Pics and construction info would help a lot,1976 is about the time that ludwig went from 3 ply with re rings to a 6 ply no re ring, the 3 ply kits bring more money,and are usually a maple poplar maple ply or maple poplar mahogany lay up,and are warmer sounding than the 6 plys IMO.

A lot of people feel that the 1969 and after 3 ply shells were some the best shells Ludwig ever made,and I am one of them, I had a 1977 3 ply and they were really nice drums.That kit should sound and play nicely,and be plenty warm and responsive.

My guess on value would be 800.00 900.00 ish for 3 ply, 500.00 to 650.00 for 6 ply,although I am not as up on pricing as others on this forum.

Welcome to the forum by the way.

Thanks for the help! I tried to get the best picture I could with my phones camera. It looks like the shell is 3 ply with the re ring on it. I'm going to throw some new skins on it today and see how it sounds before I make an offer.

I'm looking forward to hearing them!

Welcome to VDF!

That looks like 3-ply maple alright, and the black cortex is a classy finish. I owned one of those 70's 3-ply maple black cortex kits and I gigged it (hard) for almost 10 years. It -always- sounded great, the finish can take a beating and still look good (black is a forgiving color for scrapes and scratches,) and they are built like, WWII Sherman tanks!

Start him at $550 and try not to go too much over $700. It's only the sizes (especially the 18" FT) that makes it worth even that much. Black is not a popular color and those kits don't go for as much as it's peers in more desirable finishes. Use that as a negotiating point, remind him, it won't be easy to sell black drums for top dollar.

Good luck. Looks to be a great rock kit. You'll love the warmth of the maple.

John