I think it is more to do with marketing than anything....not to swing the subject...but look at in ear monitors.... Ultimate ears have the most pro musicians wearing the product...not entirely because they are the best.... but because U.E. markets directly to them.... there are many other manufacturers that are superior in quality but dont have the pro market cornered.... One could say that was the same with Ludwig in the day.

Z

...one could also say that DW is the modern-day equivalent! Marketing and high-exposure seem to work!

Gretsch, Ludwig, Rogers, and Slingerland all made some high-quality stuff. Anyone who gives a blanket statement proclaiming any of these to be the best is giving an opinion. A not-entirely-accurate one in my opinion, since each company's products had their share of pros and cons.

It kinda reminds me of muscle car collectors. You've got Ford guys, Chevy fans, and Mopar die-hards, with each group thinking their brand is the best for whatever reason.

Those of us who don't have blind allegiance to one particular brand are free to enjoy the goodness from all of them. :)

I agree with everything except the fact that Slingerlands are better!!

AHHAHA

Z

I like and dislike all the different brands of vintage drums I own (and those I dont) for different reasons/applications.

The variety that came out of the way history naturally unfolded makes for an exciting array of tonal options from all the vintage drum companies (including Japan stuff). IMO there is no use in arguing over which brand made better drums. They are all great in their own ways.

Also, I was going to make the same connection to DW that caddywumpus did. But alas...that is a battle that doesn't need to start again. Eye Ball

-Ad

I've found that most all companies from this time period have some area where they could have made better manufacturing choices. Ludwig had the wrap and lump and rerings. Slingerland had the wrap and rerings and ply separations. Gretsch had hardware issues. Rogers had ... well ... honestly, I'm not educated enough to know. My Rogers kits have all been spot on. I'm sure someone out there can fill in that blank. Anyway, they've all got their problems. I LOVE Slingerland drums. I like the tone quite a bit more than Ludwig. It's more pure. Maybe it's just my drums or my deaf ears, but there is a substantial difference between those two makers.

Thanks for the responses guys.

Like I assumed, this is all a matter of opinion or taste.

When the narrator in that video said that Slingerland was putting out a higher quality drum...I assumed there was no merit to the statement. Seems like a marketing term. Just watch a commercial for a Chevy, Dodge, Toyota or Ford pickup truck...same thing.

I love it all - All 3ply/6ply vintage.

I EVEN LOVE MY NEWER 9 PLY LUDWIG'S.... get out the pitchforks.

That's probably true, that Rogers were the "Cadillac" in the 60's. and Sonor were the "Rolls Royce", and their more expensive prices respectively reflected that..

I was a youngster in that era, and personally knew the allure of Ludwig. In fact my first set was a brand new '64 Ludwig Club Date in Pink Champagne Sparkle. I actually turned down a used set of Rogers that were Louis Bellson's, that Maurie Lishon first tried selling us for a good price. Nope, i had to have Ludwigs!

Every saturday, I was in Frank's Drum Shop for 5 full years (lessons)

I clearly saw, that Ludwig was a more "pushed, and evidently wanted brand", than brands like Slingerland. Slingerlands sadly, seemed to sit like lowly "orphans".

From what I saw, in probably the biggest Drum Shop of that era (Frank's), were Slingerlands sparsley, nor properly displayed, most were never even given the respect of at least a tune job.

.

That dealers like Maurie were apparently quite savvy-wise and wanted to sell what moved best. it was more profitable to sell 15 Ludwig sets at $500 a set back then, than sell 2 Rogers Sets, at $800. Or one Sonor Set that probably cost $1000, or more back then. Not sure on the Sonor prices, but I knew that was what my teacher Phil played, and endorsed back then. They were not cheap!

I agree Slingerland apparently didn't have quite the reknown endorser base like Ludwig did on the 60's. Seems like Ludwig had basically every genre covered. Morello, Thigpen, Ringo, etc.

It took me quite some years to come over to the "dark side", with Slingerland, a move I certainly don't regret. I believe also the same has taken place with other drummers, to finally recognize that Slingerland was a very good quality drum company, once they got past the "devoted followings" of their fav drummers. They came to the realization, that "hey, this is a darn fine drum, I don't really care who used to play them". Mark

In perspective, remember that Gene went to Slingerland

Drum and Banjo because a Ludwig & Ludwig Sales Manager

didn't have the er, Authority to approve an endorsement.

Buddy played footsie with The Chief for decades ( he had

been an "endorser" since he was a child. ) and performed

on er, Slingerland. Eventually, the implication that Krupa

would always be #1, led him back.

Big Names?

Louie Bellson, Bev Bevan, Peter Erskine, Danny Seraphine

Jack Sperling, Nigel Olsson, Kenny Clare and Chad Wackerman.

Oh, and for a while a guy named Jeff Porcaro.

IMHO it wasn't the shell construction necessarily, but as

mentioned previously the refusal to retool the 60's era

hardware.

By the time they did it was overkill and a lot too late.

:2Cents:

Bread & Butter lugs cracking and the later fullerton CAST swivomatic hardware pieces can break rather easily too. Other than that, great hardware and great drums.

As far as Ludwig and Slingerland sounding similar.....I would say yes and no. The earliest Slingerlands (the real Radio Kings) were Ludwig & Ludwig shells. So those would sound the same. When Ludwig Senior sold L&L to Conn in 1929, Conn moved production to their plant in Elkhart, IN along with Leedy (even though the drums were still marked as Chicago they were made alongside Leedy in Elkhart) and for economy reasons they used the Leedy shells badged with L&L badges and used the L&L hardware. When Slingerland started in the drum biz around the time Ludwig was moved to Elkhart in 1929, Conn sold the shell machines, shells, etc to Slingerland in Chicago. So technically, Radio Kings are in fact Ludwig shells with Slingerland's own design hardware fitted.

Its no wonder that Radio Kings sound so great :p :D

End of history lesson...:D :2Cents: