Wow ! I wish i had your kit.. Fun, fun, fun project !.. I would love doing a resto job on those drums ..I would customize it with a nice powder blue and silver duco paint job and satin lacquer to prevent future chipping.. You sir, are a lucky,lucky man ! That is one cool kit..Cool1

Thanks Human 71! I believe they were originally Blue and Silver Duco. I think I am actually going to go off the grid and make these a red and black duco. I know it wasn't a factory Ludwig color but I love that color combo on other vintage drums I have seen.

Good eye on the rail mount Mike. They did a nice job but it does not look original. The Spotlight just had the one cymbal mount in middle and no rail. It did make me feel better about the hole I have to fix from the shipping damage to know that someone had already drilled into this thing. It will also make me feel better when I add a cymbal mount!

Ludwig would do lacquers in whatever colors you wanted so there probably is a factory red and black set out there somewhere.

Sales of lacquered kits slowed down in the mid to late 60's so they may have had that 14" shell sitting around waiting for an order for a lacquered drum and that could explain the mahogany interior. They did sell a fair number of 14" floor toms but the typical toms for wrapped drums had mahogany exteriors while they only put maple on the outside of drums destined to be lacquered. So that maple exterior shell could have been sitting around the plant waiting for an order for a lacquered drum for quite some time. I've heard tell that in the late 60's, and even into the 70's, some of the less ordered (18, 20") floor tom sizes might show up with a bare mahogany interior rather than clear maple or some sort of painted finish that other drums of the era would have.

Very cool set...I'd be doing that up in natural maple gloss lacquer.

That makes a lot of sense K.O.!

I would totally go for a Maple Gloss finish and have actually done an old Gretsch snare like that with great results but the hole in the top of the kick is what has me leaning towards painting it Duco. It would just recover the pair better.

Maybe I'll decide the finish once I do the repair and see how much it stands out.

I'm with the human71 on this one! That is a fun project kit. Go for the DUCO! It'll hide all sins (with real good prep/primer) and it'll look spanking new when you're done. Whether you go DUCO, or au natural, that kit is going to look great when it's done. Go for it... worthy kit!

John

I love duco but something about that maple popping through is doing something for me. They will look great regardless. If you decide you would rather just quick flip these let me know.

Curtis

I vote for stain, or just a natural finish. Even with the damage to the kick, the grain in the wood that we are seeing in you pics is just too beautiful to paint. But what ever you do, please share your restoration project with us.