Questions for Ludwig Classic Maple owners....

elosarma · #1 05-11-2011, 12:52 AM

Hey guys, im ordering my classic maple and am working on filling out the spreadsheet supplied by my local music store..I have a couple questions about some of the options I have to decide about:
__________________________________________________ ___________________________
Re; tom brackets - are the 'keystone brackets' plastic? if you have the other brackets (either elite or classic) plz comment

re; 'shell mount' option on bass drum - what exactly is this?

re; snare drum hoops - what is the difference between the 'die cast' and the 'triple flanged', and which did you choose?

re; the 'broken glass glitter finishes'; are these finishes 'wraps', or are they painted on?

finally, which is more gangsta - the 'keystone' badge or the 'blue/olive' badge?
__________________________________________________ _______________________
hopefully someone can help me out :) thanks guys

bermuda · #2 05-11-2011, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Re; tom brackets - are the 'keystone brackets' plastic? if you have the other brackets (either elite or classic) plz comment

Not plastic, not sure where that info comes from. I have classic brackets on my floor toms, and Keystone brackets on my rack toms (with RIMS.) The Keystones really grip well, but for floor toms, the Classic is less bulky and holds just fine.

Quote:

re; 'shell mount' option on bass drum - what exactly is this?

Probably means a tom holder mount, possibly a rail consolette?

Quote:

re; snare drum hoops - what is the difference between the 'die cast' and the 'triple flanged', and which did you choose?

Die cast are heavier hoops and tend to accentuate the higs on snares and toms. Triple flange is the more common hoop and tend to make drums sound a little warmer or fuller. I have triple flange on all toms and most snares, but some snares have diecast. It's just a personal preference, no right or wrong.

Quote:

re; the 'broken glass glitter finishes'; are these finishes 'wraps', or are they painted on?

They're wraps, and probably not broken glass glitter, just glass glitter, which is like a sparkle on steroids. It has a broken glass look, but it's not. The colors are really vibrant though, they look great.

Quote:

finally, which is more gangsta - the 'keystone' badge or the 'blue/olive' badge?

Again, a personal preference. B/O has more of a '70s vibe and is pretty cool on its own.

Bermuda

goatatl · #3 05-11-2011, 06:14 AM

You didn't mention, but if it's an option, the curved retracting bass drum spurs are WAAY more gangsta than the new, generic looking ones (IMO)

Artstar · #4 05-11-2011, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goatatl

You didn't mention, but if it's an option, the curved retracting bass drum spurs are WAAY more gangsta than the new, generic looking ones (IMO)

Yes, those are badasss.. also those new Keystone brackets are too cool for school ! Use em' all around IMO !!!!

IDDrummer · #5 05-11-2011, 04:43 PM

I got the Elite bracket on my rack tom, and it is essentially a RIMS mount. As far as the bass drum shell mount option, they are just asking if you want a tom mount installed on the bass drum (vs virgin). There are a couple of tom mounts available.

I got the blue glass glitter, and MAN is it a great finish. I have read (maybe at precision drum?) that the glass glitters do actually have bits of broken glass in them and they are very brittle to work with, but I don't know that for sure. All I know is, it's a great wrap!

You can see the elite tom mount pretty well in this pic.

Chunkaway · #6 05-11-2011, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goatatl

You didn't mention, but if it's an option, the curved retracting bass drum spurs are WAAY more gangsta than the new, generic looking ones (IMO)

They also suck WAY more for a gigging drummer. The new Elite spurs are really quick and easy to use- no muss, no fuss. The curved spurs are a pain because you have to pull them out and pull them both out all the way on both sides. There is no way to alter the height they are at (unless you have the drum just sitting on the ground.)

I had a Classic Maple kick with curved spurs and while it looked great, it sucked for gigging.

brady · #7 05-11-2011, 07:22 PM

What's "gangsta" mean?

flicky · #8 05-11-2011, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brady

What's "gangsta" mean?

Exactly.. What does that mean?

Artstar · #9 05-11-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brady

What's "gangsta" mean?

Just means it's "cool" or "slick" in a certain way.

flicky · #10 05-11-2011, 10:43 PM

oh...lol That makes sense now. I didn't know if it was some sort of mod guys are doing to kicks..lol

elosarma · #11 05-12-2011, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IDDrummer

I got the Elite bracket on my rack tom, and it is essentially a RIMS mount.

do you know the model # for the stand your rack tom is attached too? theres a couple in the Ludwig PDF for their products, just wanna know which you have?
and that finish is killer!

elosarma · #12 05-12-2011, 10:59 PM

any of you guys use the 'sliding rail' rack tom mount???

the only downside of it, may possibly be mobility of the rack tom- and setting it exactly where you'd like it to be - since its going to be restricted in a sense...maybe im wrong? im getting a 20' bass drum, so maybe that wont really matter, since I wont have the height restriction that a 22' would subject me to.....

IDDrummer · #13 05-13-2011, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elosarma

do you know the model # for the stand your rack tom is attached too? theres a couple in the Ludwig PDF for their products, just wanna know which you have?
and that finish is killer!

Well, that's kind of a Franken-stand! The cymbal stand itself is a Pacific (PDP) boom stand, the clamp is a Mapex, and the tom arm is a Tama with the omni ball. I scrounged the bits and pieces from local music stores, so I don't really know the model numbers! Ludwig offers a more efficient mount anyway, and the model # is LR257STH. It clamps directly to a cymbal stand. http://www.interstatemusic.com/webap...product_133690

Also, I got the Elite bracket with the Vibraband on that rack tom, which is the RIMS-type mount, rather than mounting the bracket to the shell. I realized that wasn't clear in my first post.

I have used a rail-type mount in the past, and they will work fine. Any mount attached directly to the bass drum will limit positioning somewhat, which is why I went with the idea of mounting on a cymbal stand, but truthfully any of the current hardware will position the tom in a usable position. If you like the rail mount, go for it!

elosarma · #14 05-14-2011, 06:03 PM

how do you like the vibraband? do u find it keeps the tom tight and snug on the band, or that its hanging? - i guess it depends how tight your heads are on too

do you have any more close up pics like the one you posted...Im on the verge of buying, i just wanna see what your keystone and elite lugs actually look like.

IDDrummer · #15 05-14-2011, 06:40 PM

The tom hangs in the Vibraband, but it's a "controlled" hang - it fits onto 4 of the six tension rods. I don't think you could tighten a head enough to squeeze the rubber grommets on the band - there is plenty of clearance.

I may have some other pics, but nothing really closer, and I also don't have any of the Keystone accessories except the badges. My lugs are Mini Classics. The tom mount, floor tom brackets, and spurs are all Elite.

BTW, I used those curved bass drum spurs in the 80s and strongly prefer the Elite spurs for convenience and function. But either will work fine.