Yes, I just did, but mine has no stamp. I even took the batter head off, the muffler assembly off to check. My drum is has a glossy finish, and where the retaining ring for the head goes I can see what appears to be a clear coat has come off in a few places. It's still shiny black underneath that coating. I have been told that when they started to make these BB's again in 1978 that they were all brass, but at some point around 1980, they started using Bronze? If they previously were always brass, was there a need to stamp them? My guess is that because my snare was made in 1979 likely or 1978, that they were only making brass BB's. I ordered and received my new Gretsch kit in the fall of 1979. The serial number is 1994###. So, does anyone own a BB from 1978/79/80 and if so does there snare have a stamp? Maybe another question is does anyone own an older BB than 1978 and does it have a stamp? Here's a few pics of my old girl! The box in one picture is the original 30 year old box that the BB came in. I still have the original Gretsch boxes for all my toms too, but the bass drums box was used by accident in a move by my ex some time ago. Am I crazy??? Who keeps cardboard boxes for 30 years?

Hey can anyone tell me what a minty 6" x 14" Chrome Supra Phonic is worth from 1980 era, serial number 2051###?

Thanks,

Side note: My eBay auction for my beautiful Gretsch kit (as seen below) ended yesterday, with zero results. They are in beautiful condition with the original heads. At $2600 there were no takers? Is the economy in that much of dump?

The Black Beauty Time-Line was created to help narrow down years.

David

David,

Thanks for your input. I find that the info provided has many gaps, so it's still a bit of a guessing game. It would be great if Ludwig had a definitive web-page with concrete serial number and badge time lines. My BB was bought in Set/Oct of 1979 with a B/O pointy badge, the info on that page states that the B/O rounded edge badges started in 1979. OK, but when in Oct, Nov, Dec???? It's still pretty sketchy as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe I'm missing something?

I think most of the gaps are the fact they did not print catalogs every year. Most of it is impossible to ever document and it is pretty commonly accepted that it is a guessing game when talking about Ludwig drums.

You have to imagine that if Ludwig was going to change a badge, they would go through a lot of steps to get it to the market. So sample badges and small runs to try it on drums and get some input from dealers salesman and management.

Then make a run of badges and half the run comes in miss-printed, so keep the good ones and get another order. (Serial numbers are out of order.) (I can only imagine all of the things that happened to throw things out of order and sequence.)

So what month did they start? Impossible to ever determine unless we see the actual order for the badges to the supplier and how many they originally ordered.

These were simplistic manufacturing procedures being built by humans. People make mistakes, the more people the more chance for mistakes.

Factor in the bottom line and it is easy to understand why the did not print catalogs or take old photos and use them year after year.

Ludwig has no idea, it is owned by Selmer. They go to Rob Cook for the history and he is on their web site.

The company changed hands many times and after each change history got dumped in the trash can. So it is lost forever and the best way to document it is to look at current examples.

The current serial number timelines are well researched, so these are what we normally go by.

I think I have personally given up trying to pinpoint dates on drums and always give a date range.

It does however make the research more fun.

David

Well said David, and I would have to agree with your analogy.

I have a pointed badge 1979 BB with no stamp & with the serial number 1899874, so its fairly close to yours if badge types & serial numbers are anything to go by. If you search 'Ludwig Black Beauty' in this forum (I've arrived a bit late at this one, I'm sure you probably have by now!) you'll find some great info. Along with some serious investigation David & the rest of the guys here really helped shed some light on the matter.

Very best.

Hi Pat,

Thanks for you input. I agree with you that David and the rest of the guys have done a good job. I checked out your website, nice, and I like your groove! BTW what do use for heads (Batter/Reso) on your BB?

Our snares are very close with mine being 1994247. :-)

Cheers,

Thanks & my pleasure! I use a Weatherking batter on top and a diplomat on the bottom (Remo).

It's funny, a month or so back I searched high & low for someone with a BB close to mine in serial number, with a pointed badge & no stamp just to compare notes! Its a nice drum you got there if mine is anything to go by. Have you had any luck with any other avenues as far as extra info goes?

Pat.

Pat,

I have had very little luck in finding out more about my snare, but this forum as you pointed out has shed some light. Now I think that before a certain date, all BB's were brass in the late '70's and likely there was no need to stamp the drums. Thanks for the info on the heads that you use. What is the tension settings on the batter, or do you use a drum dial?