Hey there!
I recently obtained a set of 1960 Ludwigs, including a jazz fest snare. The heads were probably last replaced on the snare in the mid 90s or so and I'm looking to toss some new heads and new snares on there now.
Can anyone give me any advice on what would sound good on the batter/reso sides as well as snares to put on? I prefer Evans heads for various reasons, so if the heads that would work happen to be Evans, that would be great.
Hey there!I recently obtained a set of 1960 Ludwigs, including a jazz fest snare. The heads were probably last replaced on the snare in the mid 90s or so and I'm looking to toss some new heads and new snares on there now.Can anyone give me any advice on what would sound good on the batter/reso sides as well as snares to put on? I prefer Evans heads for various reasons, so if the heads that would work happen to be Evans, that would be great.
They were marketed with Ludwig medium weight coated heads. Any medium weight coated head of your choice should work well depending on your personal preferences. My son and I use Remo Ambassadors on our 1962 set of Super Classics, but there are many other choices. Different heads may give you a different sound, but its impossible for me to know the sound you will like best.
Are there any specific snare wires you like on them? My go to over the past few years as been Puresound Blasters, but I don't know what it is, it just doesn't feel right to put those on this drum.
Ludwig, like all the other US companies, were making their own snare wires back then. Now, there are dozens of wires available and you can spend a fortune trying all of them! And, yes, I've spend quite a bit, too! Honestly, though, I've found that inexpensive wires seem to sound pretty good on these drums. In fact, this is what Ludwig is using! Just because they have the "Ludwig" logo on them, doesn't mean they are made in the US. You can find these wires here... https://www.drumfactorydirect.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_104_374_75&products_id=2437
These are the 20-strand wires, but the 16-strands sounds just as good!
-Mark
Head-wise, I really love the Evans UV1 heads. They're durable as hell, they tune really easily, and they last a long time. The white coating doesn't chip off or fade, it stays vibrant for a LONG time. They're about the equivalent as Ambassadors, too - a single ply 10mm head. Highly recommend.
Head-wise, I really love the Evans UV1 heads. They're durable as hell, they tune really easily, and they last a long time. The white coating doesn't chip off or fade, it stays vibrant for a LONG time. They're about the equivalent as Ambassadors, too - a single ply 10mm head. Highly recommend.
These are really growing on me! I agree with everything you say, but just wanted to add that they don't exactly feel like Ambassadors under the sticks IMO. I'd say a G1 coated probably feels more like an Ambassadors, but I prefer the sound & durability of the UV1's (on snare drums). You can even clean them & they look practically new. Since the coating isn't affected, they sound great with brushes much longer than an Ambassadors does. I can't really say for how long yet...one of my snares has been sporting a UV1 since November of last year and has yet to stretch out, dent or lose it's coating. This snare drum has done all my gigs & rehearsals until a few weeks ago when I picked up my Ludwig Standard S-102. So yeah, they're tough!
Ending up going with: Evans G1 on the batter, Evans 300 on the Reso, and Puresound Customs with 16 strands for snares.
It sounds great from the limited playing I've done...
...Now if only I could properly tune a drum.
