Christmas has cmoe early thanks in part to DW member NerfLad

Bad Tempered Clavier

Silver Member
Christmas has come early thanks in part to DW member NerfLad

Having seen this thread about the reissue Blue/Olive Acrolites posted by NerfLad I did some digging around and realised that they were going for a lot less in the US than in the UK so I thought why the bloody hell not? The reissue 405 which I bought from a shop in Illinois was - I swear to Gadd - half the price for what shops in London were selling them. Even after postage, import VAT, and some pikey "clearance fee" that the Post Office charged me, the whole thing worked out as about 70% of London prices. It was also about 17.5% less than what a standard 405 Blacrolite costs over here.

Anyway, it finally arrived today and Chuffing Nora do I like this snare: I mean, sure, it's probably the ugliest drum you're likely to see (though perhaps prettier than the Blacrolite) and in places the build quality is appalling [small patch of rust under the batter hoop, worst snare butt-plate ever, and the good-old P85 (YAY . . . BOO . . . YAY . . . BOO . . . etc)], but even with the stock Ludwig heads (again, not the best I've seen) this snare is so lively. I don't have any microphones in my house other than on my phone so I can't really convey the sound that this thing makes, but it's along the lines of BAM BAM RATARATARATARATARATARATARATARATARATARATA CRANNNNNNGGGG KAPOW!

So three cheers to the eagle-eyed NerfLad and to the good old Acro.
 
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That's awesome. You sir, serve as a reminder that we Americans shouldn't be complaining so loudly about how much things cost to us. Enjoy the new drum!
 
Re: Christmas has come early thanks in part to DW member NerfLad

Okay, some pictures . . . this ASDA Biere De Luxe Premium Strength French Lager is a bargain, by the way . . . please note the lack of tone control/internal muffler system in this 405. As it happens I prefer that, but you know . . . FYI.

Incidentally, I know the P85 is supposed to be utter bollocks and that, but rightly or wrongly the overall snare response in this snare - even with stock heads - is absolutely . . . okay, I'll shut up now.

P.S. Sorry about the typos
P.P.S. Seriously - if you're out there - good job to NerfLad: this drum is effing marvellous.
 

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Thanks for the kind words BTC. (he sent me a PM too!)

I'm definitely thinking of getting a 6.5 myself :)
 
Re: Christmas has come early thanks in part to DW member NerfLad

in places the build quality is appalling [small patch of rust under the batter hoop, worst snare butt-plate ever, and the good-old P85
Well done Nerf, it's a great to help other members out. Kudos to you.

But Ludwig, really, I think some of your stuff is great, but this list of faults, irrespective of price, is seriously taking the p&$$ out of your customers. Add to that, the totally unheard of lug splay too, I mean, come on guys! If you carry on like this, there will come a time when the strength of your brand name won't be enough anymore. I'm saying this, because I'd be delighted to see a strong Ludwig that actually consistently provided good products. Rust, splay, crappy hardware - really, stop it!

BTC, congratulations mate. Seriously, I'm glad you like your drum & it's doing it for you. I'm the most impressed by Nerf's actions though. Great to hear :)
 
That is a new drum and has rust on it??? What is that about? I think an email to the shop in the US is in order.
 
Thanks for the kind words BTC. (he sent me a PM too!)

I'm definitely thinking of getting a 6.5 myself :)

You are most welcome, Squire: thanks again for the tip and of course you should have this drum in your life.

That is a new drum and has rust on it??? What is that about? I think an email to the shop in the US is in order.

Well, yes, in principle you're dead right - but to be fair we're talking about a few millimetres where the chrome has flaked off the underside of the hoop and I wouldn't have expected the shop to have seen that as it came to me in the factory packaging and was presumably ready-assembled. Either way, to send it back would mean it going to either Illinois or North Carolina and that's just too much arseache for me considering I'm pretty stoked with the thing overall.

Besides, the fact that the Acrolite is and always has been somewhat unsophisticated and utilitarian is kind of why I wanted one in the first place. For the last couple of years my only snare has been an Akira Jimbo model which I love but signs of wear on the wooden batter hoop and the fact that Yamaha have decided to stop making it made me slightly paranoid about breaking it or something [I know - psychotic, isn't it?]. What's great about the Acrolite is that (a) it sounds astonishingly good despite it's Fisher Price design and (b) I'll never ever worry about dropping this one down a flight of stairs [not that I would - but you know what I mean].

Which leads me onto . . .

Ludwig, really, I think some of your stuff is great, but this list of faults, irrespective of price, is seriously taking the p&$$ out of your customers

Again - 100% right - and I would expect no less a response from an artisan drum manufacturer. But put it like this - you guys are Savile Row. You're Fabergé, Morgan, Krug, Cartier, and so on. The Ludwig Acrolite is an old Willys Jeep. It's a pair of Chucks, a Zippo lighter, Ray-Bans . . . they're Levi 501s and a bottle of Jack Daniels. It's crude and oafish but then so am I and I'm sure there are many many ways I could spend my money more prudently but I love this bloody drum so much. I love it like I love my 40 year old 35mm camera, my decrepit computer, and my stinky, cowardly, parquet-floor-fearing-dumber-than-a-bag-of-sand dog.

If ever there was a contender for a catch-all, no-frills, all-rounder snare drum then surely this is it. I guess it must be the shell that gives it that killer sound because the rest of it sure ain't all that . . . but hey, it's only rock and roll . . .
 
Again - 100% right - and I would expect no less a response from an artisan drum manufacturer. But put it like this - you guys are Savile Row. You're Fabergé, Morgan, Krug, Cartier, and so on. The Ludwig Acrolite is an old Willys Jeep. It's a pair of Chucks, a Zippo lighter, Ray-Bans . . . they're Levi 501s and a bottle of Jack Daniels. It's crude and oafish but then so am I and I'm sure there are many many ways I could spend my money more prudently but I love this bloody drum so much. I love it like I love my 40 year old 35mm camera, my decrepit computer, and my stinky, cowardly, parquet-floor-fearing-dumber-than-a-bag-of-sand dog.

If ever there was a contender for a catch-all, no-frills, all-rounder snare drum then surely this is it. I guess it must be the shell that gives it that killer sound because the rest of it sure ain't all that . . . but hey, it's only rock and roll . . .
Of course, you're right, & I completely respect your pov. It's actually similar to my overall vibe. I'm very forgiving of faults, in fact, it's often the faults that define character. Nor am I a gear snob, far from it. I see great stuff at almost every price level. What get's up my nose is a manufacturer who knows they are putting out substandard gear, know that their customer's realise this too, yet consistently do nothing about it over a long period. That shows a level of contempt & distain that grates inside me.

Anyhow, much more importantly, you're enjoying your instrument, & that makes me happy. I only zero'd in on the fault stuff because you highlighted it. Again, the impressive element here, is one forum member helping out another, & that's cooler than any drum :)
 
I would think you could take the drum to a local dealer and have them do the swap at Ludwigs expense. no need to go all the way back to Illinois. At least let the Illinois dealer know about it and let them make the decision. If the chrome is flaking it will only get worse.
 
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