Lenny. Welcome to the VDF here is a link for ludwig badges see if this helps, can you post some pics of your kit for us?http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/ludwig_badges.html

Thanks!!! OK....they have the black and white "rounded" badge. It shows

rockers didn't come on the scene until 1994. I was told and it kinda jives

with the Van Halen theory.....these are from the early 80's.

MY BAD......Rocker's introduced 1984, not 94.

Lenny I don't think Ludwig was making any Alex VH tribute kits back in 81'. Also I don't think Alex ever used the Rocker series.He used Classic Maples or Stainless Steel .That's not to say Rockers aren't good drums. Enjoy that Monster 80's kit!

This one is a mystery to me. Ludwig may have made a black and white set but generally those were made out of vistalite shells. The rocker sets did come out in 1984 and the first ones had maple interiors. The later rocker shells had that granitone interior and were perobobly introduced around 1986-87. The black and white rounded badge was common for rockers.

I have been a VH fan for 30 plus years and a Ludwig fanatic just as long and I have never heard of a VH tribute kit of any kind made by Ludwig. I am wondering if someone did a custom job. Sounds like a cool kit as I play in a VH tribute. The person to ask would be Bill Ludwig III. He was artist relations in 1981 and he knew Alex personally. If anyone would know for sure, he would.

BTW from what I understand, Alex built his own sets back then. Ludwig would send him the materials and he would put the stuff together and even create his own finishes. I saw the 1981 kit in person and it looked like it was a vistalite shell with some sort of plastering inside the shells. It was very strange for sure!

I would love to see pics of your set!

My brother had a kit with those same colored, wrapped shells. Also, the B/W badges are a bit later than the early 80s. Those would be 90s badges, no? Anyway, I do remember the drums, and there was a kit on my local C/L that turned out to be some really bad MIT crap that some one had taken black shells and wrapped white tape around them in the Alex pattern. As far as Ludwig making the kit, I can't tell you whether the kit was factory or not, as I really did not pay that much attention to them. I know Dan did not do the work on them, but that's not to say someone else did not. As for the badges, I can't tell you what they were.

Without pictures, I don't believe you.

Thanks for the help. Fair enough......pictures on the way. The kits for

real and I also made a mistake in the original post. The biggest mount

tom is a 15" , not 14" so.....up top is 8,10,12,13,14,15. Yeah....I guess

it's possible someone re-wrapped them. but from what I can tell they

look original...badges perfect, great edges, etc. the bass drums are

where I usually see imperfections on re-wraps but not on these. Also, I

figured Alex wouldn't use a rockers kit because they were entry-level drums.

I talked with a pro Ludwig drummer this weekend. He said the gray inner

shells were more common than the clear finish. But here's what's weird...

he pulled up the "holy grail...van Halen..Oakland California 1981 footage"

and there they were. The dates are throwing me off. Anyway....I had

problems attaching pictures...I'm going to try another camera. I'll set

these babies up in the house and have fun......not a "gig" set unless our

band got a steady "house band" contract. I wanted to do just VH covers

but we don't have the right voice in front and pulling off some of eddie's licks

is a stretch for the guy on the axe. Also.....most of the clubs don't want

a four set gig of straight Van Halen.......can't dance to it....just head bangin'

Big Al is my hero......Van Halen FOREVER!!!

I think you'll find yourself liking that 15" tom.