WeatherMaster current production vs older?

bongoman

bongoman

Junior Member
Any opinions on how new production Ludwig Weather Masters compare to the ones from earlier years?

I bought a few extras in medium and heavy coated when the news hit that they were dropping most of their head models and handing production over to Remo. After some time I switched over to Aquarians just because of the durability of the coating, but I’ve had some annoying tuning issues; I posted a thread recently asking about a recurring problem with tuning. Anyway I just got a “new” old Rogers snare and I pulled out my last pair of “new” old Ludwig heads to set it up, and boom! Wow! They tuned up like a dream, smooth and easy and no weirdness.

So I’m thinking about going back to Ludwig all around, IF the new ones are the same. Whattaya say?
IMG_8410.jpeg
 
I have a set of clear WM "Heavy" from circa 2007 that I'm keeping in unplayed condition because they're original heads for a kit I bought new. Otherwise, I might A/B test with the 2022 "Coated Heavy" I'm using on an LM402 and that I really enjoy.

I don't know who's making them now, but that head on this Supra sounds amazing, IMO. I may get another one when this one is dished and dead.
 
I've got a few of the old heads left, and the Classic Maple kit I got last summer has the newer production Remo/Ludwig heads.

The new tom heads are Emperors, and have both Ludwig and Remo stamps. They seem exactly like the Remo. My older heads have a different collar than the new, as well.

The bass drum heads were interesting. In most ways they were standard PS3s with Ludwig stamps. The curious thing is that they have a stepped collar, unlike either the Ludwig or the Remo counterparts.

So, my observation is that the heads are tweaked a bit for Ludwig, but they have more in common with their Remo counterparts than the older Ludwig heads.
 
To my knowledge Ludwig still makes some Weathermaster coated medium and heavy heads in 14" strictly for snares, and has outsourced all of the rest of their heads to Remo. I don't think they're even keeping up with their own snare production because I've seen brand new Supraphonics with either co-branded Remo/Ludwig and seemingly Ludwig-made Weathermasters.

Also, Ludwig has apparently always farmed out production of their two-ply heads...Many years ago I had a two-ply Weathermaster that was clearly an Evans G2 but branded Weathermaster. That head was also defective, but that's a different story for a different day.
 
I remember hearing that a while back, that Ludwig was going to keep making just the 14” snare heads, but I hadn’t seen any recent confirmation. Do we have a Ludwig insider here who can nail down the real story? These batter heads are $40, and I don’t want to pay that for a Remo knockoff.
 
bongoman said:
I remember hearing that a while back, that Ludwig was going to keep making just the 14” snare heads, but I hadn’t seen any recent confirmation. Do we have a Ludwig insider here who can nail down the real story? These batter heads are $40, and I don’t want to pay that for a Remo knockoff.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the price of the Remo-made Silver Dot heads is insane as well...
 
If I remember correctly, one reason why a lot of folks liked the Weathermaster heads is because they were crimped and not glued like Remo,, Evans etc. As the "Attack Guy" on this forum (self proclaimed, of course!), don't forget about Attack heads. They are also crimped and not glued. Plus, they use a steel hoop instead of aluminum, which holds their tuning better. The standard, 10-mil 1 ply head in the Attack line is their Proflex 1. You can get an two pack of a 14" Coated Proflex 1 and a 14" Medium Snare Side for the same price (or less) as a 14" Coated Ambassador. Sweetwater and DCP carry them. They sound great. If you're looking for a two ply version, go with the Attack Thin Skin 2. It's slightly thinner than an Emperor (2 ply- 7 mil and 5 mil) whereas an Emperor or G2 is 7 mil and 7 mil.
 
Hmm I just ordered some Attacks to try out alongside the Ludwig. Who knows if the crimping is “the factor”, or the mylar type, or what. I’ll report back.
 
bongoman said:
Hmm I just ordered some Attacks to try out alongside the Ludwig. Who knows if the crimping is “the factor”, or the mylar type, or what. I’ll report back.
Click to expand...
I'll be curious to hear your results.

One of my favorite things about the old-style Ludwig heads was the shallow collar. I can live without it, obviously, but I liked the way they seated and the fact you had plenty of rim above the head surface for cross-stick rim clicks.
 
This is what came on this b-stock supra I bought new a few months ago…I like it and it tuned up very even. Would buy again. A 13” availability would be nice, too.

53519340531_08d6979ae8_k.jpg
 
vyacheslav said:
If I remember correctly, one reason why a lot of folks liked the Weathermaster heads is because they were crimped and not glued like Remo,, Evans etc. As the "Attack Guy" on this forum (self proclaimed, of course!), don't forget about Attack heads. They are also crimped and not glued. Plus, they use a steel hoop instead of aluminum, which holds their tuning better. The standard, 10-mil 1 ply head in the Attack line is their Proflex 1. You can get an two pack of a 14" Coated Proflex 1 and a 14" Medium Snare Side for the same price (or less) as a 14" Coated Ambassador. Sweetwater and DCP carry them. They sound great. If you're looking for a two ply version, go with the Attack Thin Skin 2. It's slightly thinner than an Emperor (2 ply- 7 mil and 5 mil) whereas an Emperor or G2 is 7 mil and 7 mil.
Click to expand...

