It's probably that they somehow just couldn't give the support he really needed.
It may be just MY perception of Ludwig, but it seems to me, that there are a lot of people within the company that really want to do things right, and have Ludwig REALLY as a thought of Top Dog that they once were.
It just does not seem that there is one main person there that can/will say "Let's do this, whatever it takes" at Ludwig, since it is under a parent company.
It still seems like there is a dark shadow over the company still holding it back from the flood gates opening.
There's been a ton of good stuff that has come out for sure, and it can't happen all at once, but there just isn't a figure head like a John Good out there going "Heck yeah, look at THIS cool stuff!" all the time. DW has a "face". Ludwig just doesn't. WFL2 was a great Ambassador for the drums, and B3 was doing things too, but the parent company thing killed them within the masses I think.
Ludwig NOT in schools?? THAT was REALLY STUPID of Selmer to drop that ball.
What better way to get new people buying the drums every year??
It's relying on the name, endorsers, and people that are nostalgic, dig the vibe etc.. Not that the sound isn't great, I love it. The drums sound like what I want when I play.
Pearl, Tama, Yamaha, etc... never had a "face" like Ludwig, or DW, but it just seems like American drums are different, and they might need it or something.
With PP, Bill Detamore had been out there at first, Johnny Craviatto has done a drum shop tour, Fred Gretsch has come out...
Even Hagi from Yamaha came out with Billy Cobham a few years ago. Ronn Dunnett has even done a bunch of stuff to promote his great kits & gear in the last couple years at shops.
Ludwig hasn't done any of that--even with all the new ATLAS gear (that is great stuff) that has come out in the last year or so.
I've played on everything like most here, and Ludwig drums just feel, and sound right for me, so I stick with them. I've also never had any issues like others too, so if I DID, I would probably feel differently.