No idea who he was but I thought I'd check my 21st Mar 1963 Pioneer and there is an initial by the vent hole too but hard to tell if it's the same. Whatever you do don't touch or wipe or brush over the date stamp. I found out the hard way that they rub off like they were stamped seconds earlier and the ink not set. Horrifying.

Oh, I've been quite careful with these shells. Thanks Andrew. Take a look at you other shells and you might get a clearer pencil mark.

I see that the Ludwig site has no e-mail address to contact them through with this question. I'm quite sure they could look it up and I'd even be willing to pay for it's "factory lineage" from them. Anyone know anyone on the inside I could contact?

Josh

My '65 clubdate tom has what looks like a "B" penciled inside, possibly the same fellow?

Maybe in '63 it was work as usual but by '65 I understand Ludwig was running three shifts a day.

Something to do with Mr. Starkey.

People on here are going to know more about it then Ludwig...trust me..

Where in Mi are you?

GR here and a few others close by on here.........

I was thinking the b was marking the panel in which the badge hole was to be drilled...cannot verify that however. just some old info floating around in the old Ludwig brain!

mike

Hi Blair, I'm in Livonia. GR's a bit of a hike from me. Happy lake effects, though! I figured I'd get an answer here and so posted about it here, first. I was in Bill Cairo's today and he didn't see why I cared. I'm just curious. An unsung person who checked these shells out and pronounced them GOOD back in '63. That person was right on! It would be neat to have a name and/or a face to go along with them, just for history's sake..... Things got fairly impersonal as time went on. I sign all the instruments I build. Sentimental, I guess. As to the "B", Clubdate? Interesting you mention it. I was just working on the bass drum and inside it has what looks like "B I L" penciled in near where the ride tom perch fits in and some other, larger marks penciled in as well a big "22" in white grease or chalk. The shell is a 22", so, that makes sense. Do you just see a "B" in yours or are there some other marks?

Josh

You will not get an answer from the factory all the old employee's are long gone. The factory is not far from me. I know the plant manager he is younger than I am. The home office maybe your best and only bet.