I'll take a stab at it.

Keystone to B/O? Late '69

B/O no serial to serial? Have seen many 1970 no serial B/O badges

B/O pointed to rounded? Late 70's/Early 80's had some of both badges

B/O to B/W? 84 had some B/W badges

B/W back to Keystone? 84-85 went to large keystone badges made in Chicago. Some had serials and some did not. Same badge used in but with Monroe around that same time and later.

Mike

Keystone badge was up until early 1969

B/O badge from late 69-70 no serial numbers

B/O badge w/ serial number pointed corners to 1979

B/O badge w/ rounded corners from 1979-1984

Large Keystone badge from 1984-present

B/W badge from 1982-current on lesser line drums such as Rocker, Rocker II and student drums, some imported models as well.

Silver keystone badge on Birch series drums mid-1990's-2004-ish

Return to small gold Keystone badge on Legacy series drums only (usually) in 2009.

That pretty much covers it

Hi

I have a cut badge, my understanding is they had predrilled shells, but the new badge didn't fit so they just cut the bottom off them.

Anyone have a time-line for this, I was told around 1968 or 69 ??

Thanks

http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/ludwig_badges.html

This is the best resource I have found on the subject

The keystone "Ludwig" badge came into use about 1960-61. Prior to that there was the "transition" badge (blue silk screened logo) for a couple of years and prior to that the badges were all WFL. WFL drum company, owned and operated by the Ludwigs, bought the Ludwig trademark back from Conn in 1955 but the brand name on the drums didn't change for a few more years. When it did they used the screened badge when making the transition between names (which is why it's called the transition badge).

Excellent! Thanks, pezman!

At one time I owned a Keystone badge kit that had the white painted interiors. I stripped the paint off the inside and underneath the paint the bass drum shell was stamped "December XX 1970" (I don't remember the day). It was a matching kit, all with keystone badges, but the bass drum was the only one stamped. I don't have any photographic evidence; this was years ago before i was really into vintage stuff, but I know it had keystone badges and it was from December of 1970.

I guess there were still Keystone badges around and Ludwig was still using them until they were gone?

Also, that kit had been recovered (I remember blue paint being under the green sparkle wrap). I guess it could be possible that whomever had recovered it changed the badges? Also, why would Ludwig stamp the shell and then paint over it? Was this common practice for them? I was always curious about that. Does anyone have a timeline of when Ludwig used the white paint on the interiors? Did they typically stamp the date on the white paint, or on the bare shell and then paint over it?

This place is truly a encyclopedia of drum knowledge well done boys

Maybe someone was screwing around with the stamper (which could be adjusted to any date by turning the little wheels) and said "hey this drum's from the future" knowing it would be painted over anyway. Amazing that a date stamp would survive the white paint being stripped off. Usually an errant splash of windex (or even water) is more than enough to wipe out a date stamp forever. I suppose if the ink were able to soak into bare wood it would be more hardy.

Generally the stamp, if a drum ever had one (many didn't), and if it survived, would be over the paint.

Hi

My cut badge isn't a cob and there is no B stamped anywhere that I can see, besides it doesn't have the weight that a brass shell would have.

Also no date stamp etc. On the inside of the shell.

Does anyone have a Ludwig cut badge cob ?

Very interesting post, thanks