Isn't the difference between date stamps about 5 months? Seems reasonable. Still a good example of the erratic nature of serials. Are the other numbers in your kit closer to the 812xxx or the 823xxx serial?

There probably wasn't a solid rule or policy at Ludwig regarding affixing badges w/serial numbers in a numeric or chronological order.

Three Stooges? I'm a Stoogeaholic and that period would have had Curly Joe as the 3rd Stooge. But their movie days were over by the early 1970s and they were only doing an infrequent guest appearances. Larry had a stroke and was in a Hollywood retirement home...

Hey slingerfan!

Thanks for pointing out that we're only talking about 5 months! Geesh...my math is way off!! DOH

Here are all my serial numbers:

769027 14x22 Shell stamp: JUN 3 1970

I need to point out that I already had the Supra 400 well before I purchased the rest of the kit. It's like the snare drum was reunited!

-Mark

My Jan. 25 1971 Black Panther Big Beat serial's are all in the 836xxx-837xxx range. So yea that 16x16 floor with 819xxx seems to be out of sequence so to speak, but as we all know Ludwig didn't really care about this stuff and just grabbed a badge from the bin and slapped it on. Or grabbed a drum already put together off the shelf to include in a set.

836119 12x8 Jan. 25 1971

837883 13x9 Jan. 25 1971

837807 16x16 Jan. 25 1971

837806 22x14 Jan. 25 1971

I am a believer that the date stamp was done last just as heads were put on a drum. Other people think it was when the badge was put on and we may probably never know. It just makes sense to me that this 16x16 floor tom was likely badged around Nov 1970 and sat on the shelf with only the wrapped shell, holes drilled and badge installed. When it was needed(April 1971) it was pulled from the shelf, had the hardware attached, date stamped, heads and hoops put on and finished up for shipping.

What is the color of this April 1971 floor tom?

wflkurt!

The April 1971 floor tom is Blue Sparkle. I think your idea about the shells not being stamped until assembled makes sense, but as you also mentioned, we will never know!

new user!

To have a kit with all the same date stamps is very cool! This may add proof to what wflkurt said about stamping the shells when the drums were assembled.

-Mark

+1 with wflkurt. Slingerland built and stocked common size drums in popular colors. There is no reason to think that Ludwig did not do the same. A 16 x 16 in blue sparkle definitely fits those parameters.

There used to be some cool youtube videos that were 16mm footage inside the Ludwig factory around 1964. You could see them drilling holes and such and it was really cool. For some reason they got pulled and I would love to revisit those. From pics I have seen it looks like shells were built and wrapped in the many finished Ludwig offered. They were put on a shelf and pulled down later when holes were drilled and a badge was installed. The shells were put back on a shelf(or wherever they were kept) and at final assembly lugs and mounts were installed as well as heads and hoops. It is my belief that a date stamp was done just before the heads were put on. It would certainly explain some of the odd serial number stuff.

It would explain how a drum with a serial number way off from the date could happen. Alost like a shell was left behind for whatever reason and pulled at a later date. Would be great to confirm this as I find it all very interesting.

Is this the same set that you reported a few years back in a thread about Date Codes? (See below) Please let me know so I can make sure my data is accurate.

#9 Report Post

My '71 Black Panther big beat kit is ink stamped Jan. 25, 1971 and are all in the 89xxxx serial range.