if it's early 1970s might it be drilled for a Keystone Badge just before they changed to the B/O ones? otherwise the badge might be replaced...

Bottom hoop seem kind of close to the lugs as well.....too many eyebrow raisers on this one if you ask me.......

looks like a six-lugger also..looks like someone tried to make it look from the 70's.

has the period correct muffler/strainer/throw..

but the badge does look slightly off.. Hmmmm

Interior? That does look weird, but who knows with these Luds....too many of them look "different" than they are "supposed to" but what does that really mean? We see this all the time...stuff that ain't supposed to be, or looks wrong...

I saw this on craigslist...my assumption is it was a late 60's Ludwig shell drilled for a keystone badge. It sat in the factory for two years and they put a Blue/olive badge on it.

It appears to be a late 60's "transition" (lol) badge drum! As stated, the shell was probably drilled for a keystone badge (which would have had a hole centered in the middle of the depth of the shell), but, ultimately, the shell was used with a B/O pointy badge (which had its hole off-center). Put those two things together and the B/O badge looks too low....and it was....and they eventually fixed the later B/O badge drums by raising the position of the hole on the shell.

Whenever I see a six-lug "Pioneer" like this -and especially one in blue sparkle, they are usually the real thing because there just wouldn't be any return on the effort to fake one. Maybe a Jazz festival in OBP would be a different story....but not a blue sparkle Pioneer. That's my take.

-something odd about the throwoff, though.....not sure. It appears to stick out from the shell too far . I would need to look closer at it -if possible. If it's REAL cheap, then I might take the plunge.

I would be willing to bet that its a 67,68 or early 69 Shell that was supposed to get the keystone badge . I have a Pioneer 6 lug with a blue and olive 70s badge, no date stamp, but the shell looks like an early 60s mahogany. So during transition periods almost anything is possible when it comes to using up old stock.

My guess is '69 -'70, since it appears to have the clear maple interior (vent hole view), round grey felt tone control would be paired up with the large rotary knob (shown) -which came out in '69, I think.

I'd guess 1970....just because I have a feeling about it. :)