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An open letter to the Ludwig drum company Last viewed: 6 hours ago

ludwig ringo snare
Posts: 6365 Threads: 223

I stumbled on this post over at drumforum.org and thought I'd include part of it here. It was posted by drumforum member K.O. on February 5, 2013!

"If Ludwig were smart (and I think they are pretty sharp) They would get another batch of wrap like this and do a Legacy shell in 5.5 x 14 with 8 lugs, repro P-83 and BB muffler, with the small keystone badge on the panel to the left of the throw. Paint the inside white and stain the outer maple ply mahogany brown before installing the wrap. They could probably list such a drum for a grand and still sell a boatload."

Sounds good to me!

Mark

Posted on 10 years ago
#11
Posts: 105 Threads: 28

From Dan Boucher

It's not that hard to find a Jazz festival snare in other colors for a reasonable price if the sonic aspect is really what you are concerned about. I doubt that anyone can discern oyster black from champagne sparkle with a blindfold on. I bought an entire Downbeat kit in champange sparkle with that snare drum for $1150 about 3 years ago because someone had added a center tom mount and ditched the rail. I've since sold it because I was impressed with nothing but the fact that it was very light and easy to haul to a gig. Ever tried to play that 14x14 with its original legs still on it? Very low indeed. I don't think Ringo's snare made Ringo or the Beatles. It is fairly obvious that Brian Epstein was controlling the entire Beatles look into which the Ludwig oyster black set fit. I think he could have kept on playing the Premier or even used an English Rogers kit and they still would have rocked the world. However, Epstein was right to look at every detail of the band he was marketing.And market them he did, such that we all saw it on the Ed Sullivan show - an oyster black Downbeat with a matching snare drum. If he'd been playing a Rogers red onyx Citadel with a wood shell Dynasonic (which of course he should have been), it would be worse than it already is to find that kit. It's just that, that it was what he had and we all emulated him to a certain extent. We wanted a share of what he so clealy was enjoying to the hilt way up there on his riser. Plus, we wanted to attract the girls like they didLaughing H

Valid point about the esteemed 14" floor tom height. I thought it was just me, and I'm not a big human - although I do love my 67 bop downbeat kit!! Would also add, have supraphonics, 6.5 super sensitive, and a recent year Legacy classic maple snare, but it's my 67 Acrolite that puts the bite in my bark lately.

60's Ludwig Vintage
90's Premier Signia
Posted on 10 years ago
#12
Guest

I LOVE LUDWIG!!!!

That is what I am adding to this. Mainly because that's all I can think of right now.

Posted on 10 years ago
#13
Posts: 1362 Threads: 229

Wait till NAMM.

Sonor SQ2 10 14 18 American Walnut
L.A. Camco 12 14 18 Moss Green
Gretsch Round Badge 12 14 18 w/snare Champagne
Gretsch Round Badge 12 14 20 w/snare Burgundy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhdcpleTKlI

82nd ABN DIV OEF OIF Combat Infantry Veteran
Posted on 10 years ago
#14
Posts: 274 Threads: 41

My collection of Buck Rogers stands. Some are nickel........

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Posted on 10 years ago
#15
Posts: 1040 Threads: 106

Pretty stands, unfortunately burdened with some useless drums. Let me take care of that.

Sysl krysu nenahradi!

-196?-72 6ply White Oyster Amati
-1960s 3ply Red Sparkle Amati
- Zildjian, Paiste, Zyn, Istanbul

http://bandzone.cz/blueswan
Posted on 10 years ago
#16
Posts: 1672 Threads: 672

This comes from a guy who authored a book on Ringo...

Hi Gary,

We've addressed this with the Selmer company for years, and they haven't got a clue. Even Bill LudwigIII is stupified, as he has to continue working with them from time to time. They simply don't want to look backwards, and no one still works there from the 60's era. We've been arguing the same thing about the Model #1400 Cymbal Stands that now sell for astronomical prices, but were cheap to make back then. Everyone wants them, but they won't make them like the old ones.

The other issue is that they simply can no longer get the African Mahogany wood needed to make this drum. USA poplar is readily available, but the type of mahogany that they used to get from Africa is no longer available for production.

And the only reason Ringo used that same snare drum for all those years is because Mal Evans didn't know how to tune a snare drum, so each time a new one arrived with a new kit, he put it in Ringo's basement of his London home, and used the old one.

I know this for a fact because I've been to Ringo's house several times...

Lots of Slingerland drums
70's Pearl Fiberglass Ivory
Posted on 10 years ago
#17
Posts: 181 Threads: 35

Just got the latest addition of modern drummer and inside the cover page is the Ludwig advert, A mahogany legacy snare

Posted on 10 years ago
#18
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