In all the years since The Beatles, there has never been an accurate undertaking to clearly document the details of Ringo's Beatles kits. The closest that someone has come is Andy Babiuk, author of Beatles Gear. Many thanks to Andy for his extensive work in this area.

My interest in Ringo’s kits came in an unusual way. A number of years ago when I decided to buy a “Ringo kit,” I landed up with a 3-piece Ludwig set from 1969. I thought that I asked the seller all of the right questions and since I had nothing to reference, I thought that I was getting the real deal. It turned out that the Oyster Black Pearl wrap was different from what Ringo had. The shells were covered in the so-called “Bowling Ball” wrap, a change made by Ludwig in 1969. Needless to say, that’s what sparked my interest in researching Ringo’s kits.

I have spent countless hours reading books and magazines, scrutinizing thousands of photos and have spoken to or have had contact with people that are knowledgeable in vintage drums, as well as people with a Beatles/Ringo connection.

In addition to learning from vintage collectors and Ringo drum enthusiasts, my primary source of information has been photographs. Detailed forensic analysis of photos has played a key roll in providing information that verifies specific drums and hardware and gives a timeline.

Obviously, the only way to truly complete this research would be to examine Ringo’s kits to get all of the factual information documented for their historic value. I am hopeful and positive that one day this will happen.

That being said, please note that this website is a continual work in progress and kindly know that I have tried to verify every bit of information found on this site to keep things factual. I am always open to additional information and insight on this subject and will always give credit where credit is due.

The go-to guy for this subject would have been Mal Evans, The Beatles roadie. As you may or may not know, Mal is no longer with us. He passed in 1976.

This site is updated on a continual basis.

Visit often.