Ludwig Fan Club

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...these are the Ludwigs that I picked up this past summer.

from behind

from the front

My old Ludwigs, I was sorry to see these ones go.

There is a story behind these drums. The snare is a Premier supra-faux-nic

I called this my MCA kit,(mixed clear acrylic) It had a Vistalite bass drum, Zickos 18x18" floor tom, Fibes 13x9" rack tom, and a 14x5" solid black vistalite snare.

The only drums that I have from these ones is the Fab Faux kit.

Like most over fourty year olds, I have a soft spot for Ludwig, and will probably own another kit when one falls in my lap.

barry
 
Were those Ludwig Jazzette kits also available with a 14x18" bass drum instead of the more shallow 12x18"?

Karl, technically speaking, the 12 x 18" Bass, along with an 8 x 12" & 14 x 14" FT, is what makes a Ludwig "Jazzette," a true Jazzette......

With that said, there was nothing stopping someone from walking into a Ludwig Dealer back when the Jazzette was listed in the Catalogs (late 60's, early to mid-70's) and ordering their own version that had a 14 x 18" Bass since the "larger size" was available as a Component Drum.

LVDC
 
Heres my kit....BIG little kit!
 

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Ludwig lovers,

Any thoughts on Ludwig Accent Custom Elites? There is a set for sale in my area. Thoughts on quality, sound, decent price? They are 2 years old.

Thanks for any feedback.
 
I'm now a fan of Ludwig snare drums. My new 6.5x14 Classic Maple in Macassar Ebony:
 

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Karl, technically speaking, the 12 x 18" Bass, along with an 8 x 12" & 14 x 14" FT, is what makes a Ludwig "Jazzette," a true Jazzette......

With that said, there was nothing stopping someone from walking into a Ludwig Dealer back when the Jazzette was listed in the Catalogs (late 60's, early to mid-70's) and ordering their own version that had a 14 x 18" Bass since the "larger size" was available as a Component Drum.

LVDC

Hey,
thanks very much for your answer, helps a lot!
I was just looking at some vintage sets in a German vintage drum shop (www.magicdrum.de) and detected the Jazzette. For some sets the depth was 12"...for one green sparkle Jazzette the bass drum depth was missing...so I was wondering.

Are those made from Mahagoni btw? African Mahagoni...or a completely different wood?

Karl
 
I was just looking at some vintage sets in a German vintage drum shop (www.magicdrum.de) and detected the Jazzette. For some sets the depth was 12"...for one green sparkle Jazzette the bass drum depth was missing...so I was wondering.
Are those made from Mahagoni btw? African Mahagoni...or a completely different wood?

You're welcome Karl!
For the most part, any 1960's Ludwig, with "Classic Shells," should be 3-ply, African Mahogany / Poplar / African Mahogany for the Toms with Maple / Poplar / Maple on the Bass, both types having Rock Maple Re-Rings. In the very late 60's Ludwig did start switching over from Mahogany to Maple, eventually phasing the Mahogany out of the picture.............

With that said, I'm not so sure about the Shells on the Jazzette, which was Ludwig's "Top of the Line Outfit" while it was around............

Below you will see it's Catalog debut, which it made in 1966.
To purists, this configuration, with one of the listed finishes, is the true Jazzette and is probably the most sought after Ludwig Outfit today.
Most "Jazzette" Kit's one comes across were either ordered as individual Drums, kinda like a Kit Builder deal, or pieced together from different Kits over the years.......

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The Jazzette remained this way in the Catalogs until around 1974, at that time the description was changed a little reading "High Quality Shells," with a Mahogany Cortex Finish shown. The sizes remained the same but this was the last time that the Jazzette was shown with the 18-inch Bass Drum. The next time it was shown, which I think was the last, was 1978 and by then it was simply a re-named Downbeat (14 x 20, 8 x 12 & 14 x 14,) the 12 x 18 Bass wasn't even listed as a component Drum in 1978. BIG had finally taken over........

Here is the Jazzette as it appeared near the end of it's run, after "stealing" the Downbeat's configuration and kicking it out of the line-up.
Note 6-ply (Maple / Poplar) Uni-Mold Shells, which Ludwig started using around 1976.

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LVDC
 
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I've enjoyed viewing all the Great Looking Ludwig kits in this thread. After many months of waiting for different components to arrive I finally got my Ludwig kit in presentable condition.

TA, Beautiful kit!

Is that a matt finish, and shell spec's would be great?

-thx
 
TA, Beautiful kit!

Is that a matt finish, and shell spec's would be great?

-thx

Thanks Stixxs. The kit is a Classic Birch in a Satin Finish. The shells are 7 ply, 7mm thick.

18x22 Kick
5x14 Snare
10x12 Mounted Tom
14x14 Floor Tom
16x16 Floor Tom

I also have the 8x10 and 8x12 Toms though I prefer to play the 1-up 2-down configuration. BTW, your DW's in Tobacco Fade are very nice!

Hugh
 
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I'd say the SS is in a close running in a contest with Bernhard's Ringo set, LVDC's red sparkle downbeat, and Stickers champaign sparkle downbeat for best vintage ludwig :)

...These are the ones that get my vote.

Barry
 
If only I kept them!

They are quite delicious, just wish they didn't take on so much minty green tint as opposed to yellow. If they looked close to like they did when they were brand new it would be my favorite over any other finish.

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^^That is a catalog picture that came from LVDC.

...White marine pearl has always been my favorite wrap.

From your picture, it looks like the tint is even on all of the drums. I have seen some drums where the fading is blotchy and uneven.

Those silver sparklies of yours are gorgeous, and look like they came out of a time capsule. If I was faced with a choice between those two kits, I would have to get them both.

Barry
 
From your picture, it looks like the tint is even on all of the drums. I have seen some drums where the fading is blotchy and uneven.

Yeah they were very even. They were sitting in a drum collectors room for about 25 years until I bought them. He had another one exactly like it so he let them go.

I haven't seen a pristine WMP Ludwig where it still has a dominant white look to it. Very hard to come by I imagine.
 
Thanks for all the great Ludwig pics. Here are a few of my Classic Maple Cherry Zep Set:

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