You technically have a mix. Pretty much a custom ordered vintage Ludwig if it is original. So, you have the sound of a bass from a downbeat and the sound of super classic roms.

This is the problem with regarding a catalog as if it were a Bible. In Paolo Sburlati's excellent book, Ludwig Yesterday and Today, there are pictures of four 13/16/20 Super Classic kits. A lot of kits were ordered that way. It's still a Super Classic.

Yes, many kits were ordered that way. Unfortunately, it makes no difference. The "Super Classic" configuration is (to collectors of vintage drum sets) SPECIFICALLY 13/16/22 and (usually) a Supra. There is also a "Deluxe Classic" configuration that is EXACTLY like the Super Classic -except that the 22" bass drum on the Deluxe Classic has no shell-mounted cymbal holder. The only other difference is the hardware package that had to be specified. The Super Classic had the lighter weight stands and the Deluxe Classic got the newer, heavier-duty Atlas stands.

It's not just the Super Classic and Deluxe Classic, either. There are, for example, kits out there where the owner claims a "Jazzette" -except that the bass drum is 14" in depth as opposed to the Jazzette bass drum which is 12" in depth.

People will try to claim that you could order anything you wanted to amend the set shown in the catalogs. That's true. No doubt. But the major point that gets missed is that there was no collecting game back then. Nobody had the slightest clue that a collecting game would evolve and that these details would be scrutinized all these years later. But, that's the way it is. As a result, a Super Classic, Deluxe Classic can ONLY be a 13/16/22. A Jazzette can ONLY be a 12/14/18(x12)....and so forth.

In the sense of collecting drum sets from the 60's, the era-specific-catalogs ARE the "Bible". The fact that someone writes a contemporary book and says otherwise, doesn't make that writing the New Testament.

x-mas1

Word. I like my "downbeat outfit".

And I like the Ludwig "Custom Klinger" outfit.

If you guys want to add it to the official set nomenclature, I'll lend my name for no charge. ;)

Thanks for the advise folks, I have an original set of no name Ludwigs because the bass is a 20" not a 22". In the end, sets are just named, so things can be orderly and identified without long documentation. The drums are whatever someone puts together to play.

All these years to find out what I thought was my Super Classic set, because that's what the sales slip says and what I was sold, is a no name altered hybrid crossbreed, "Custom Klinger" Fortunately I won't have to deal with naming what they are when selling them, my estate will. Keep on Pl

Learn something new every day, and this was mine for today. A Super Classic can ONLY be a 13/16/22, and that makes sense.

I suppose it is important to have some general agreement on nomenclature, and the catalogs are a good place to start from.

Yes, that's true. It's very important. Because, think about this...

If a Super Classic could be either a 20" or a 22", then it might also be claimed that the same thing holds true for other named sets. "Downbeat", "Hollywood", "Jazzette", "New Yorker", "Gold Coast", etc., would have no specific identity, either, then.

So, it IS fairly important that a standard is decided and agreed upon in order to give the collecting "game" some rules.

But, I absolutely understand that people ordered what they wanted to order and often just used the catalog as a (more or less) vague reference. And there's no negative judgement on those sets, at all. It's just that they don't fit as nicely into the rules of the game for collecting vintage drum sets.

Hate to burst your bubbles, guys...but...

The Super Classic set could be ordered with a 20 inch bass from the catalog. It was in the 71 cat and had part number 987PX which was the Super Classic with a 20 inch bass and cymbals. This was a standard config and absolutely is considered a Super Classic.

So, much like the Club Date kits, it depends on 'when' the kit was made as to whether or not it has a specific bass or floor tom config.

Wow! I didn't know that! Thanks for the update. Was that the first year that option appeared or was it always offered with that option? That's the first I've ever heard of that. But, I do know they did change the configurations later on. The last Jazzettes were offered with a 20" bass drum, I think.

I guess I was thinking mostly of 60's era kit configurations, anyway, so no bubbles bursted, here!Eye Ball

But, really...if you think about it, what we are saying IS absolutely factual in regards to the 60's era drums. At least I'm pretty sure of that. I don't have the catalog refs., but I'd almost bet on it. Therefore, in regards to a discussion about 60's era Ludwig drum configurations, the dimensions are absolutely essential to the proper identification.

I do concede that Ludwig changed their drums, configurations and names over the years. But, you can't apply all 70's, 80's, 90's Ludwig drums catalog references, interchangeably.

I guess we should be era-specific when referencing catalog configurations, huh?Mister TCool Dude