I have a 1958 model and it is 5x14"

Here's my theory (and that is all it is).

Ludwig made up shells ahead of time and had stacks of them in various wraps (wrap went on before they bent the shell) . When a worker needed to complete a drum he went to the stacks and pulled the shell he needed to make the drum. Ludwig offered snares in both 5" and 5.5" depths so both shells would be stacked up. It would be possible for a worker to grab a slightly deeper shell by mistake and build a jazz fest out of it. Frankly most of the workers could probably care less about a half inch anyhow.

Many of the deeper "jazz festivals" appear to have their lugs drilled off center, suggesting that perhaps a 5.5" shell was drilled on a jig set for a 5" shell.

Anyway, once the drum was together Ludwig wasn't about to shuck it in the trash even if someone did notice so out it went and very few buyers probably noticed.

BTW: Ringo's Jazz fest, one of the big reasons people seek this particular model out, was 5.5" deep.

I agree with that theory completely ko. whats your thoughts on the varied depths between 5 and 5.5? maybe the shells just being cut wrong by whoever cut them?

mike

I don't know enough about how they made the shells to have a firm idea about that. We know they put the wrap on the wood while it was still flat and then bent it into shells but beyond that it gets somewhat sketchy. Did they buy the wood already made into plywood or did Ludwig lay up the three plies (+wrap) themselves? If they did lay it up themselves did they make a 5" board for a 5" deep drum or did they perhaps lay up a 20" sheet that they cut down into four 5" wide boards? Did they factor in some excess width to account for cutting the edges? I have no idea (and I actually saw them making 3 ply shells at the factory in 1976...although, being a dumb kid, I didn't pay much attention at the time).

I'm guessing that however it was done that there was the potential for slight errors to creep in, creating drums that dwell somewhere between 5" and 5.5". After cutting the first few hundred shells a worker might feel that he was able to "eyeball" it with reasonable accuracy (like the guy drilling the air vent hole in the floor tom in one of the factory videos on youtube. No guide or jig, he just drills a hole and pops in a badge and grommet).