Just two holes for the Ludwig mufflers of that era (non vistalite ones anyway). The top hole is for the screw that holds the spring plate and the knob shaft passes through the bottom hole.

Thanks K.O. You really are a drum guru!

Not sure I like the look of empty holes. maybe I should just get a couple of screws.

Joe

Assuming my drum is a 1984 model (large brass keystone badge, white lettering, just before the introduction of the olive badge) is it a nickel on brass shell? The Black Beauty history page on this site suggests that this model also came in bronze for some years.

They did switch to bronze shells for the BB at some point and then they discontinued that model for awhile. Does your Keystone badge say "Chicago" at the bottom?

If your drum is an 84, it is right after the end of the blue olive badges.

Mike

Yeah, 1984 production has the Chicago large Keystone badges, apparently the keystone shape was brought back for the company's 75th anniversary (or perhaps it's just a coincidence). The next year Selmer moved production to Monroe.

The badge says Monroe NC, and yes that was after the olive badges, not before, i.e. 1984/5ish. Sorry for the confusion.

So would that be a brass shell?

BTW, the same badge appears inside the shell as well!

Thanks Mike and K.O.

Actually the BB model had already been dropped by the '84 catalog. That plus the Monroe badge indicates that the drum is newer than that. I don't recall when Ludwig brought the BB back (1990? ish) but there was a gap of a few years. IIRC when they brought them back it was with a brass shell ( I THINK the bronze shells were earlier before they discontinued them).

I'd guess yours to be an earlier one from that re-re-introduction because at some point Ludwig stopped installing mufflers.

Love the interior grommet/badge. See a few of those from time to time.