Ludwig Accent 2000 Drum Set Reviews 5

Purchased December 1999 as Christmas present for 13 year-old son. Kit was $399 with throne, but substituted LC614FP "Classic" BD pedal and added additional cymbal stand (LC626CS) for total cost of $495 from Reliable Music in Charlotte, NC

TT holder (mount) is very easy to adjust and very versatile, with omni-balls, L-arms and built-in clamp for accessory cymbal mini-stand. TT, FT and BD brackets are all clamp-style instead of jam screws and have rubber insulators (remarkable for this price range). Eight-lug FT instead of six-lug (competitors from Pearl, Tama, Yamaha and Mapex are all six-lug). Uses same cymbal and HH stands as much more expensive Ludwig Rocker Elite Jazz. Snare drum is 6 1/2 inches deep instead of 5 (my son already had a 5x14 Acrolite for school band). Price advantage, as compared to the Tama Swingstar and Yamaha DP, allowed me to upgrade BD pedal to the same unit as used on Rocker and Rocker Elite series and add second cymbal stand and still pay less.

The standard BD pedal is JUNK! The heads, though no worse than the competing Pearl Forum and Tama Swingstar, are only passable (but better than the 1998 Accent). I also replaced the wingnuts on the TT mount with ones from Ludwig cymbal stands as the standard ones are soft. Also had limited color selection and so far you can't get add-on drums.

Shells seem to be good. Made from mahogany, but I don't know if it's Phillipine or Asian. No obvious blemishes in the wood though. The wrap finish seems to be very securely attached, in contrast to some of its competitors. As I mentioned, the hardware is truly impressive for an entry/beginner-level kit.

A name-brand kit that sounds good with great hardware at a bargain price. Definitely a kit to consider if you're in the market for an entry-level drumset.

J. Dunne rated this unit 5 on 2001-06-28.

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