You are stepping on hallowed ground using the word Ludwig, on this forum, so to suggest that they are other than close to perfect is sacrosanct ,in the extreme. However valid your perceptions might be, they will largely fall on deaf ears----not mine ,though.

I love mine, I have had some that I didn't care for, what heads,snare wires did you use?, also what snare drum is to your liking. But the 400 has the worlds most recorded snare drum mantra not by accident.

I am a fan of wood snares. The Jazzfest and Radioking being the holy grail. That's my reason, not that I don't think the 400s are bad or anything.

I don't think it's a question of heads, wires etc, I've honestly hit dozens of them with all configurations, it's just personal, I am honestly not playing devils advocate here, just wondering if anybody else is of similar opinion.

I have a few snares, of which my favourites are

7 x 14 1940 Radio King,

7 x 14 Leedy Broadway swing with wooden hoops.

5 x 14 Leedy and Ludwig solid maple shell

5 x14 Camco COB

It's not a Ludwig prejudice either I have a 1920s all gold brass shell that I love.

I have also owned jazz fests in the past that I really liked although I don't have any now.

Hey no problem that is why there are thousands of different snare drums for us drummers to choose from. My favorite snare drum is a Ludwig 1976 402, I own a bunch af Radio king, Leedy Broadways I have a ten lug 1924 Ludwig brass all metal and many other vintage snare drum but the 402 is my to go too drum. :)

My 2 favorites in my collection are:

80's 8 X 14 natural maple Gretsch

70's 5 x 14 COB Gretsch

Not sure I could say I don't like my 400. But it I actually like my C.O.B. Supra less than my later Ludalloy Supra. And my favorite snare in in that family tree (or right outside that family tree) is my keystone badge acrolite. Actually the acro is probably my favorite snare period as far as sound goes. Just something about it.

I try to think of sounds as different rather than better or worse.....but that does not always work....which is why I love my acro! The Slingerland C.O.B.'s sound really good also to my ears as well.

Larry, I'm with you. I own two Supra's and two COB Dynasonics. They're fine instruments and project strongly, but metal shells are just different animals from fine, aged wood shells. Brushbaby is definitely not alone. Yes the 400 is the most recorded snare, but that alone does not make it superior to all others, it simply makes it the most popular (note that the Honda Accord is currently the most popular car in the U.S).

Even precisely tuned, the 400 (and also the Dynasonic for that matter) still sounds like metal. I find them no substitue for a properly tuned, warmer-resonance wood snare. For some applications, I have actually prefered to use an old, MIJ luan snare (which I refurbished with Premier cast hoops, a modern strainer, and a Remo Renaisance batter) to my Supras or Dynasonics.

Guess it all depends on what your ear wants to hear for different types of music and what's appropriate in each application. My best sounding snare?... my 1976 3-ply 16x16 rope tension Premier.

I'm sure that your not alone , but as for me i just love them they are classic sounding snare drums that stands the test of time.