The new August MD [Archive] - DRUMMERWORLD OFFICIAL DISCUSSION FORUM

KarlCrafton

06-24-2009, 04:51 PM

The Colonel

06-24-2009, 04:59 PM

I've been drumming for 20 years, and I've never heard of this "Ludwig" that you speak of...

[psst! hey everyone, let's play this one right and really mess with the guy!]

GRUNTERSDAD

06-24-2009, 04:59 PM

That inside piece and the back cover are the two most expensive ad pieces in any magazines. I have been getting SI for a while now and it is about 8 pages thick. The economy has eaten into every corner of the world and the ad world is no exception. All
speculation on my part, but and educated guess just the same. Maybe they paid to have
the DVD reviewed, who knows, but it's all about budgets.

Bernhard

06-24-2009, 05:00 PM

We see, that the magazines gets thinner and thinner every month.

In these economic challenging times:
The industry looks for better ways for spending advertising Dollars and change from printmedia to electronic media.

Bernhard

Average

06-24-2009, 06:31 PM

It is somewhat disappointing what has happened to Ludwig. My first 2 drum sets were Ludwig drums. The first was a 1964 red sparkle 4 piece that I still own. The other was a 1988 set. I never liked the sound of the 1988 set. It seemed cheaply made and had harsh overtones that could not be tuned out. I went to Sonor and I love the drums I have now.

I am considering buying another set to use when playing out. I would only like to bring the Sonors to the bigger gigs we do and have a beater set for bars etc. I have been thinking of getting a set of vistalites but I can't seem to find any shops that have them. Aside from the Black Beauty snare and a couple of others like the Supraphonic, Ludwig seems to have lost the premium drum market. (My opinion only.) They had Vistalites which are pretty unique and seem to be making a comeback but they are next to impossible to find. They are listed on the website as available but getting them is another thing entirely. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to build a set of acrylics.

PQleyR

06-24-2009, 06:48 PM

I don't know, in the UK now there are far more Ludwig drums in shops than there were five years ago.

bermuda

06-24-2009, 06:56 PM

I don't know the answer, but I do know that even in leaner times, Ludwig always ran an ad on the inside cover. As noted, it's very expensive to have a full-page ad, and there may be a premium for placement (such as Zildjian's recurring ads on the back cover.)

Budgets indeed. Don't forget that they're a division of a publicly-traded company.

Bermuda

The Colonel

06-24-2009, 07:27 PM

You guys are no fun.

baz

06-24-2009, 07:46 PM

You guys are no fun.

...we are in small doses.

barry

KarlCrafton

06-24-2009, 08:20 PM

I've noticed ALL magazines getting thinner for quite a while now, and yes, "in reality" I get it, I know it's the economy, & finding the best places to spend the ad dollars.

But as Todd Sucherman said on the MD DVD, every month you go out to the mailbox and you see the issue there, and you're like a kid again for a second and all "ooohhh, yay"--it just felt like something was lost when I saw no Ludwig ad.

It's a shame if they stop doing their ad, but they had the ad in there when they were NOT doing anywhere near as well as they seem to be doing these days ("seem to be"...).

As far as their 'status' with players, all I know is the shop I go to has sold a ton of Ludwig kits over the last couple years and I have bought a new kit, and a few snare drums in the last two years, as well as a lot of parts, hoops, etc...
I know they don't have the "oooooh factor" with younger kids as a "DW" or a flavor of the day 'custom' kit, and they DID kind of blow it in the 80's with the way things were run, but these are new times--and it looks like Ludwig is getting back in the game in a big way which is great.

It's been quite a few times the guy's have told me "I sold another Ludwig kit yesterday" as I come into the shop. They got #23 of the Bun E. Carlos snare (sold it fast), there's a Citrus Mod glitter kit in there now that's pretty cool looking in person, and some other stuff too.
The Black Magic snares moved fast, and so did a 5x14 BB

I was just kind of surprised opening the MD, and kind of bummed too. I'm sure it's not great for MD either.

I know Colonel, I'm no fun...

How about this:
Hey it's probably a giant conspiracy of John Good trying to take over all the other drum companies. He got Don out of the way now, & he's secretly buying up all the lapsing patents he can, and then making an ad campaign telling everyone he's come up with some new thing that's the best thing ever, and your drumming will never bee the same after you try "THIS"!

Jeremy Bender

06-24-2009, 08:39 PM

I personally plan to help Ludwig's budget by purchasing a new Black Beauty later this year. I know it probably won't get the ad placed back in the magazine, but it may allow the guy's in shipping & receiving to order "Chinese" for Lunch !

Now if I could ever order those Legacy Clasics on pg. 4 in the new catalog...

Chonson

06-24-2009, 09:46 PM

Alternatively: DW made an offer that MD couldn't refuse.

Maybe it was one month to give the Super Solids a high profile buy.

Maybe they made a guarantee for a few months at a rate above what Ludwig was willing to pay.

The Colonel

06-25-2009, 12:21 AM

The only Ludwig I know is one of the bosses is Super Mario Bros 3. Not sure what he'd be doing in MD...

Average

06-25-2009, 12:32 AM

The only Ludwig I know is one of the bosses is Super Mario Bros 3. Not sure what he'd be doing in MD...

Hehehe!

I wish I could inspect a set of new Ludwig drums, play them, and say 'Wow. They didn't cut any corners when they made these beauties.'

KarlCrafton

06-25-2009, 02:35 PM

Hehehe!

I wish I could inspect a set of new Ludwig drums, play them, and say 'Wow. They didn't cut any corners when they made these beauties.'

I can say that everyday.

freebirdgdw

06-25-2009, 03:12 PM

I might get a bit of flak for this but I'm not a big fan of Modern Drummer. I've bought it a few times and it just doesn't rock my boat. I much prefer UK publications such as 'Rhythm' and 'Drummer'. They seem to have a lot more features in them than their American counterpart.

dairyairman

06-25-2009, 04:00 PM

maybe they had a multi year contract with modern drummer for that ad space, and the contract finally ran out.

Bernhard

06-25-2009, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by Average

I wish I could inspect a set of new Ludwig drums, play them, and say 'Wow. They didn't cut any corners when they made these beauties.'

I can say that everyday.

Me too, but remember: mine is from 1964

Bernhard

Deltadrummer

06-25-2009, 06:17 PM

They had a mint Black Pearl set pre-serial in the window of Manny's several years back and wanted $8,000 for it. Of course, it came with a story about how Ringo bought his first black pearl drum set at Manny's for the Ed Sullivan Show, after someone delivered a white pearl set for him. I find that a lot of these legends are not true; but they're fun.

Vipercussionist

06-25-2009, 06:24 PM

I have been thinking of getting a set of vistalites but I can't seem to find any shops that have them. They had Vistalites which are pretty unique and seem to be making a comeback but they are next to impossible to find. They are listed on the website as available but getting them is another thing entirely. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to build a set of acrylics.

Not for nuthin', you can't be trying very hard to get those Vistas. ANY self respecting Ludwig Dealer will order you a kit the minute you stop into the store and order it.

Don't expect ANY dealer to have exactly the kit you might want IN STOCK, with the myriad of different sizes and configurations, that's just impossible today.

If the Ludwig dealer you order from is giving you the run around, go to another one, or find an online dealer that will fulfill your order.

Don't say they're hard to get, 'cause they're NOT. But you DO have to do the legwork, they're not coming to YOUR house after all. There have never been traveling salesmen going door to door for drums.

Average

06-25-2009, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Average

I wish I could inspect a set of new Ludwig drums, play them, and say 'Wow. They didn't cut any corners when they made these beauties.'

Me too, but remember: mine is from 1964

Bernhard

I have a red sparkle set from 1964 that is of high quality. I wonder what happened?

Average

06-25-2009, 06:51 PM

Not for nuthin', you can't be trying very hard to get those Vistas. ANY self respecting Ludwig Dealer will order you a kit the minute you stop into the store and order it.

Don't expect ANY dealer to have exactly the kit you might want IN STOCK, with the myriad of different sizes and configurations, that's just impossible today.

If the Ludwig dealer you order from is giving you the run around, go to another one, or find an online dealer that will fulfill your order.

Don't say they're hard to get, 'cause they're NOT. But you DO have to do the legwork, they're not coming to YOUR house after all. There have never been traveling salesmen going door to door for drums.

True. I could always custom order a set. Hurry up and wait I guess. I might just build my own though. That way I can be sure that I'm not getting sub-par hardware, single flanged hoops etc.

Vipercussionist

06-25-2009, 08:15 PM

True. I could always custom order a set. Hurry up and wait I guess. I might just build my own though. That way I can be sure that I'm not getting sub-par hardware, single flanged hoops etc. They would ALL be custom ordered. There are just too many types and configurations for Ludwig dealers to keep one of everything in stock. Just the cost of HAVING that much inventory would be prohibitive, and having to pay taxes on it as stock would also make the prices go up at the time they sell it.

Average

06-25-2009, 10:07 PM

They would ALL be custom ordered. There are just too many types and configurations for Ludwig dealers to keep one of everything in stock. Just the cost of HAVING that much inventory would be prohibitive, and having to pay taxes on it as stock would also make the prices go up at the time they sell it.

Agreed. There is no way a drum store can keep that much stuff around. I guess what I was trying to say is that if I am going to custom order some drums, I might just completely custom order them (read build them myself) so that I get exactly the hardware and hoops I want rather than just whatever stuff Ludwig wants to throw on there. I was skeptical of the approach until I built a snare last month. A 10 lug brass shell 6.5X14 with all brass hardware and cast brass rims. I didn't skimp on any part. I bought the best of the best for everything and it was still far less than I would have paid for a black beauty. This thing THUNDERS. Also to my ear it sounds far better than anything I have ever played. I'm wondering if I could repeat that experience building some acrylic shelled drums. Hhmmm.

dale w miller

06-25-2009, 10:49 PM

Pat Petrillo

06-26-2009, 08:15 AM

Indeed, the economy has reared it's head into the industry, and costs across the board are a big consideration. As Bermuda stated, Ludwig is part of a large company, and must answer to a higher authority.

