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Mike Curotto Have You Heard Of This Snare?

Posts: 392 Threads: 30

Here is an article I saved for the Ludwig collectors. It is an account of an unusual snare. I wonder where this drum is? Kind of a sinister description. This is circa 1925, the world had yet to know what the swastika would soon represent. This has to be a rare one!

SEPTEMBER 12, 1925 THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW source arcade-museum

[SIZE="4"]W. S. Hart Buys

Ludwig Drum for Son[/SIZE]

Movie Two-Gun Man Makes Purchase from

Southern California Music Co., Los Angeles

Representative

Los ANGELES, CAL., September 5.—No less a notable personage than William S. Hart, the famous straight-shooting, two-gun man of the movies, stepped into the Southern California Music Co.'s store here the other day and ordered a special Ludwig & Ludwig snare drum to be presented to his son. The instrument was built to Mr. Hart's special order at the Ludwig factory in Chicago and cost the movie hero $650 in cash. It might be mentioned that this sum represents about two or three times as much as any drum ever sold for before. It is a four by fourteen-inch snare drum with deposit gold plating in satin finish. All hoops, lugs and trimmings are burnished gold. The shell has a raised swastika design burnished and made of solid silver. It also bears a raised heart design of silver, with the engraving, "Bill Hart, Jr., from his Dad, on his third birthday, September 6, 1925." It has a selected head and gold-plated wire snares, special drum stand gold plated and polished. Gold mounted rosewood snare drum sticks with gold tips, together with a special pair of snakewood sticks, gold trimmed, personally selected by William F. Ludwig before he went abroad.

:eek:

“In fact your pedal extremities are a bit obnoxious”. – Fats Waller
Posted on 15 years ago
#1
Posts: 10714 Threads: 579

WOW!!!!BowingBowingBowing Did I sayWOW!!!

Your drummers not much good is he!? What you need is someone that's as good as me. ! John Henry Bonham !!
Posted on 15 years ago
#2
Posts: 4009 Threads: 209

I would think if it is out there it would be relatively easy to identify....."raised swastika design"?? Unless it was destroyed because of possible association with the German Nazi party......one would have some explaining to do on that one as its not exactly acceptable these days to have anything with swastikas on it....:confused:

Posted on 15 years ago
#3
Posts: 2444 Threads: 288

The swastika actually started as a sign of good not evil...

The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.

Until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many cultures throughout the past 3,000 years to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck.

Even in the early twentieth century, the swastika was still a symbol with positive connotations. For instance, the swastika was a common decoration that often adorned cigarette cases, postcards, coins, and buildings. During World War I, the swastika could even be found on the shoulder patches of the American 45th Division and on the Finnish air force until after World War II

I have a gas valve that I got from a buddy when he was demolishing a furnace in an old building a few years ago. I also have a couple of belt buckles from WW II from my wife's grandfather that he got when he was in Bastogne.

Its better to have people think you're an idiot, than to open your mouth and prove them wrong, unless you doubt yourself then speak away....
Posted on 15 years ago
#4
Posts: 4009 Threads: 209

From backbeatkeeper

The swastika actually started as a sign of good not evil...The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.Until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many cultures throughout the past 3,000 years to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck.Even in the early twentieth century, the swastika was still a symbol with positive connotations. For instance, the swastika was a common decoration that often adorned cigarette cases, postcards, coins, and buildings. During World War I, the swastika could even be found on the shoulder patches of the American 45th Division and on the Finnish air force until after World War III have a gas valve that I got from a buddy when he was demolishing a furnace in an old building a few years ago. I also have a couple of belt buckles from WW II from my wife's grandfather that he got when he was in Bastogne.

Interesting, yet unfortunate it now has negative connotations.......because it is still considered a NAZI symbol.

Posted on 15 years ago
#5
Posts: 41 Threads: 2

William S Hart had two snares made for his son by Ludwig,this is the second,His son was just 3 years old when he was given the first one for his birthday. I think I read somewhere that the Hart family still have at least one of the snares.

Posted on 15 years ago
#6
Posts: 4715 Threads: 299

Is this Mickey Hart's family? Both of his parents were world class drummers and competed on the pro circuits. His father won a set of competions at a World's Fair in Rudimental Drumming, as mind feable mind recalls...He now, after 30+ year playing with the Grateful Dead, is a leading drummer around the world in so many styles and typwes of drumming that you just can't keep up with him.

And then there is Bill Kreutzmann, living in Hawaii, and having a grand time surfing and playing at his private compound.

I wonder if Mastro has ever had a chance to go over there and hang and play with him?

"Ignorance may be overcome through education. Stupidity, however, is a lifelong endeavor." So, educate me, I don't likes bein' ignant...
"I enjoy restoring 60s Japanese "stencil" drums...I can actually afford them..."I rescue the worst of the old valueless drums for disadvantaged Children and gladly accept donations of parts, pieces and orphans, No cockroaches, please...
http://www.youtube.com/user/karstenboy
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coffee...16613138379603
Posted on 15 years ago
#7
Posts: 1334 Threads: 235

Yes, I've heard of it...The Ludwig Drummer compilation also mentions that drum...I owned the first Wm. S. Hart snare drum, pgs. 8-9 in my book...I sold it a few years back as the price that was negotiated put the drum past just being a cool drum and into a "smart business deal situation"...

Mike Curotto

Posted on 15 years ago
#8
Posts: 392 Threads: 30

From Mike Curotto

Yes, I've heard of it...The Ludwig Drummer compilation also mentions that drum...I owned the first Wm. S. Hart snare drum, pgs. 8-9 in my book...I sold it a few years back as the price that was negotiated put the drum past just being a cool drum and into a "smart business deal situation"...Mike Curotto

Mike Curotto - Thank you! I figured you might know or even own this drum.

This article mentioned it was Hart Jr’s 3rd birthday gift, and was engraved as such. Would that be his first snare, or did he receive the one you owned earlier?

Edit: Or do you mean Hart Sr?

Hart Jr died in 2004 at the age of 81. There is an obit online.

Cool1

“In fact your pedal extremities are a bit obnoxious”. – Fats Waller
Posted on 15 years ago
#9
Posts: 41 Threads: 2

Ah yes thats right Mike had the first Hart special and is pictured in THE book.the second was the one with the swastikas,I knew I'd seen a picture of the first one recently,WE are talking about William S Hart the film star,Who had earned a lot more money in the silent films than he knew what to do with,what a drum to give to a 3 year old. Dion...

Posted on 15 years ago
#10
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