Ludwig Classic Maple Vs Ludwig Vintage

hey, so i'm going to the states and i want to bring a drum kit with me. I've been playing drums for 10 years now, and basically i play classic rock, funk, jazz, etc etc. (styles that dont rquiere such a complex drum kit, just a basic 4/5 piece drum kit)... so i really want to buy a vintage ludwig drum kit, i'm thinking about a Vistalite drum kit, or some 4 piece Champagne sparkle drum kit... but i dont really know how to know when the drum kit is in good condition sound-wise. And on ebay i see a vintage drum kit that is sold for lets say $2000 and the same drum kit (similar kit) is sold by another person for $500.
Is it a good choice to buy a vintage drum kit? Is it a good drum kit to play live ?
Next year i'll be playing a couple of live shows in cool venues and i dont know if that kit can be used for that perpouses...
http://cgi.ebay.com/1967-Ludwig-Cha...820?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f01c060c
http://cgi.ebay.com/66-Ludwig-Keyst...=Vintgae_Drums_Percussion&hash=item4aa5381ce0


Another thing: It has come to my attetion, the Ludwig Classic Maple series, which are basically re issues of vintage drum kits. Has someone Played this drums ?
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Ludwig-Clas...300?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f315eae4

Hi there...

Firstly - if you want a modern approximation of Vintage Ludwig drums - then you want to look to the Ludwig "Legacy Classic" series not the Classic Maples. The Legacy Classics are thin shelled with reinforcing rings just like the Ludwig drums of old. The Classic Maples are more modern with straight shells and sharper bearing edges etc...

As to the value of vintage kits - there are many many factors including how complete / original they are (all the way up to original heads), condition, finish, year of manufacture etc...

Also - drums are not like vintage guitars... they are not really seen as investment pieces by non-drummers - so the market is much more inconsistent in terms of actual values. They sell for what they sell for more or less.

In terms of buying vintage vs new...

I have been playing out on a 68 Ludwig Downbeat kit for the past 10 years or so and have never had any issues... people gigged 'em back in the 60's - so seems like they should stand up to the road now IMO.

But - if you don't want to fight a bit with the old style hardware - then the newer Luddies are the way to go as they still have the vintage sound / feel with more modern / dependable hardware.

harryconway said:

Just looking at the pictures...right off the bat....​

The first kit (expensive) looks to be all original. A collectors kit.​

The second (affordable) has a Yamaha tom mount added to it, holes where the Ludwig rail consolette was, and somebody switched out the original Ludwig spurs for Yamaha spurs. A players kit.​

If "visual" bang for your buck, is what you want, in terms of looking cool ... go Vistalite. Even "non-drummers" can see the difference. Clear/see thru shells vs. wood/wrap shells. Only other "drummers" will know the differences between vintage 3-ply keystone badge Luddies, 6 ply blue/olive badge Luddies, or brand new Luddies.​

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Just keep in mind your current/future playing situations.

I've heard Vistalites are a little one-dimensional; they're pretty loud. I've also heard they are difficult to tune. I don't know about that one though.

However, they are really cool drums.

brady said:

Just keep in mind your current/future playing situations.

I've heard Vistalites are a little one-dimensional; they're pretty loud. I've also heard they are difficult to tune. I don't know about that one though.

However, they are really cool drums.

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Having bought a 18x16 Vistalite floor tom and a chrome-o-vista kit and messing around with them for the past few months I agree the things are LOUD.They really cut through, and I love that about them. The 18 is Louder than my other 2 18x16's and louder than my maple 18x18 (same heads/tension on all 4). However I don't find them harder to tune at all, infact with the internal mufflers I dialed in a killer sound rather quickly. I also think they sound great. I have used some of them on recordings, and was very happy with how they turned out.Obviously they might not be the best for 100% of musicial situations, but I think there more versitile then people often give them credit for. I will say however I don't love the sound of my 14x6 piglite snare, but acrylic toms/bass get a big thumbs up from me. I'd try them out if you ever get a chance you never know you might like them.

As far as vintage vs new. All my stuff from the 70's and early 80's hold up fine to gigging/frequent use. As far as hardware I have the vintage toms in modern rims mounts so no extra holes or anything and I can remove them if need be. Everything else is fine and I always move them in hard road cases.

