Custom Ludwig Break beats Hello Kitty Kit

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This is a modified Ludwig Breakbeats kit with a little hello kitty flair.

I know some of you are shaking your head going this dude has lost his flipping mind, but wait, there is some logic and a good story regarding this kit.

The story

I was in the music store and saw this little tiny kit and immediately thought to myself that this thing would be perfect for street busking in Key West. It’s so damn small and cute that I just figured that it needed some hello kitty graphics to assist in getting tips.

The crazy idea really worked!

This little drum kit gets so many looks and makes us some serious cash in the tip jar. It’s a conversation starter. It also makes people scratch their heads thinking what the fuck am I getting into with this band I’m about to check out. People take selfies with it. People take photos of it to share with their friends and families. Hello Kitty fans completely lose their shit when they see it and ask where they can get one.

Best of all

This little kit plays exceptionally well. It sounds killer for such a little thing. The 16″ x 14″ kick is tight and punchy and if you port the reso-head it sounds fantastic mic’d up. Rack and floor toms have a great tone for a 10″ x 7″ and 13″ x 13″. The snare 14″ x 5″ it ships with isn’t bad, but isn’t my style. I prefer using a Ludwig Supralite 13″ x 6″ as it fit better between my legs.

Due to this kits small size, it feels great to play if you’re a smaller person. I’m a smaller guy and it just feels more ergonomic than a bigger size kit. I can get the snare and everything positioned exactly where i want it.

It costs $399. The places we play can get rowdy. People fall into my kit frequently as well as spill beer and whatever else on it. Shit happens, it’s not a problem when your kit costs $399, but if it’s a nice Gretch, DW,  or Yamaha kit, you may get really upset.

I never break this kit down, I leave it setup in the van, plop it on the stage. Put up some cymbal stands and boom…..I’m set up.

I had so much fun and success with the first one that I bought another so now I have two (Black Sparkle and Silver Sparkle) that I switch out from time to time to keep it interesting.

Modifications to make it sounds great

Get new heads. The heads that ship with the kit are cheap. I use Clear Emperors top and bottom as well as an Evans EMAD2 Bass drum head. The EMAD2 is a must as it makes the kick sound FAT and punchy. For the resonant head on the kick I bought a 16″ reso-kick head in black and white respectively. The kick riser that shipped with my Silver sparkle was cheap and broke. I use a Gibralter Kick riser and it’s much better. The riser that shipped with my Black sparkle was completely different and looks solid.

Graphics

I did these myself. I used Adobe Illustrator to make my Kitty graphics. I then used a vinyl cutter to make my kitty decals and then I applied them onto the kit and the bass drum reso-head. Vinyl graphics are a great inexpensive way to logo up and customize your kit.

There ya have it now go out there and get creative.