Pat

kpax

06-26-2009, 03:28 PM

I have been getting MD since 1981, and have had a subscription since just after it went monthly, so I have a LOT of them (just ask my wife!).

Well, a strange thing happened in this months issue that I haven't seen before......

NO LUDWIG AD ON THE INSIDE FRONT COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE=Pluto;193496]Looks like Ludwig lost their inner cover perch in MD?

I want to take this opportunity to dismiss any rumors that Ludwig may have lost its position in MD. The Recession is affecting our budgets just like it is anyone else's. You may take time to notice that there are about half as many pages in your current MD issue as there were a year ago (damn, I was thumbing through Rolling Stone the other day and it looked like a pamphlet rather than a magazine!) DW, Tama, and Pearl all had massive, multi-page ads going in every issue, now they all have a single page, and that is it. It's just a sign of the times.

Modern Drummer actually started as "The Ludwig Drummer" and when Ron Spagnardi created it, he had a lifetime agreement with The Chief that we would always get the inside front cover. It has always been there in the 20+ years that I have been reading MD.

We have not lost the position and will not surrender it. We are allocating the costs from two months worth of ads to support some artist and other initiatives while things are tight, and then we are back. You will see a really nice Bun E Carlos ad in the next issue, then you will probably see John Good again in the following month. From there on out, Ludwig will be right there where we have always been.

It is our 100th Anniversary this year, and it happened to fall on a year that the economy went in the crapper. William F. Ludwig Sr. took the company through two wars and the Great Depression, hopefully we can take inspiration from his hulking-determination and solid legacy to get though this mess. It is working, and we are fighting the good fight, but there have to be occasional sacrifices.

We are equal to the challenge. Thanks to all of you who are helping us through it, you are part of the Family and have our deepest gratitude.

Bring the Rock,

Kevin Packard
Ludwig Drum Co.

dairyairman

06-26-2009, 04:34 PM

thanks for straightening out us rumor mongerers. i'm glad ludwig is hanging in there!

Average

06-26-2009, 09:15 PM

I want to take this opportunity to dismiss any rumors that Ludwig may have lost its position in MD. The Recession is affecting our budgets just like it is anyone else's. You may take time to notice that there are about half as many pages in your current MD issue as there were a year ago (damn, I was thumbing through Rolling Stone the other day and it looked like a pamphlet rather than a magazine!) DW, Tama, and Pearl all had massive, multi-page ads going in every issue, now they all have a single page, and that is it. It's just a sign of the times.

Modern Drummer actually started as "The Ludwig Drummer" and when Ron Spagnardi created it, he had a lifetime agreement with The Chief that we would always get the inside front cover. It has always been there in the 20+ years that I have been reading MD.

We have not lost the position and will not surrender it. We are allocating the costs from two months worth of ads to support some artist and other initiatives while things are tight, and then we are back. You will see a really nice Bun E Carlos ad in the next issue, then you will probably see John Good again in the following month. From there on out, Ludwig will be right there where we have always been.

It is our 100th Anniversary this year, and it happened to fall on a year that the economy went in the crapper. William F. Ludwig Sr. took the company through two wars and the Great Depression, hopefully we can take inspiration from his hulking-determination and solid legacy to get though this mess. It is working, and we are fighting the good fight, but there have to be occasional sacrifices.

We are equal to the challenge. Thanks to all of you who are helping us through it, you are part of the Family and have our deepest gratitude.

Bring the Rock,

Kevin Packard
Ludwig Drum Co.

Because you took the time to respond, I will not build my own acrylic drums. I will buy some of the real thing. Thank you for taking the time.

KarlCrafton

06-29-2009, 03:41 PM

Thanks for the response and explanation Kevin!

I did hear a long time ago that MD was The Ludwig Drummer before becoming MD, but wasn't sure it was actually true, so I didn't put that in my first post on the subject.

It's good to hear that Ludwig is doing so well (again) and that younger drummers are getting to know how great Ludwig drums (have always) sound(ed), and the top quality of the products.
There's a purchase of a Centennial kit for my 7 yr old son this year (Silver sparkle, the 2 up 2 down.....and a 24 for me!) too.

Bernard, my Ludwig's were built from 1989-to present, and I can say the quality is right up there with anything. The holes are all super clean, the plating is awesome, the edges are perfect, the finish is great, and the sound is amazing on every drum.

I have purchased toms & floor toms at different times too, and EVERY drum can be put in any combination and they ALL sound like they go together and are supposed to be a "kit".
There's a 1975 Acrolite in there too, and it's a super drum--as is my new 6.5 Acrolite (with 100th Anni badge!).

Have fun with your 64's, it was a good year :-)!

Thanks again Kevin.