Depends on the finish.

silver pearl

very clean

A handy checklist

[list]not a re-wrap?

[*]original throw working well?

[*]original snares?

[*]original rims?

[*]original heads? (ooh-la-la)

[*]muffler all present and accounted for?

[/list]

I find price history gives some useful context:

downbeat silver sparkle May 63 $388.00 15 bids eBay 23-Jun-05

downbeat black oyster Spring 65 149479 $565.55 RNM 20 eBay 6-Jul-05

bdp transition badge downbeat top condition $543.00 eBay 26-Nov-05

downbeat transition badge sky $536.76 12 eBay 12-Dec-05 sweeden

4x14 red sparkle downbeat 1961 $383.00 6 eBay 14-Jan-06

transition badge downbeat BDP $376.00 23 eBay 26-Jan-06

downbeat red sparkle ks 69992 missing part of throw off $351.00 11 eBay 12-Feb-06

Ludwig downbeat 4x14 pre serial red sparkle 2.5" finish damage $227.58 11 eBay 26-May-07

Ludwig Downbeat snare 4x14 1968 646778 ssparkle all original $310.00 13 eBay 30-Nov-08

Downbeat blue 4x14 rewrap? White interior blue sparkle $276.56 14 eBay 1-Feb-09

Ludwig Downbeat 4x14 trans badge sky blue $592.55 16 eBay 27-May-07

Ludwig Downbeat snare champagne NOS 1964 SN104303 $787.00 23 eBay 10-Nov-07 NL>Denmark

Ludwig Downbeat 4x14 BDP ks27958 Jun 3 1964 338 throw $591.00 16 eBay 27-Dec-07

Downbeat 4x14 Sky blue pearl trans badge Jun 26, 1959 $661.00 5 eBay 3-Jan-08 >italy

I haven't been tracking these for some time, but I can tell you what happened to prices for vintage Ludwig and Paiste stuff in general with the Global Meltdown: price dipped for "ordinary" but not "extraordinary" pieces, and have mostly since recovered. Unlike my share portfolio. :(

What you should pay for it depends on

[list]how much you want that particular color and snare

[*]how comfortable you will feel if you see a cheaper one in 6 mos

[*]how comfortable you will feel if you need to resell it in 1 year and don't get all your money back.

[*]other factors unique to you

[/list]

I'd think of it as

[list]$300 great buy

[*]$400 getting pricey

[*]$500 you gotta want it

[*]$600 you gotta want it real bad

[*]$700 more money than brains

[/list]

But I'm a cheap bastard with my own database of long term pricing info, and everything I need for now. So I can wait forever. Or until my share portfolio recovers. Whichever happens first. :D

Good luck.

thanks getting pricy no heads or snares but all there and original colr is what i need

got it for 375 what would be the right strainer (i mean wires)and heads thanks a lot

Did you mean strainer or snares? The original strainer is a 338 I think...the small Pioneer. I really like the positive feel of them. I've got one on my 1959 Jazz Combo but I'm not 100% sure about the model number.

As to snares, my Jazz Combo (3"x13" little brother) came with 12 strand snares. I don't know if the Downbeat snare also came with narrower 12 strand snares or the wider 18 strand model. I have Ludwig 12 strands on my 1963 Jazz Festival and like the sound. But there are as many options as there are personal opinions on snares.

Heads are a very personal choice too. I've got Aquarian Vintage Mediums on my two old fellas, but I have to sand them down a bit to break them in. For the reso side I have an Aquarian on the Jazz Combo, but a Remo Renaissance on my Jazz Festival.

Since you have a Jazz Festival you will probably like your new guy set up in a similar way. Unless you are still searching for your sound...

Enjoy your new baby.

the p338 was the strainer for the ludwig snares of the 20's. the one you need looks much like it though. maybe a p80??

mike

thank's, you guys are the best the downbeat has strainer sorry, its the wires im trying to figure out im going with coated heads for brush work i think this snare will be great for that, so i did buy it on ebay to almost complete my silver new yorker set to a downbeat as i have the bd , the snare and hang all correct for the kit just need the ft , wire ideas guys would be great thanks a gain

Found it (not that we need to know now) in The Ludwig Book, p206. Small Pioneer is P-84, which is the "P" number given to the 338 when it was redesigned and came back into use. It appeared in the 1959 catalog says Rob Cook.

Senior moment. DOH I should have remembered P-84 without having to look it up.