The Ludwig Acrolite

The chrome faced P-85 didn't show up till the mid 90's 94-95 were the first drums sporting the "new" P-85.
Those drums were not warehoused for very long and were out the door within days of manufacture.In order to powder coat the shell,they would have to remove the badge,and in all likelyhood destroy it.Time was money,and they were making close to 100 kits a day,not including all of their other percussion items.

I'm positive your drum is 80-81,original finish and badge, 1" knob muffler,but had the strainer replaced sometime after 94 when the plain faced P-85 was introduced.Look at all the catalogs and you can see late 80's early 90's drums with blackface P-85's.

Steve B
 
The chrome faced P-85 didn't show up till the mid 90's 94-95 were the first drums sporting the "new" P-85.
Those drums were not warehoused for very long and were out the door within days of manufacture.In order to powder coat the shell,they would have to remove the badge,and in all likelyhood destroy it.Time was money,and they were making close to 100 kits a day,not including all of their other percussion items.

I'm positive your drum is 80-81,original finish and badge, 1" knob muffler,but had the strainer replaced sometime after 94 when the plain faced P-85 was introduced.Look at all the catalogs and you can see late 80's early 90's drums with blackface P-85's.

Steve B

Thanks so much for the help, Steve. I think you have it right on. I took it down to Drum City (Wheatridge, CO) to get some advice on how to clean it, and Tim, the owner, said basically the same thing. I am so glad I read your posts because that is why I bought this thing and I love it!

Next year, it will be a Supra project. Well, after all, the world didn't end today, so.....

Brent
 
Would love to get one of the new 6.5" acros too...maybe when they hit the used market....if they do.

Here's a pic of one of my acros....picked it up for $35....cleaned it up, added some new Trick hardware....worked great

ry%3D400
Similar to the moongel comment above. What is the point of putting low mass lugs on a drum and then putting a completely dead EC head on it? Only in very live rooms do I bother with a piece of dirty and not very sticky moongel on my '70s Acro, with an Ambassador on it. The drum is pretty controlled as it is. I don't have it up very tight, that's not it's strong point in my book. More of a fat crunch type of drum. Sound like most pop or rock records I grew up with. I have other louder and tighter snares. But for what it does, the Acro is something special.
 
Thanks so much for the help, Steve. I think you have it right on. I took it down to Drum City (Wheatridge, CO) to get some advice on how to clean it, and Tim, the owner, said basically the same thing. I am so glad I read your posts because that is why I bought this thing and I love it!

Next year, it will be a Supra project. Well, after all, the world didn't end today, so.....

Brent

Glad I could be of help Brent(that's my brothers nickname).Enjoy your Acro.Just think,Ludwig introduced the spun ludalloy(aluminum/zinc alloy) as a cost saving measure,and not because thay sounded great.

Supras are great drums too.My 65 is pitted up pretty good,but she has the "sound".:)

Steve B
 
curious- has anyone ever seen an acrolite deeper than 6.5"?
my old 5x14 acro was probably my favourite drum ever.
wish there was an acrolite thats 8x14.
 
Wow, old thread.

I am taking my Acrolite on a gig tomorrow. Date stamped Nov 1970. The drum sounds great. Funnily, I am taking an LM400 along as a spare. :-D
 
Great thread. My very first snare was a 5x14 Acrolite and it sounded amazing. Have no idea why I sold it. I miss it to this day. Don't have one in the arsenal now but looking.
 

I've never heard that either. But logic tells me how can they not? If it's the same aluminium shell as the Supra and the Supra has those same snare beds (albeit very gradual and subtle) but snare bed nonetheless, then how can the Acro have never been made with them to begin with?

I think that guy is talking bollocks. Just trying to talk up the price of a run of the mill Acro.

And 10 lugs Acro's were certainly rarer than the more traditional 8 lug version.....but $850 rare? He'd better be careful or it'll come off in his hand at this rate. :)
 
I've never heard that either. But logic tells me how can they not? If it's the same aluminium shell as the Supra and the Supra has those same snare beds (albeit very gradual and subtle) but snare bed nonetheless, then how can the Acro have never been made with them to begin with?

I think that guy is talking bollocks. Just trying to talk up the price of a run of the mill Acro.

