Ludwig sound

R

Rolltide

Active Member
Why do Ludwig drums sound so good ? 7 Ply Maple with 45 degree edges, why is that special vs. Gretsch that has , maple/Gum - Die cast hoops - silver sealer etc.
 
drums are events. the events are done by a drummer along with drums. It's the drummer that creates the events.

Now Ludwig? I go back to a 62-63 set - my very first set in 1969. Keystone badge 20/12/12/16/ probably brass supra/ cases/ stands/ 20/18/14s A Zildjians . $225 out of the local paper-or a tip friend of my dad's

Airy drums. 3 ply maple poplar maple with re ring. Sometimes there was a mahogany ply in one of the drums. Some were painted white inside some weren't
triple flange hoops probably brass the Supra was probably brass too. I don't recall any pits. Nothing cheap nothing was scrimped on (ie no 6L fts or 6L bds) The standard for most companies then was Pro.
I do remember I tuned them a lot a and all the tones weren't exactly sweet and in harmony.


Regardless it's the Drummer that sets the events
the drums +/- are just 'in the' way.. a vehicle to creating events

JDA1969.jpg
1969
 
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I agree with what I think I interpret jda to say: often what sounds “so good” is the music, the vibe, the playing, the mix, the moment in cultural context, the intoxicants, the beautiful people we were with, and everything else but the material physical parts of the drums themselves. But of course the drums are real physical things we can buy, so we buy them to relive the moment it meant something and felt amazing.

As long as the construction quality and formula works well enough, we can easily convince ourselves that Ludwig or Gretsch or whatever is the unbeatable secret sauce.
 
I always go back to what was important here at 1:28
what snare or the timing of the event?

Right. Drums are events

"Event-creators"
that's the definition of percussive I think +/-
Drums are events in time
 
Ludwig's US-made shells are formed in molds without using heat. They send a radio-frequency down the shell that essentially vibrates the glue into the plies and bonds them differently enough to affect the sound. I believe they also use a proprietary 'glue'.
 
Rolltide said:
How do the Brooklyns stack up against Ludwig Classics?
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I had a friend who usually used Classics and had a Brooklyn bop kit. Both sets were amazing. Shame he died last year.
 
bermuda said:
Ludwig's US-made shells are formed in molds without using heat. They send a radio-frequency down the shell that essentially vibrates the glue into the plies and bonds them differently enough to affect the sound. I believe they also use a proprietary 'glue'.
Click to expand...
So really Ludwigs should have been called radio king's LOL Or maybe radio wave kings.
 
bermuda said:
Ludwig's US-made shells are formed in molds without using heat. They send a radio-frequency down the shell that essentially vibrates the glue into the plies and bonds them differently enough to affect the sound.
Click to expand...
The "Radio Frequency Shell Technology". I'd love to see that machine.
bermuda said:
I believe they also use a proprietary 'glue'.
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I'm guessing (hoping?) that every major drum brand manufacturer uses their own proprietary glue. But maybe, since none of the big brands (except Ludwig and British Drum Co.) tout their glue as proprietary, they all use Elmer's.
 

Historic Fact​

Ludwig's 3-ply shell formula was unveiled in 1923; at the time touted as being built "...in accordance with the recognized correct principles used in the manufacture of airplanes." This classic construction evolved into a sound that captured the attention of generations of drummers.

Mr. Ludwig must've been onto something...
 
speaking of Glue there's a story in Chet Falzerano's Gretsch book back 40s early 50s when made their own three ply shells in the Brooklyn building
a shell came out of the mould and a foreman or so sliced his hand on the dried glue squeezed out of the edge. Nice huh.. (sorry :)
It was animal glue (whatever that meant)
 
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