I just cleaned/polished the rail consollette from my 1967 WMP Downbeat. It should be identical. It's still broken down into individual parts but I can post shots tomorrow of it both disassembled and assembled.

-Bob

Here are 4 "Before" shots that I had with me at work...

Please overlook the 45 years of dust and grime. The parts gleam now.

Is there anything in particular that you wanted to know about or see?

Thanks for your time and for the pics! I guess I was wondering when Ludwig replaced the upper portion of the assembly from the "clock dial" (right word?) to the configuration I see on some of the early 70s Luddy kits. I thought that it might have been around that ('67) time period.

I'm trying to determine whether it was possible to see both of these on factory-issued Ludwig kits from 1967.

Thanks!

My 64 clubdate has the clock face w&a style my 67 super classic has the ratchet style.

Attached below is page 92 from my 1967 Ludwig Catalog showing the "Clipper" rail consolette offered that year. I like your description of it as a "clock dial".

I appreciate the pic from the '67 catalog!Clapping Happy2

That confirms the fact that my pic on the left is the "era-correct" consolette. Now, if I could only find out when the pic of the consolette on the right came into being I'd be one happy camper!

Yes it is possible. One of my Jazzette bass drums came with the phone dial (earlier) style and then I have Downbeat kit from the same year ('67) and it has the ratcheted one. There WAS an early version of the ratcheted one, btw...It can be distinguished by the downward-angle on the cog that accepts the tom L-arm. Later versions have the same cog except with a perpendicular angle....hard to describe.

Hey...that's the same arm setup on my Pearl kit. The one with the "clockface". Nifty.