Is it just me, or does photo #2 make anyone else cringe? Man, I can't tell you how many great vintage kits like pic #2 I have seen on forums and Ebay where people have made mods using other people's gear. I understand if you're in a pinch, have no money, or can't locate the original gear, but dang...I believe the old adage is true---"old wood, new hardware", but I hate seeing someone mess up perfectly good vintage kits with "pawn shop" mentality. The resale value is totally flushed at this point.

thanks for hte answers!

as for the snare, a lot of this kits bring a snare matching the kit, usually wood or acrilic... and someone up there said the acrilic snare drum doesnt have that good of a sound. that, and the fact that i've seen many drummers change the snare drum to a suphrasonic snare drum. Is that a good option ? as i've seen that suphrasonic snare drums aren't that expensive either ...

also i've seen all the legacy series and i dont like the measurements... they seem too deep!! the only one i really love is the liverpool 4 , but that one seems to expensive, thoungh my teacher has one with a suphrasonic snare drum, best sounding drum kit i've ever heard. She has her bass drum with nothing inside it, is it sounds massive... its also really hard to play because of all the vibration of the drumhead after you hit it

ak0uz said:

thanks for hte answers!

as for the snare, a lot of this kits bring a snare matching the kit, usually wood or acrilic... and someone up there said the acrilic snare drum doesnt have that good of a sound. that, and the fact that i've seen many drummers change the snare drum to a suphrasonic snare drum. Is that a good option ? as i've seen that suphrasonic snare drums aren't that expensive either ...

also i've seen all the legacy series and i dont like the measurements... they seem too deep!! the only one i really love is the liverpool 4 , but that one seems to expensive, thoungh my teacher has one with a suphrasonic snare drum, best sounding drum kit i've ever heard. She has her bass drum with nothing inside it, is it sounds massive... its also really hard to play because of all the vibration of the drumhead after you hit it

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Too deep? Legacy Classic kits are available in all the classic depths... Again - they are designed to reproduce the sound and feel of the originals. You can custom order a Legacy Classic kit in the depths you want.

The Supraphonic is a fantastic snare and one of the most popular drums in history... It has been used on may famous recordings and works well for many styles of music. I highly recommend picking one up. I have a 68 Supra and it's my go-to drum for most things these days.

A thread for everyone...I have a new set of Ludwig Classic Maple and they are great...Large sizes (11x13 smallest Tom) but that's the way I like it...I'm looking at a set of '69 Ludwig's and now realized didn't check to see if they are reinforced thin shelled or straight shells...Bowling Ball Blue wrap is in really nice shape, chrome and rims 8 out of 10 (Mostly clean up & touch up required)...22x14 kick - 12 - 13 - 16 Toms and 5x14 Chrome Snare (The Strainer kind of sticks out quite a bit, Is this a Super Sensitive Strainer ?)...Badges real nice and all close in numbering and Speed King Pedal very cool shape with original stands and cases (Hard cardboard black instrument things)...One original owner from Police Band...No not those Police...All original Heads ! They had it listed at $ 2,999.00 but just dropped it down to $ 1,999.00...I'd do Lay Away plan for maybe 4 months or so
(Anti-Wife Kit Purchase Tracking Device)...I've checked E-Bay and maybe $1,500 ? I want vintage kit and this set of Ludwig's right in my town...New heads (I've got already, spares) and bit elbow grease and maybe kick hoops refinished (Straight black but I'd put to original as anything else...No screwing with '69 stuff)...What would you think these would be worth ? I'm from BC too...Peace y'all...

This is '69 Ludwig Kit in which determining value for purchase...Please see previous rant...Thanks...

RodneyZepa said:

A thread for everyone...II'm looking at a set of '69 Ludwig's and now realized didn't check to see if they are reinforced thin shelled or straight shells......

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RodneyZepa said:

They had it listed at $ 2,999.00 but just dropped it down to $ 1,999.00...I'd do Lay Away plan for maybe 4 months or so
(Anti-Wife Kit Purchase Tracking Device)...I've checked E-Bay and maybe $1,500 ? ...

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Thank you Mr. Conway...Very much appreciated...I'm just about to head down to Drum Shop and look at the Snare a bit closer...Of course Salesman told me Snare is worth $1,000 by itself...Which could be but it does need some work...I'm going to arrange for setting up and try them out...All the Best...

utdrummer said:

Is it just me, or does photo #2 make anyone else cringe? Man, I can't tell you how many great vintage kits like pic #2 I have seen on forums and Ebay where people have made mods using other people's gear. I understand if you're in a pinch, have no money, or can't locate the original gear, but dang...I believe the old adage is true---"old wood, new hardware", but I hate seeing someone mess up perfectly good vintage kits with "pawn shop" mentality. The resale value is totally flushed at this point.