And 10 lugs Acro's were certainly rarer than the more traditional 8 lug version.....but $850 rare? He'd better be careful or it'll come off in his hand at this rate. :)

I have to agree I think he is just making stuff up to sell it for more. I just looked at my 1972 Acro snare and it has a snare bed, I guess it is ultra rare also.

I was not aware they made a 10 lug acro at all besides the 6.5 x 14 but aparently they did but is the extra $700 worth the to exta lugs?
 
I didn't know they came with snare beds, until I Googled a picture of one. Neither my Acrolite nor my Supraphonic have snare beds. If you sit the shells down on a table, the bearing edges are planar. There are no bends/beds. (I remember snare beds from when I was a kid. My drum teacher's ancient marching drum with gut snares had them).

The ebay ads are false in claiming they're rare. The 10 lug Acro's are discussed on page 4 of this thread. I researched Acrolites quite a bit after getting hooked on them here. This thread is the best reference for Acrolite information I found after doing a lot of Google searches.
 
IMO-and it's just MY opinion, the re-issue of the Brushed Aluminum shell has blown the "rare" NY School stuff out of the water. So, they have a pointed badge, big deal.
The new drums sound like my 1975 BA Acro. with a pointy badge.

A 10 lug 5x14 is different, but not $850 worth of different. $3-400 is more reasonable (for an Acro like that) vs. the $50-100-ish they usually get--unless someone goes insane on eBay and bids too much to get one that is.

I'd have to take apart my '75 to see if it has a snare bed, but I don't remember it being totally flat, so I'd say the seller is saying crap to sell his drum.
Buyer beware.
 
This past weekend, I decided to start a clean-up/resto job on my 404, and figured I'd post a couple pics. I think that this is a model between 78 and 84, but I could be wrong. The pictures look similar to me in comparison, so what is the giveaway that it is a powder-coated shell vs the regular anodized shell? It was a hand-me-down from my dad 20 years ago, and I have loved it. The Original strainer is now on my 400 (a broken-handled 2-hole), and I think I'm going to try and find another "black-face" 85 for the acro instead of "upgrading".

IMG_0334.JPG


IMG_0337.JPG


Here's my 400. Does anyone have any advice for cleaning/resto on the chrome plated shells? I'm worried about further destroying the plated finish!

IMG_0335.JPG


IMG_0336.JPG
 
That's not the powder coated Grey shell.
My '76 looks like this shell with the pointed badge too, so it's (obviously ha!) older than the rounded B/O. You're closer to '78 than '84 with this one.
Mine also had the same Black faced, 2 hole P-85 (I put a P-86 on it though).

Steve B would have more info too I'm sure.

Have fun with the clean up!
 
Similar to the moongel comment above. What is the point of putting low mass lugs on a drum and then putting a completely dead EC head on it? Only in very live rooms do I bother with a piece of dirty and not very sticky moongel on my '70s Acro, with an Ambassador on it. The drum is pretty controlled as it is. I don't have it up very tight, that's not it's strong point in my book. More of a fat crunch type of drum. Sound like most pop or rock records I grew up with. I have other louder and tighter snares. But for what it does, the Acro is something special.

...............had the trick lugs laying around and the old acro hardware was tore up..................I thought it turned out pretty good.

................I've always liked a "controlled" sound...................nowadays, it is definitely not seen as correct, but all my favorite music has the "dead" sound.................child of the 70's I guess
 
That's not the powder coated Grey shell.
My '76 looks like this shell with the pointed badge too, so it's (obviously ha!) older than the rounded B/O. You're closer to '78 than '84 with this one.
Mine also had the same Black faced, 2 hole P-85 (I put a P-86 on it though).

Awesome...thanks for the info! And, to be honest, I said that about the strainer before I did my research...then I ordered an 86 as well, lol. She's clean, but headless, and I want to try something new (Been using reverse dot Remo heads), but haven't figured out what yet! Will post pics when I do, though.
 
I finally got my Acrolite, probably a mid to late 80s one. Not sure if everything is original but so far I like it.
 

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Nice score, Eric. Very clean.

Was that the head that came with it, or your own choice? (just curious)

radman
 
Nice score, Eric. Very clean.

Was that the head that came with it, or your own choice? (just curious)

radman

Thanks. Yes, the snare looks nice, is in good condition. Sounds great as well.

About the head: it came with the snare, I was wondering about it as well.
It's an older Evans G1, no idea which year though.
 

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