I went here to identify my Acrolite.
www.ludwig-drums.com
This is only 1961-1979.
I thought mine was about 1978 or so, blue and olive badge that is pointy.
It sounds so nice.
***edit, Yes I am mostly positive mine is 1978. Brother said he thinks it was a bit used when he got it in 78, but was long time ago. My rims I finally measured were 1/16th of an inch thick, or 1.6mm as are the pre 1979 ones according to post #1.***
Here is my path of discovery:
It came with the plastic case, but that does not mean anything as it was originally a rental.
My brother first got it in Fall of 78 . He thinks it had been used before/rented before.
My SN is 1682130 which puts it 1969. I think B/O badges appeared late '69.
Or, is the 1 (first number in SN) not counted in Ludwig's method.
The pointy badge, the 2-hole strainer point to 1978, but SN is way off for 78.
682xxx should be a Keystone badge or into 1980, which is after we got it.
or, the least helpful year:
If it had ben rented before then possible they did repairs with a new throw, even new rims. Current throw has 2 holes. I have not measured the rim thickness (I think early 70's shoul dhave the 1.9mm rims as mentioned above. Though, the shell is always in like-new condition, so I do not suspect it had been abused and returned to the store… This still could be a Frankenstein drum with replaced throw, different rims…
I'd like to think it is original parts.
This other site https://reverb.com/news/how-to-date-a-ludwig
shows the SN changing from a 6-digit to a 7-digit (by adding a 1) in 1976. The SN for that year is
The 1976 numbers agree with the first link I gave too.
and in 1978, when brother says he got the drum:
The 7-digit X's could fit mine, so vauge, so useless are the X's.
The next year's info is not of much help either
These two sites don't seem to agree on anything, so I am still confused.
My only conclusion if the SN is correct, and not the 1970 out-of-sequence one is that my 1 682 130 fits 1978 of X XXX XXX provided.
Strange part is if a student rents it then they start in the fall, someone would have had to rent it after the school year started, possible, but strange.
Serial Guide
I thought mine was about 1978 or so, blue and olive badge that is pointy.
It sounds so nice.
***edit, Yes I am mostly positive mine is 1978. Brother said he thinks it was a bit used when he got it in 78, but was long time ago. My rims I finally measured were 1/16th of an inch thick, or 1.6mm as are the pre 1979 ones according to post #1.***
Here is my path of discovery:
It came with the plastic case, but that does not mean anything as it was originally a rental.
My brother first got it in Fall of 78 . He thinks it had been used before/rented before.
My SN is 1682130 which puts it 1969. I think B/O badges appeared late '69.
Or, is the 1 (first number in SN) not counted in Ludwig's method.
The pointy badge, the 2-hole strainer point to 1978, but SN is way off for 78.
682xxx should be a Keystone badge or into 1980, which is after we got it.
|
1969 | 670XXX – 741215 |
or, the least helpful year:
1970 | (Out of sequence, unnumbered) |
If it had ben rented before then possible they did repairs with a new throw, even new rims. Current throw has 2 holes. I have not measured the rim thickness (I think early 70's shoul dhave the 1.9mm rims as mentioned above. Though, the shell is always in like-new condition, so I do not suspect it had been abused and returned to the store… This still could be a Frankenstein drum with replaced throw, different rims…
I'd like to think it is original parts.
This other site https://reverb.com/news/how-to-date-a-ludwig
shows the SN changing from a 6-digit to a 7-digit (by adding a 1) in 1976. The SN for that year is
1976 | 917XXX - 1290XXX |
and in 1978, when brother says he got the drum:
1978 | XXXXXXX |
The next year's info is not of much help either
1979 | XXXXXXX - 2013537 |
These two sites don't seem to agree on anything, so I am still confused.
My only conclusion if the SN is correct, and not the 1970 out-of-sequence one is that my 1 682 130 fits 1978 of X XXX XXX provided.
Strange part is if a student rents it then they start in the fall, someone would have had to rent it after the school year started, possible, but strange.
Last edited: