Ok, check it out... I received a 60's Ludwig Standard snare drum as a gift recently. I figured, I'd either flip it or gift it to some needy young drummer. I never thought much of the Standard/Rocker line and I've passed on a hundred of them automatically. No thought at all, I just dismissed them as Ludwig's cheapie entry-level drum line.
Well, there's a little gem hidden in that cheap-o line that nobody ever talks about. The 60's Standard 8-lug aluminum snare drum!
They get no love at all. They routinely sell for well under a $100.00 on fleabay and elsewhere. The drum sounds every bit as good, if not better, than any acro I've ever played or owned. Yeah, caught me by surprise too!
The shell is the exact same one they used for all supraphonics and acrolites, the only difference being, the Standard shell has no center bead. Otherwise, it's a raw acro/supra shell. They sound incredible! Imagine a dry sounding acro. It has all the openness and rawness of any 60's acro, only this one I have is a bit drier. Wonderful crack to it. Solid, open.
How come nobody ever talks about these? You think acro's are cheap... look up a couple of these. They're practically giving them away!
One of the best sounding snare drums I've played. I am so surprised. This little snare is going right into the rotation. I'm dying to use it on a gig.
Vintage Ludwig Standard Aluminum snare drum... worlds best kept secret!
John
