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.