Yeah, don't do anything that requires any drilling. If your bracket is bad replace it with a new one of the same type (available from Ludwig). Either way you'll need to get a 9.5mm "L" ball rod.

Great, I'll go that route. I'd never want to drill into this. Maybe samash will have it.

Here's a few sources: https://www.google.com/shopping/product/15154028941432736994?rlz=1C1CHKZ_enUS472US472&biw=1680&bih=925&q=9.5+mm+ball++tom+mount&oq=9.5+mm+ball++tom+mount&ei=hKuHU9jhCcjqoATR2oGIBQ&ved=0CGgQpiswAA

Getting one through my local Sam Ash.

Badnews. Some previous owner drilled into the shell, converting the clip mount to the arm mount. Disastrous wood filling job too.

Drum shop guy and I even tried putting in one of the new Ludwig Atlas mounts...couldn't fit the spacings.

The Atlas mount that replaces a lug with a combo lug/bracket should work on the hole spacing as that is the same sized lugs as Ludwig uses today. Unless you mean the spacing between the lug itself and the hoop which may be too close on an older tom.

I meant to replace it as a tom bracket, not quite replacing the lug. Though that was an option.

Still a very cool gizmo.

Nope, it's only meant to replace lugs. It will fit any size tom arm with the provided inserts, though.

Huh, interesting. Noted.

Next time I order more vintage drums, I might order vintage tom holders as well. Do they fit modern stands? I have never had a chance to test that before.

There's three major diameters of l-arms on the market - 9.5mm, 10.5mm, and 12.7mm.

Many older drums (including Ludwig) used the 9.5mm. 10.5mm are common nowadays, used by Tama, PDP, Gibraltar, etc. 12.7mm are used by DW.

Ludwig, confusingly for consumers, has used all three. Their oldest L-arms and most of their vintage gear was 9.5mm. With the Elite tom holders in the mid-90's, they moved to 10.5mm. With the new Atlas hardware, they went to 12.7mm, except for the Standard line double-tom stand, which according to the catalog uses 10.5mm arms.

It's very simply a matter of knowing what diameter a tom arm is, and what sizes your tom mounting bracket will accept. There are also quite a few tom mounting brackets, such as Gibraltar's SC-STL3, which adjust to accept any of the three diameters. The new Atlas mounts, as I mentioned, also accept multiple diameters by using nylon inserts.

A good rule of thumb I use to ascertain L-arm diameter is that almost all cowbells can mount on a 9.5mm arm, but not anything larger. A 12.7mm arm is the same diameter as most modern cymbal boom arms. If it's too large for a cowbell but too loose for a boom tilter, it's 10.5mm.

Sounds like a good rule overall. I do have a cowbell mounted on a 12.8 though.