I have a 1959 transition badged bass with that same arm holder. The same holder is also used for the bass spurs (I think your bass has the fold-out spurs). I believe the spurs and the cymbal arm for this type of holder/mount are 3/8", and everything holds just fine on my bass. Of course, the bass mounted cymbal arm is suspending a ride cymbal, not a crash cymbal, so there's little smashing and bashing going on, but it has never slipped.

If you can't find the correct original Ludwig cymbal arm, any 3/8" rod with a tilter mounted on it will do. I put a generic tilter on a stainless steel rod I bought at Lowes Hardware. Works for me.

Mike

Thanks! I might be able to use a 3/8" hardware store rod and the DW tilter I already have, which would be cool.

Yeah the bracket is the same as the one used for the disappearing spurs and the cymbal arm is the same as the top section of a Ludwig 1400 cymbal stand. Most of the old school flat based cymbal stands from the 50's 60's used a 3/8ths inch top section so any of those (Gretsch, Slingerland, Camco, Rogers, etc.) could work in a pinch or your idea of a 3/8th's inch rod with an aftermarket tilter.

The olnly real downside on this design is that you have no control of the angle of the arm which is dictated by the placement of the bracket. The further you extend the arm the more the angle increases. If you can find a sweet spot that works for you then that's great but it won't line up just right for everyone. Rogers did offer a cymbal arm that had an angle adjust ment (ball joint) halfway up to combat this problem but I think that used a hex shaped "swivo" rod at the bottom so it wouldn't help in this case.

The missing adjustment screw should be a regular 1/4-20 thread wing screw. You'd probably need to find a vintage one for the right look but could probably find something that would work at any well stocked hardware store.

So I found a Slingerland 3/8" cymbal rod that is a perfect fit, and I got a 1/4-20 wingscrew - and found out that although the rod is a perfect fit, the wingnut isn't a perfect fit (in the adjustment hole on the mount). I am 90% certain that this simply means that the hole is stripped - but the bolt is VERY loose in the hole, which makes me wonder if the drum (a pre-serial) might have some other thread size in that hole? If it is stripped are there any quick fixes, or I do I need to find a new bracket - which is I believe the same bracket as the "club-date" style disappearing spur bracket?