So I FOUND a Ludwig 3-ply tom by the side of the road....

[drumhedd]

Today was my lucky day! I was driving to my cousin's baseball game when something in a pile of broken furniture and trash by the side of the road caught my eye:

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z160/Drumhedd/IMG_2748-1.jpg

So here's what I've figured out so far: it's a 12X15" 3-ply shell with a clear interior, the original muffler is present (although it's either rusted or just stuck), the B/O badge is pristine with a serial # of 870350. Anyone have any info on what exactly it is, when it was made or how much it's worth? (Could it be a marching tenor perhaps?)

Also, would watered-down rubbing alcohol be okay for cleaning a little grime off the inside and outside of the shell?
Thanks a million!!!
-Drumhedd

[GRUNTERSDAD]

You can't really water down alcohol. It shouldn't harm the outside if you pour a small amount on a rag and rub the drum. As for the inside, I would wipe off what I could with water and then maybe sand down lightly and bad , or stained spots, unless it is painted inside.

[dom]

It is an old marching or tenor drum...I would saw it is worth about $70 maybe more if you are lucky. Ebay is flooded with them, I have one in red sparkle, and I am going to convert it to a floor tome for Frankenstein kit I have.

If it has the p86 strainer on it those sometimes sell for almost $100 on the bay if they are in good condition. I wouldn't sell it though, because it is my favorite strainer out there.

[drumhedd]

Thanks for the info! Dom, it does not have any type of snare system, and I don't see any holes so I'm assuming it just came that way. Well, I'm off to clean it and slap some new heads on, this will make a cool addition to my setup!

[caddywumpus]

Hmm...I don't see a throw-off or butt plate, so it's not a snare. I don't see any brackets, so it's not a floor tom. It has multiple bands of sparkle on it, so it's probably either a promotional drum or a school drum. Is there any hardware on it besides the lug casings and muffler?

[drumhedd]

Hmm...I don't see a throw-off or butt plate, so it's not a snare. I don't see any brackets, so it's not a floor tom. It has multiple bands of sparkle on it, so it's probably either a promotional drum or a school drum. Is there any hardware on it besides the lug casings and muffler?

Nope! It's completely bare, which has me kind of baffled as to how it could be a marching drum with no harness...

[dom]

it is an old marching tom. those old ludwigs had a mounting bracket that went in between the hoop and the head of the tension rod. I can try and get you pictures later if you want...

[stasz]

On the side of the road?!? Someone out there is going to drum hell for throwing a perfectly good drum like that out on the ride of the road.

[drumhedd]

it is an old marching tom. those old ludwigs had a mounting bracket that went in between the hoop and the head of the tension rod. I can try and get you pictures later if you want...

You know, I think there may actually be one of those on the drum! I figured it was for holding a flip folder or something, I guess not!

[Bart Hodge]

It's a tenor drum.

More than likely it had a single L-shaped piece of metal with two holes in it - one for the tension rod to go through and another for the hook that attached to the sling you wore over a shoulder (thus the birth of traditional grip). There would have also been a brace at the bottom, between two tension rods, to rest the drum on your thigh.


it is an old marching tom. those old ludwigs had a mounting bracket that went in between the hoop and the head of the tension rod. I can try and get you pictures later if you want...

[drumhedd]

It's a tenor drum.

More than likely it had a single L-shaped piece of metal with two holes in it - one for the tension rod to go through and another for the hook that attached to the sling you wore over a shoulder (thus the birth of traditional grip). There would have also been a brace at the bottom, between two tension rods, to rest the drum on your thigh.

Yeah it's got the brace under the tension rod, but no brace at the bottom. Oh well, it sounds killer tuned real low next to my 14X14!