Can vouch for liking Attack heads. Just used one as the resonant side of my 13" Yamaha Tour tom(vintage) and the resonance/sustain on it is incredible! Will be seeking out more.


Dan
 
Okay, two new data points. First, I asked Revival (they’re Ludwig dealers with two signature kit designs) to look into the manufacturing question, and they confirmed:

“Ludwig, not Remo makes the Weather Master 14” Heavy Coated Head and 14” snare side.

Remo makes the Silver Dot Heads for Ludwig. I confirmed this with my Ludwig rep, and hope this helps answer your question.”

Second point, I got in the Attack heads—three different batters and a snare side. The plain Proflex 1 head is very, very similar to the Ludwig heavy coated. It even sounds the same when you tap it (uninstalled, just holding it by the edge). I’m not 100% sure the sound is identical when installed, because that will take more time and trying it on a few more drums. I also can’t say anything about longevity at this point.

The Attack collar height is slightly taller. It tuned up well, not as effortlessly as the Ludwig, but this is on a different drum that has been giving me some trouble. It went much better than the three different Aquarians I tried on this drum.

That batch of four heads was $46 usd; Revival wants to charge me $42 for a single batter head. I know, China vs US production. “It is what it is”, as I know everyone on here likes to say.IMG_0020.jpegIMG_0019.jpeg
 
rungeflash said:
This is what came on this b-stock supra I bought new a few months ago…I like it and it tuned up very even. Would buy again. A 13” availability would be nice, too.

53519340531_08d6979ae8_k.jpg
Click to expand...
Concur. The Ludwig head that came on my Supralite sounds soooo close to UV1 coated. It also has a nice texture for Brushes. Impressed to say the least. I now have it as a backup Head for all my snares. Ludwig blows my mind with the quality on the Supralite for $200.
 
vyacheslav said:
If I remember correctly, one reason why a lot of folks liked the Weathermaster heads is because they were crimped and not glued like Remo,, Evans etc. As the "Attack Guy" on this forum (self proclaimed, of course!), don't forget about Attack heads. They are also crimped and not glued. Plus, they use a steel hoop instead of aluminum, which holds their tuning better. The standard, 10-mil 1 ply head in the Attack line is their Proflex 1. You can get an two pack of a 14" Coated Proflex 1 and a 14" Medium Snare Side for the same price (or less) as a 14" Coated Ambassador. Sweetwater and DCP carry them. They sound great. If you're looking for a two ply version, go with the Attack Thin Skin 2. It's slightly thinner than an Emperor (2 ply- 7 mil and 5 mil) whereas an Emperor or G2 is 7 mil and 7 mil.
Click to expand...
I am getting a set of Attack Proflex today to try on my Fusion size kit as resos. Ill post my review next week. Great price! $35 total for 3 heads, 10" 12" 14"
 
classikdrummr said:
I am getting a set of Attack Proflex today to try on my Fusion size kit as resos. Ill post my review next week. Great price! $35 total for 3 heads, 10" 12" 14"
Click to expand...
I bought 2 packs of these...I couldn't pass up the incredible price. I put them on my PDP MX kit as batter heads, and they tuned up incredibly easily. So far I have zero complaints. $27 for FOUR drumheads! That's 1/3 the price of Evans or Remo.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DHAROCKI--attack-proflex-1-clear-rock-4-piece-drumhead-pack

QZ69XF8.png
 
vyacheslav said:
If I remember correctly, one reason why a lot of folks liked the Weathermaster heads is because they were crimped and not glued like Remo,, Evans etc. As the "Attack Guy" on this forum (self proclaimed, of course!), don't forget about Attack heads. They are also crimped and not glued. Plus, they use a steel hoop instead of aluminum, which holds their tuning better. The standard, 10-mil 1 ply head in the Attack line is their Proflex 1. You can get an two pack of a 14" Coated Proflex 1 and a 14" Medium Snare Side for the same price (or less) as a 14" Coated Ambassador. Sweetwater and DCP carry them. They sound great. If you're looking for a two ply version, go with the Attack Thin Skin 2. It's slightly thinner than an Emperor (2 ply- 7 mil and 5 mil) whereas an Emperor or G2 is 7 mil and 7 mil.
Click to expand...
Why would crimped be better than crimped AND glued?
 
Yamaha Rider said:
Why would crimped be better than crimped AND glued?
Click to expand...
Remo and Evans just glue the mylar into a U shaped metal channel, they do not mechanically “crimp” the metal to the mylar. I think Aquarian does both—can anyone confirm?

I’m not saying crimping is inherently better, but it’s something Ludwig and Attack do differently from Remo and Evans. The hoop part of Aquarian heads is noticeably more massive than other brands.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top