It's the "early 70s" that threw me off, initially. It looks like black cortex to me, but wasn't that introduced in '75?

I believe, yes it is, & that's what I discovered when I finally found b. cortex in the '75 cat.

I'm still curious @ the pointy badges & their #'s since I thought pointy's were gone by '75, & the #'s POSSIBLY indicate early 70's.

Chris

Chris, without doing any quick research to verify my memory (very dangerous at times) I don't think the rounded corner B/O badge made it's debut until the late 70s and came with the 6-ply shells (without rings).

And, the clear maple interior supposedly was gone by the early 70s. HOWEVER, I have some Ludwig shells in black cortex with pointy badges & serial numbers that put them in and around 1976 -- one has the granitone interior and two of them have clear interiors... so who really knows what Ludwig was capable of in messing with our minds back then?

Bill

Well, hello Bill!

I'm meeting the lad with them a couple Sundays from now. I try not to go by the photos very much at all since a picture almost never gives you the right 1000 words. & whenever someone says "mint" I almost want to ask pepper- or spear- (I know, haha - jccabinets already called me Johnny Carson, so I know I'm really funny).

By the way, I check anytime a Pearl kit comes up on CL to see if it's fiberglass. I will let you know any materialize.

Very best - Chris

Hey, I appreciate that! I'm actually lower in stock on the Pearl FG shells right now than I have been in a long, long time. I've got two sets and 3 extra shells. So, when/if the price is right, I am buying... but right now what's out there that I've seen is just priced to high.

Thanks again,

Bill

Bill - haven't noticed any since picking the kit up last spring. I'd have thought at least 1 would show up. I'll keep an eye out -

Chris

My black cortex kit has pointy badges and clear maple interiors. I don't have the serial numbers on me and they are in storage currently. For some reason I believe them to be early 70's though.

My Black Cortex pointy badge drums are from 1969. Clear interiors.

According to the catalog....yes,but my senior year of high school was in 72.My friend and I played in the school assembly on his brand new Ludwig kit ,and I'm positive it was black cortex.I remember the shine of the finish under the lights.

Steve B

I put one of the black cortex drums I have (18x20 FT) up for sale in the "for sale" section.

Black Cortex, "pointy" B/O badge with 7 digit serial # (later 70s), 3-ply w/rings and a clear interior.

See it here (pic posted and serial # listed in my second post):

http://www.vintagedrumforum.com/showthread.php?t=32704

As many have discovered and discussed, not always were Ludwig's "transitional periods" (badge changes, interior finish changes, shell composition changes, etc.) smooth and consistent...

Seems like when they'd make changes, they use up what they had. So, it seems they lined up their changes but ran out of keystone badges before they ran out of white painted shells, etc. and that's why we see some "inconsistencies" in their transitional products.

And, Ludwig seems to be the worst at this type of thing. But I work with Ludwig more than anything else (other than 70s Pearl), so it might be that I just see more of that than the other brands. I rarely work with Gretsch or Rogers, so very little knowledge or experience there.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Bill