Great thread and reply's. I have only owned one Ludwig snare. Thinking about a keystone badge downbeat gold sparkle kit that is for sale local.
Have more Slingerlands than I deserve. For me first kit was a Slingerland still have it and just like the art deco styling of pre super lug drums. Always more of a BR/GK fan than Ringo. No slag to Ringo just prefer pre invansion music.
Creighton
I think the analogy would be Slingerland is like Indian motorcycles and Ludwig is like Harley Davidson.
Indian was very stylized and innovative early on. Harley is still around today and that advertising still works on you.
I wish The Slingerland name would be resurrected again with the original shell construction.
I always hear about how slingerland drums fetch less in resale, but I don't seem to find any of those supposed savings when I'm shopping for drums.
I think the analogy would be Slingerland is like Indian motorcycles and Ludwig is like Harley Davidson. Indian was very stylized and innovative early on. Harley is still around today and that advertising still works on you.
That's a quality metaphor right there.
I real y like that analogy
clubdate64 - you sir hit the nail on the head!
I love them both. They sound and play differently but both are fun and exciting to own and play.
I think we all know Slingerland are nice drums. The question was, why don't they fetch as much as their brothers. I don't think it's because they are no longer made, neither is Rogers or Camco, yet they generally bring more than Slingerland. I think we have to be honest, they had inferior hardware, the edges were not always true and to my ears, they don't sound as good as Ludwig. Plus, Ludwig had all the big rock guys. Rogers has stood the test of time because they were the best and Gretsch just has that vibe.
I'm sure I'm in the minority by saying this, but there was a perception to me (years ago) that Slingerlands weren't great drums, or that they were lower quality. I've learned that isn't necessarily true. I'd love to have a set and will get a set one day.
Slingerland reminds me of the modern Mapex drum company- great drums that suffer from not having the greatest perceived value by many, and maybe not the most marketable logo/name.
My first kit, that my folks bought for me was a Crown. The first kit I bought for myself was a nearly new, gently used, Ludwig Standard (the one I tracked down and repurchased). My first 'real' gigging kit was a '71 WMP Slingerland. IMHO there's just no comparison between 'that' era of Ludwig -vs- Slingerland. The Slingy's are just better drums... and of course it took me forever to find another Slingerland kit I liked, which I just recently picked up. A '61 champagne sparkle 20, 12, 16. Incredible drums.
Well my 30's Radiokings are sublime. They were not cheap at all. As those old radioking snares. And rolling bombers are worth a fortune.
As for the later stuff I'm not so sure about. The best bass drum I've ever known was a24" Slingerland from around 60's. It belonged to a Guy who ran a tiny drum shop in my local city, and had the kit out on display so anyone could play with on it who knew him well. That drum was the talk of all the drummers of the town. He turned down everyone who wanted to buy it.
