Ludwig Classic maple "Hepcat"

Vandalay

Member
Saw this online, pretty much identical to the downbeat, except the kick is 20 x 12 instead of 20 x 14. And for some reason a higher price tag. Is it a limited edition?

 
No idea what Hepcat means, but it looks to be a special edition based off the Blue and Olive badge.

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Here's the "Heritage Green" version...

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I swear I don't get it??? What does this set bring to anyone's drumming? To me, the price seems ridiculous. Heads, tuning, style, and cymbals all mean a hell of a lot more. All of these inflated drum set prices have gone stupid silly! They do look nice, but I'd sweat bullets loading and unloading them? Too much money.
 
DCP seems to be the only source I can find. Maybe they had Ludwig make them a few.
 
$2,500 + is a LOT of money for a three piece kit with no snare in two bad colors. Just saying.

Also, the Heritage Green has modern spurs while the Heritage Blue has the pain in the a** removeable spurs.
That price is ridiculous.

I would rather pay less and get an Oriollo aluminum kit. Result? Sounds great/just as good as the Ludwig, you pick your finish, and the drums are way more durable.
 
I'm probably alone on this, but I like the green. I dont like the white inlays on the hoops though. Just keep it all green.

That being said, I dont like it $2500 much.
 
I think Ludwig is capitalizing on the hep 50s working jazz drummer. Which is another reason DW did the frequent flyer. Stan Levey used to play a Ludwig kit with a 12x20 bass drum. That little bit of extra narrowness did make moving stuff about in a cab a lot easier. Can’t blame ‘em. Ludwig was there then and likes to remind everybody that they were and they’re a legacy brand. It’ll sell.
 
That price is ridiculous.

I would rather pay less and get an Oriollo aluminum kit. Result? Sounds great/just as good as the Ludwig, you pick your finish, and the drums are way more durable.

One word: Resell

Even ugly Ludwig finishes will have much better resell value than the Oriollos. I know, I know...you’ll “definitely“ keep this set forever. Except life doesn’t work that way. So, knowing I’ll be selling these drums someday would influence my choice. Wouldn’t make the final decision for me, but I’m not interested in losing a ton of money on my drums. Take a look at the ugly white and green/blue oyster thing Ludwig did a while back. Those things are in pretty high demand and I would bet they will only increase in cost on the resale market.
 
That price is ridiculous.

I would rather pay less and get an Oriollo aluminum kit. Result? Sounds great/just as good as the Ludwig, you pick your finish, and the drums are way more durable.
Ludwig seems to have lost more dignity lately, what with these new variations of snare drum models, and way over-priced !
You mention Oriollo, and I've seen and tried a few of their snare drums that were simply fantastic sounding and superbly constructed.
 
I just realized that half of the shell is poplar! Inner and outer plies are maple, the rest is poplar. I know that was Ludwig's shell formula from their vintage days, but now, they are plenty of actual all maple kits for WAAAAAAY cheaper. Would you pay that price, even for a "Legacy" brand, for drums that are 50% Poplar?
 
I think these 2 Ludwig kits are overpriced but I don’t think the standard Ludwig Classic Oak and Classic Maple kits are over priced.

If I compare my last 2 kits... the Ludwig classic Oak and the Sonor SQ1... the SQ1 cost 2700 for a 3 piece kit while my 4 piece Classic oak Tennessee whiskey cost me 1900 from Sweetwater. But if I had to re-price these kits based on how good they sound, it would be the classic Oak that sounds better than the SQ1.. even though one is 800 bucks cheaper.
I still can’t get the bass drum to sound any where close to as good as my Ludwig kit.


I’d venture to say that a 2100 Ludwig Classic maple kit sounds better than drums that cost 1000 or more.

So while I do think that Ludwig drove up their prices a bit, I still think the actual sounds you get from the kit is worth every penny
 
I just realized that half of the shell is poplar! Inner and outer plies are maple, the rest is poplar. I know that was Ludwig's shell formula from their vintage days, but now, they are plenty of actual all maple kits for WAAAAAAY cheaper. Would you pay that price, even for a "Legacy" brand, for drums that are 50% Poplar?

This is under the assumption that 'pure' species shells are superior which is highly debatable. We can look at Gretsch flagships USA/Brooklyn/BroadC all are hybrid shells and sound great (though I know the Renowns are talked about highly here). One could also argue there are cheaper all-birch alternatives than Recording Customs but overlooks other various details. Ludwig actually admitted they had challenges trying to recreate their 3-ply Legacy shell, maybe because that popular ply is so thick (?). For the money and this shell formula, I'd probably go for a new WFLlll right now over a Legacy...I think they just sound superior along with a lineage. The rules on price to wood gave been bent too. I grew up hearing Philippine/Luan is crap Mahog and now C&C uses it now with much popularity. Even Craviotto made poplar solid shells and now N&C has a tulip line (sort of an extension of poplar).
 
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