Black Beauty lives up to the hype!!!

LedFoot

Member
Just got a hammered 6.5x15 black beauty!! Wow!! Amazing drum worth every penny even just as shipped!!
 
Same. I just bought a 6.5X14 BB with the Brass Die Cast Hoops and Hardware. Was nearly a grand but man, its something else
 
I picked up a BB in 2015-ish. Very stock LB-417 (no die cast, no hammered, old P85, just a straight up BB). It was extremely nice drum. It was a quick CL sale at $500 after my GeorgeWay arrived.

Nothing but good things to say about the drum even though I prefer my GW. I found it to be a fairly faithful reproduction of the BB's of yesteryear.
 
I picked up a 5" deep Black Beauty in 2009, and a 6.5" deep Black Beauty in 2013. Although I have thirty snare drums to choose from, I've done more gigs with my 5" deep BB than any other.

Congratulations!
 
I'm happy to hear that you guys love your Black Beauties. I've played them back-to-back with other Ludwig snares and competitors' snares of the same size (5.5" only; haven't played the 6.5") and, honestly, outside of the natural variances that occur among drums, I just couldn't hear anything superior to the BB.

I'll confess that I'm far from a connoisseur of fine snare drums, so it's highly possible that I just don't hear as well as other folks. I'm pleased as punch with almost any snare that falls between my legs as long as I have a minute or two to tune it to my liking, so I'm sure that I don't rank among the discerners of quality sonics.

GeeDeeEmm
 
I'm happy to hear that you guys love your Black Beauties. I've played them back-to-back with other Ludwig snares and competitors' snares of the same size (5.5" only; haven't played the 6.5") and, honestly, outside of the natural variances that occur among drums, I just couldn't hear anything superior to the BB.

I'll confess that I'm far from a connoisseur of fine snare drums, so it's highly possible that I just don't hear as well as other folks. I'm pleased as punch with almost any snare that falls between my legs as long as I have a minute or two to tune it to my liking, so I'm sure that I don't rank among the discerners of quality sonics.

GeeDeeEmm

Unless the mix is really sparse, and/or you’re playing a solo, it’s hard to hear the difference between snares. We obsess over differences that most people don’t notice
 
Unless the mix is really sparse, and/or you’re playing a solo, it’s hard to hear the difference between snares. We obsess over differences that most people don’t notice
The audience can't tell the difference. Same with guitars, clarinets, harpsichords, washboards, jews harps, and so on. As drummers we hear the differences just like a guitarist will tell you the Gibson Les Paul is the ultimate electric guitar. Or is it the Fender Stratocaster. Might be the Gretsch Highlander or Ibanez Chihuahua. I'm not sure.
 

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Classic and a great drum. I don't use mine much for regular kit playing, but for orchestral and low volume brush'n'rod stuff.
 
Great timing, I just pulled out my 5" engraved Black Beauty to use tomorrow night at my gig.
I have owned mine since 2009 ( it has the 100th Anniversary badge) and had not been using it
that often. I pulled it out a month ago and was kicking myself for neglecting such fantastic snare drum.
Ludwig really got it right with the Black Beauty. Like the OP, I prefer the 5" Black Beauty to the 6.5"
 
Wow...you might have a problem ? and thanx I’m lovin it!!

I don't think of it as a problem, I think of it as thirty different solutions. ;) :D
 
I miss playing my BB. May just get it out of storage to hear it.

Great, great drums. Especially in the studio.
 
outside of the natural variances that occur among drums, I just couldn't hear anything superior to the BB.

I'll confess that I'm far from a connoisseur of fine snare drums, so it's highly possible that I just don't hear as well as other folks. I'm pleased as punch with almost any snare that falls between my legs as long as I have a minute or two to tune it to my liking, so I'm sure that I don't rank among the discerners of quality sonics.
What really sets one snare drum apart from others is its responsiveness to different dynamics (how hard you strike it), different tensions (how tight/loose the heads are), strainer functionality (how easy is it to adjust and whether it retains its setting), and overall tone "color". It really takes some time with a drum to discern its overall mojo, and whether it really stands out from other models.
 
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What really sets one snare drum apart from others is its responsiveness to different dynamics (how hard you strike it), different tensions (how tight/loose the heads are), strainer functionality (how easy is it to adjust and whether it retains its setting), and overall tone "color". It really takes some time with a drum to discern its overall mojo, and whether it really stands out from other models.


Definetly. Even as a pretty well seasoned guitar player before I took to this instrument, it's taken many years and many drums to really know snares and understand why I like something and what I feel works.

As with guitar my starting point was drums I liked the recorded or live sound of from other players, what I liked in a band mix and my ears have been tuned around that.
 
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