They might be referring to calf heads. The plastic heads were sold in three weights that were described as "Orchestra", "Parade" and "Tom Tom" in the 1962 catalog. The ad copy for the Jazz Festival is unchanged from the 1959 catalog and in that catalog there is only one weight of "Playon" head offered, again possibly pointing to calf being original equipment on the Jazz Fests, although there aren't different weights of calfskin heads listed either. Ludwig still mentions the thin heads in the JF ad copy of the 1964 catalog, By then they were certainly shipping drums with plastic heads. Ludwig used the same ad copy and illustrations over and over, even after they didn't 100% accurately correspond to what the were currently producing any more.

Bottom line I don't think you will find any Ludwig heads, vintage or otherwise, actually labeled as "thin". If you do they will probably be calfskin.

I would think a Diplomat or other thin modern head would do the trick although coated ambassadors (or Ludwig's standard white coated head) have worked fine for me on these drums.

The Ludwig medium weathermaster heads are the same as diplomat thickness. So, you've got the thin one on there already.

Nice purchase by the way!!

+1 about Ludwig's medium coated heads.

-Mark

Thanks. We've been looking for a WMP snare circa '60-63 with the Mahogany/Poplar/Mahogany shell to match both the period and shell construction of our Super Classic set. The very slight degree of yellowing of this Jazz Festival snare is a perfect match for our set. Bun E Carlos signed the inside of the shell. Its in great shape and sounds terrific.

Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks. I've always been a Remo player but maybe we'll give the Ludwig head a shot.

I've always felt that the Ludwig coated heads felt and played like one Remo series heavier... i.e.: Ludwig Medium = Remo Emperor, etc

I've never played a Ludwig head extensively so I have no opinion on that.