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Yeah, I know what you mean, but at least the hardware is fairly inconspicuous. It's not like, like he's got RIMS on the toms, or an over-sized tom arm. But, yeah, if you're selling a vintage kit, it makes sense to sell it with the old hardware.

I have a Ludwig five piece, large toms, no reinforcing rings, butcher block finish, olive badge.
I have a real chrome supraphonic from the sixties with keystone badge ( and lots of pitting). I added that later and swear by it for paying live,

It is very well made and the shells are clear coated inside.

My question: does the lack of thin three ply shells with reinforcing rings shoot the whole resale price? Thay sound great even with those terrible center dot remo heads. Mine are clear with silver dots (circles)

Let me know. If it has potential I will replace those heads with something good...

I just met Tony Coleman, drummer for BB King, and he was asked about Vistalites. His reply, " they are pretty. I played them for a while and they are...pretty."

utdrummer said:

Is it just me, or does photo #2 make anyone else cringe? Man, I can't tell you how many great vintage kits like pic #2 I have seen on forums and Ebay where people have made mods using other people's gear. I understand if you're in a pinch, have no money, or can't locate the original gear, but dang...I believe the old adage is true---"old wood, new hardware", but I hate seeing someone mess up perfectly good vintage kits with "pawn shop" mentality. The resale value is totally flushed at this point.

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But back when most people made mods, they aren't thinking "collectors" or "vintage".
They were just drums.

I have a 14x24 Ludwig that is 3ply, and HAD a clear interior. It also HAD the small curved spurs.
It WAS a virgin drum too.
I got 2 of them in 1980. Back then they were just "old drums", and everyone was using thicker shells. NO ONE wanted these drums. They were old news.

In 1987 I installed Yamaha mounts, and turned the inside Black.
It has a Black Cortex finish, but has road rash from not having cases when I was young.

I took off the mount, and it's filled. The interior is still black (I sold the other bass drum with some odd toms as a kit in 1990).
The other holes for the spurs were filled too, a long time ago, and not with wood filler.
Looks clean from the outside, but not inside.

Even with all that, the drum itself sounds fantastic.

I get what you are saying, but that's today's thinking, not what anyone (other than a few collectors) was thinking back in the 80's, 90's and even into the 2000's.

I can say "If I only knew" but, whatcanyado? I still love the drum, even though "it's ruined" as far as anything but playing it.

Scott Mulder said:

I have a Ludwig five piece, large toms, no reinforcing rings, butcher block finish, olive badge.
I have a real chrome supraphonic from the sixties with keystone badge ( and lots of pitting). I added that later and swear by it for paying live,

It is very well made and the shells are clear coated inside.

My question: does the lack of thin three ply shells with reinforcing rings shoot the whole resale price? Thay sound great even with those terrible center dot remo heads. Mine are clear with silver dots (circles)

Let me know. If it has potential I will replace those heads with something good...

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The 3 ply maple shells,with rerings are some of the best sounding Ludwigs ever made,and are more collectable.Your drums sound like 6 ply maple,and were made in 76 and later.You can date them using the serial numbers on the blue and olive badges,up to early 80's.

Those series of shells are becoming more collectable.They sound great as well.Just remember...NO modifications,and use original parts if something breaks.

Steve B

Re: Ludwig Classic Maple

Помогите определить год выпуска таких барабанов.Два значка на 14" томе и на 13 .

Re: Ludwig Classic Maple

serzh55 said:

Помогите определить год выпуска таких барабанов.Два значка на 14" томе и на 13 .

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Huh?.............................

while we're on topic... i am looking into getting a new kit, most likely come tax return time. am thinking a classic maple. after playing on hand-me-downs i bought a catalina club mod kit, new (whenever they first came out), before i had any real understanding of what i was looking for. i don't feel comfortable playing them and i can't get them sounding great (aside from the bass drum).

i love these two kits. sizes are slightly different and i believe the fab22 is on the newer end of these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ludwig-Clas.../290925989207?pt=US_Drums&hash=item43bc8a4d57

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ludwig-Clas...d=100011&prg=8234&rk=2&rkt=5&sd=190894443219&

are those priced fairly? i have never dove into the world of higher end drums, so i don't really know how to gauge it. is their ever any wiggle room at drum shops?

and to ak0uz, i've always loved the champagne sparkle... here's a kit on GC's website:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Stor...M-KIT-CHAMPAGNE-SPARKLE-109355008-i3367155.gc

personally, if i had the money now i'd pick those up. i like the thought of having two floor toms.