Em... food for thought: for the kind of money you're thinking of spending, why not just buy a set of modern, well-built, durable RCI shells in the exact sizes and color that you want. Throw on ludwig classic lugs and hardware, even B/O badges if you want, and Rock & Roll! An RCI shell kit will last you longer than an old Ludwig. The RCI shell construction is just far superior to anything that Ludwig produced. RCI offers a boatload of colors to choose from too. Just something to consider.

http://www.rcistarlite.com/colorspatterns1.htm

John