogers "vintage" sound will serve it well.

My last album's drums were recorded with DW's played by a friend of mine. I'm curious to see how the Rogers sound in comparison.

Ah, I babble. I do that when I'm excited. :D

-Chris
 
I have played on Rogers kits of that vintage. They are nice gear, similiar to the old slingerland sets. They sound good and that size is a good size for recording. I would get them and hold on to them then start up buying some good cymbals for them. Check the bearing edges of the shells for consitency and look for wrinkles around the heads of the drums that could indicate rims out of true or bearing edge cracks. If you polished em up you could get 600 for them.

In the 80's all of the drums got real heavy and the toms got powertom long. I think that the general trend now is toward light shells and toms that aren't as deep. If you record these I think you will probably like them. Put some aquarians on them or some light coated heads on them and you will love them.

It's cool you got the leather cases too. Nice one.
 
Rogers Powertone

Hey there!
Our drummer is currently selling a Rogers Powertone 3-Piece set circa 1971/1972 with the butchers block finish, from what he was saying there were only about 100 made, so you have a very rare set if it looks anything like the one we have posted below

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=220442267222

It'd be interesting to hear back from you!

We're trying to get $800 for just a 3-piece, hope this helps!

Via Coma
 
Wow! Thread necromancy at its best! :) 3.5 years or so and I still got an email since I had subscribed to the thread.

Good luck selling that kit. I still have mine and have rented it out on a number of occasions for live shows. Universal reviews from the drummers (who have no reason to lie) is that it sounds great but the hardware is weak. I have the original hardware.

Also, no one likes the butcher block finish: it may be vintage, but it isn't GOOD vintage. Of course, the drummers at the events that rented the kit don't care so it doesn't affect my ability to rent it and it certainly doesn't affect using it in the studio, but I don't think I'd get a good price for it if I tried to sell it.

Its Hawaii, though, and the potential buying audience is fairly small. The ebay audience might sport a collector or 20 whole will take an interest in the kit.

Aloha,
Chris
 
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