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All of the shell hardware on Epic kits is bronze-coated for what Ludwig describes as a 'vintage' look

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By contrast, Epic Modular drums are made exclusively from birch, though they follow the same overall ply thicknesses as Epic Standard. The only Epic Modular kit currently available is a novel seven-piece shellpack that features two 20"x8" twin kick drums that can be used individually or joined together to make one longer drum.

Without seeing the kit first hand it's hard to decide whether it's a work of genius destined to be widely imitated or an eccentric one-off.

Epic Standard kits come in a choice of four glossy lacquer finishes. The Natural/Black Burst of the review kit hits the spot technically and is aesthetically pleasing as well. It is complemented by bronze-coated Vintage hardware fitted as standard. Classic Keystone lugs – an amalgamation of Ludwig's famous lug design with the company's old-school Keystone badge – are another distinctive touch.

At the point of shell contact the lugs become thoroughly 21st Century, with a bridge-style design that arches between the shell fixings. The three rack toms are hung using Ludwig's Vibraband mounts which, in keeping with the lugs, are bronze-coated - as are the 2.5mm hoops found across the kit.

Hands on

Ludwig has persuaded some of its endorsees to take an Epic Standard kit out on the road in place of their usual Ludwig drums and their unanimously positive findings can be found on Ludwig's website.

The shells are well made – thin, light and with bearing edges cut sharply enough to make you take care when running your finger around them. The 'Funk' designation refers to the modern exponents of the genre, so it's more of a 'pocket' kit than anything you might find on a classic James Brown recording. Essentially it's a punk-style four-piece with an additional pair of smaller toms.

Considering the dimensions of the bass drum we expected an aggressive response, and that's what we got. In fact it did just what you would imagine an undrilled 22"x20" drum would – give a thunderously deep blast of near sub-frequencies with each stroke.

If all you require from your kick drum is a shuddering detonation of low end then it's perfect. If however, you're looking for a little more versatility, then this sort of drum is not ideal. To be fair, Ludwig is not the only manufacturer making bass drums of this nature, but one of the other Epic shellpacks features a 24"x14" kick, which would make a refreshing change.

The 14"x5" snare was a fabulous drum – crisp, incisive and yet full bodied. Tuned up, it sliced across beats with ease, giving a hint of woody warmth behind its undeniable 'oomph'. Rimshots were received enthusiastically and reproduced with stinging authority. Lower down the tuning range it was equally adept and also performed well in quieter moments.

In isolation the toms were bright, warm and evenly spaced, but in the context of the kit some were more audible than others. The 12" rack and 16" floor toms held their own against the bass drum and snare, but the two smaller toms were a little removed from the rest of the kit.

The contrast with the kick drum was most obvious, as it was so deep and loud that it all but eclipsed the 8" drum. Fitting Remo coated Ambassadors brought an improvement, fleshing out the sound of the toms and helping them compete against the might of the kick.