Ludwig Fans?

greenstar323

Senior Member
I realized that all my favorite snares are made by Ludwig.... supraphonic, black beauty (even tho I don't own one... YET), and acrolite. I have a Ludwig breakbeats kit that I absolutely love for the quality, price, and transportability.

It kinda had me thinking why I never considered buying a real Ludwig kit before. I'm trying to save money for a house after which I would buy my dream kit. Perhaps I should start considering a Ludwig. The Centennial Dragster looks pretty sweet with a 22" bass drum. I guess I just always assumed they come with 24" or 26" bass drums.

Any Ludwig fans here? (Of their new kits... not necessarily the vintage kits) I mostly just hear about people raving about their Mapex Saturns on here.
 
I have been a Ludwig fan for 40 years. Love those drums and that sound. I have also been out spoken from time to time about their resistance to innovative change, such as offering $800 snares with P-85 throw offs on them, with no drum key adjustment. As of late, they came out with the Atlas throw off. It is largely untested, but I remain hopeful that it might end up on all of their snares. But on the whole, nothing sounds as good as a Ludwig metal snare drum to my ear. Love the classic maples also!
 
Just saw this thread and figured it might be a good place to look for help. I am looking at getting a new kit and I'm looking at the Ludwig centennial zep kit. Anyone play these and are they any good?

Thanks in advance!
 
You would be better off in the long run to look for a used Classic Maple or Legacy Classic or vintage Ludwig kit . They sound better and are better made than a Centennial kit which is an offshore manufactured kit.
 
I am a fan. I suppose.

I like that you can get Ludwig Classic Maples in many size and finish configurations, all while being made in America. And, you can get a new kit made here without going broke. I have had my Ludwigs for a a little over a year and they put a smile on my face every time I sit down behind my kit. Not too shabby to look at either. LOL.

I would say play something that makes you happy that is within your budget. If you are trying to spend less, keep your eyes open for good used gear. It pays to be patient sometimes.
 

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I am a fan but I do have a vintage kit.

I think if you are looking at Ludwig you have to decide if you want an offshore kit or one made in Monroe.

I have zero experience with an offshore kit so maybe they can be tuned up and sound great. Its just important to compare apples to apples. They also have that entry level Accent kit. I have heard a lot of good comments on the Centennial sets.

But those are not in the same class as the legacy three plys. I am sure the newer 6 plys are great too but I have zero experience with them.

I know that my set, even at 40+ years old, sounds fantastic and can probably be sold for what I paid for them. You do have to dig and search and be skeptical but there are some pristine older drums out there with years of life left on them.
 
I personally have owned a Ludwig 'Zepp" Centenial kit just wish that they had the foresight to add/inc a 14" rack tom instead of a 13".The shells are Ludwig's sourced from Monroe it's just the assembly&hardware that's Taiwanese because apparently the chroming process is better quality then what can be done in the USA(&cheaper too) i wish i still had mine! :(.
 
Count me as a fan too. A year ago I got a new classic maple kit, 18, 12, 14. Love it. Happened into a vintage 3ply kit not long after, 22,13,16 including a 14x8 supra, full set of zildjiians, and all the matching original hardware, including speed king pedal. That set has really brought joy to my world. If I could figure out how to arrange it, I would add a 14x6 black beauty, and also a stainless kit. I really can't explain my obsession with the Luddies now, but it's real. My new classic maple is beautifully crafted, and recorded super well. The old kit has a completely different vibe. Sounds totally different. The two toms are killer. 13 and 16. Just perfect.
 
Hell, I love their element birch kits! And those are cheap!
Few years ago I borrowed some cheap luddys. No badges just the stock kick head to go by. Beat to death, dented heads, bubbling wrap, baseball bat edges... sounded aweful until I slapped new heads on and they sounded amazing. No matter what line, every ludwig I have touched I can get a good sound from. I'm a fan for sure!
 
Just saw this thread and figured it might be a good place to look for help. I am looking at getting a new kit and I'm looking at the Ludwig centennial zep kit. Anyone play these and are they any good?

Thanks in advance!

I've had this kit for a little over 2 years and it is WELL worth the price. The drums sound great and the silver sparkle finish looks really great in person. I was nervous about getting them because I couldn't test one out in person and see what they looked like but they look amazing. I would still be a little leery of the Natural finish, though.

The only "issue" one might have is that the hardware and the 2.3 mm hoops look a LITTLE on the cheap side compared to the rest of the kit. Otherwise, the build is great for this price and the shells are thin and light weight. I also own a Gretsch Renown and these are right up there with them.

Not sure what the other reply referenced but the Zip kit comes with a 14" rack tom just in case there was some confusion.

Short Answer: GET THEM! You will not be disappointed.
 
I love Ludwig, they just seem to be...a little behind in certain areas. Their website reeks of the 90s. And I'm anti-wrap, if I'm shelling out big bucks for a kit it should have a finish on it. Although I do love my Club Date SE.

I know they offer some lacquer finishes, but lets be honest, all you ever see are wraps.

Though my main kit is a Mapex, my main snare is an 85 Supra, and I'm also using the Atlas pedal. Great to see they seriously stepped up their hardware game the last few years, something I thought we would never see.
 
I agree about the lacquer finishes.

If I'm being honest, I would buy any of their drums in a heartbeat if they only came in a tobacco burst finish. It's kinda my wearnest when I see a kit in tobacco burst.
 
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