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"New" Vintage Ludwig's :) Last viewed: 3 hours ago

Posts: 7 Threads: 4

First post on the forum and first day of owning a vintage kit. I had been looking around for a good snare to buy cruising guitar center and craigslist for whatever I could find but nothing stuck. Then I saw an old set of shells for 400 with a Blue/Olive acrolite. I couldn't pass it up so on my day off, I took the hour cruise down to check them out. Pretty scuffed up wrap with minor seam lift on the 16 but nothing horrible. Only a minor blemish on the 13 reso bearing edge, everything else is clean. Paid 375 and picked up some new heads.

Loving the sound and I think they may be mahogany? Maybe someone can help. Date stamps are from march in '68 to march '69. Acrolite serial is 3030643 so it's more of an 80's drum but no complaints for a low price. now I just have to get rid of my other kit. :)

Pacific CX All Maple 6 ply --- 22x18 10x8 12x9 14x12 14x5 --- nice kit, good price

Kits
1968-'69 Ludwig Standard Gold Astro Finish 22 13 16

Snares
80's (rounded Blue/Olive) Ludwig Acrolite 14 x 5
Mapex Black Panther Cherry over Maple 13 x 6
Posted on 14 years ago
#1
Posts: 5176 Threads: 188

68-69 would have been 3-ply maple/poplar/maple with clear interiors. Sounds like a good deal for the price. Acrolites are the best deal in snare drums -period.

"God is dead." -Nietzsche

"Nietzsche is dead." -God
Posted on 14 years ago
#2
Posts: 6288 Threads: 375

Dang, sounds like you done good on your new/old outfit!

Ditto on O-Lugs comments... he's a Ludwig fan and knows his stuff!

Wise man, that O-Lugs, my ears perk up when he speaks!

Good to have you here !!

Clapping Happy2

Kevin
Posted on 14 years ago
#3
Posts: 7 Threads: 4

It is interesting because the floor tom is a march 19th 1969 while the rack is a march 18th 1968. There is no date stamp that i could find on the bass drum. I am wondering if this is a stamp discrepancy or if the drums are a mix of the mahogany and maple. According to a few web sites, Ludwig started transitioning into maple in September or October of '68.

All drums have Granitone interior drum paint.

Kits
1968-'69 Ludwig Standard Gold Astro Finish 22 13 16

Snares
80's (rounded Blue/Olive) Ludwig Acrolite 14 x 5
Mapex Black Panther Cherry over Maple 13 x 6
Posted on 14 years ago
#4
Posts: 6583 Threads: 644

Could be the FT was bought a year later then the other drums.......

they sold kits without FT's back in the day!

"Always make sure your front bottom BD lugs clear the ground!"
Posted on 14 years ago
#5
Posts: 5176 Threads: 188

The only Granitone interior drums from that era would have been Ludwig Standards.

"God is dead." -Nietzsche

"Nietzsche is dead." -God
Posted on 14 years ago
#6
Posts: 5176 Threads: 188

From blairndrums

Could be the FT was bought a year later then the other drums.......they sold kits without FT's back in the day!

^^^^Yes^^^^

"God is dead." -Nietzsche

"Nietzsche is dead." -God
Posted on 14 years ago
#7
Posts: 7 Threads: 4

I forgot to mention that it is a set of standards! My bad... Pretty scuffed up gold astro finish but it was a players kit before sitting in a garage for 5 years. I'm glad to have picked them up and put them back into use.

Is there any way to date the drums by the Standard serials on the badges? Do the standards lose value or collectible nature because of the lower quality hardware? Any body ever compared a set of classics head to head with the standards??

Thanks to everyone who has posted. I really like a quick forum with informative members

Kits
1968-'69 Ludwig Standard Gold Astro Finish 22 13 16

Snares
80's (rounded Blue/Olive) Ludwig Acrolite 14 x 5
Mapex Black Panther Cherry over Maple 13 x 6
Posted on 14 years ago
#8
Posts: 3972 Threads: 180

From GoldStandard

Is there any way to date the drums by the Standard serials on the badges?

Not really. If there's no date stamp inside and they are 3 ply Standards ... figure they were made between late 68 and early 72. That's the easiest way.

From GoldStandard

Do the standards lose value or collectible nature because of the lower quality hardware?

Unfortunately, yes. I still don't understand this, but they do go for MUCH less than a comparable Classic kit. Unreal.

From GoldStandard

Any body ever compared a set of classics head to head with the standards??

Yup. Sure did. They sound ... the same. Imagine that. I also turned my standard into a Classic by swapping ALL of the hardware and adding a 12 inch tom. I sold it on Ebay for quite a bit more than I purchased it for (including the extra hardware and such). People are strange ...

Posted on 14 years ago
#9
Posts: 526 Threads: 60

I've never understood why Standards go for so much less than Classics. It's the same shell. I know they were marketed as budget drums because Ludwig saved money on the hardware, but they have the same classic sound, and some of those Standard finishes are just great. Blue sparkle kits are everywhere, but you just don't see many stratas or astros around. Love 'em.

As for Acrolites -- I've had loads of snares over the years, and finally bought an Acro from another forum member earlier this year. It's easily the best snare I've ever played.

You did well on this set of Standards, IMO. I nearly picked it up myself!

Kits:
1950s Gretsch Name Band in Midnight Blue Pearl (13/16/22/14sn)
1965/66 Ludwig Club Dates rewrapped in Black Diamond Pearl (12/15/20)
Posted on 14 years ago
#10
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