Maybe someone out there could answer a question I've got. The Beverley and Premier people in the 60s were fascinated by the inside of the Ludwig shells.

They were brushed or sprayed with a white substance, like emulsion paint. We racked our brains as to what is was for (is it still done?) but we never came up with an answer and the Ludwig store people didn't know either. I would have asked Bill Ludwig when I met with him, but I was too embarrassed to ask, what to him would be a very basic question. Does anyone know what it was for? We seemed to have had the feeling that the paint was to cover up poor woodwork, but perhaps we were being uncharitable. I suppose that's why I didn't mention the subject to Bill Ludwig.

Hi John,

Thanks for the info on the Cosmic 21 shells. They do look like '20s shells come to think of it. Were any of the original shells actually used, or was it just that the design was copied? As for the white paint inside Ludwig shells, I've no idea what substance was originally used. I do know that when repainting the shells, they recommend Benjamin Moore White Semi-Gloss. This leads me to believe that the paint might have just been plain old white paint. Whatever it was, it has held-up well on my '65 Super Classics. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than myself can chime in on what exactly was used.

Thanks again for your generosity in making yourself available to answer our questions and sharing your knowledge. It must be nice to be such an integral part of drum history.

Best.

Stephen

Thanks for a very nice post, Stephen. None of the original shells were used (all gone) and so just the idea was copied. (I should be ashamed of myself!)

Kind Regards,

John

ive read that mr ludwig said that in the 60's rush to get drums done, they would simply go to the local hardware store and get some white paint when they ran out of whatever they normally used.

of course they called it resacote, but why i don't know. the timing of the interior paint does make one think about cover up. the very early 60's were clear shells and the late 60's were clear shells. but there were also vintage 30's or 40's ludwig drums that had white interiors. that earlier theory of the coverup wouldnt fit in with that scenario that i know of.

mike

Thank you, Mike. That clears things up for me that always bugged me.

Best,

John

VERY nice to have you on board,sir.It is so cool to hob-nob with the pro's,whether in the industry or the band end.Burger Kin

How's Beverley doing? Gosh, I miss that woman.

Sadly, the Beverley drums etc that were made in England are no more. There is still a Beverley name on drums made in the Far East, but they have nothing to do with the original company. I have been interested in people talking about Beverley cymbals. I have to confess that I have never seen one and never heard of them. The cymbals that were made in the 60s to go with the drums were the awful Kruts (Turk spelt backwards) which, quite honestly, were the worst cymbals I have ever heard. They were known as the Krappy Kruts, but amazingly, they sold very well in the States and in Holland as well. They were churned out like sausages in the factory. Even in the factory they were regarded as a joke.

Krut is Turk spelled backwards... That is hilarious! I have certainly enjoyed your posts. Premier is near and dear to my heart. I have said it before but the hardware designs were fantastic works of art. With the exception of some inventive curved rods used on some of the original "trap" kits, I think Premier stands alone as having created cymbal, snare and hi-hat stands that considered the form every bit as important as the function. I don't think any manufacturer has come up with anything near as artistically pleasing as a Lokfast stand. Everything else is simply an apparatus to hold a piece of equipment. Certainly there were some folks in the late 70's and thought the hair band days that created some really cool custom pieces, but you won't find an off the shelf stand that compares in any age. That being said, a pair of large Keith Moon concert toms on a sleek Lokfast stand was kind of a scary sight.

I am also impressed with how well Premier kits stand up image wise from the 60's to today. The lug and rim design as well as that diamond chrome plating makes those kits look as contemporary as anything made today. So if Clifford designed all of that, then my hat is definitively tipped to him.

Thank you for your wonderful posts.

You are tipping your hat to the right person tnsquint. Clifford did indeed design everything you have mentioned and the Lokfast stands were in fact what I used with my own Beverley outfit. Clifford really was, and still is for all I know, as we lost touch, a very special drum hardware designer. And a very special person, as well. He spent a heck of a lot of time in the 60s trying to develop the SuperZyn cymbals and he was very disappointed that he was unable to match the Avedis models that were his guiding light.

Thank you for an interesting post.