I have a couple of Ghost pedals; one is almost new and the other is so used , that the footboard is almost smooth. I have always liked them. They are kind of big and clumsy but until Ludwig messed them up the footboard could be clamped in place for transporting and the whole thing was a smoother package. I used to spend time with an older jazz drummer who started his career the year I was born. He was given a Ghost pedal by Fred Gretsch, who used to market them but he said the one he used to play was black. I've only ever seen grey ones but it turns out that there have been 4 different Ghost pedals. The original one was supposedly designed aboard a ship nicknamed "the Gallopin Ghost" during W.W.II, from where the pedal got it's name. It took four years after application in 1947 to get a patent but in 1951 the patent was cleared. The original was grey with the concentric springs exposed on the inside. The footboard was smooth and the name was cast in under the footboard. The next one was black, had a smooth footboard and closed in springs with endcaps that said Ghost on them. Shelley Manne endorsed that pedal and it was the one my friend had played too, I guess. The next one was the classic one that most people are familiar with. It is rarely black or green; mostly grey , with a textured Ghost emblazoned footboard and enclosed adjustable springs. All of the above have a collapsible footboard that can be secured by the hoop clamp turned backwards. Ludwig bought the rights in 1975 , made some changes---plastered Ludwig allover it and discontinued it in 1981 because the springs were hard to service. Clearly, Ludwig was making the springs too. moral of the story; don't buy one that has Ludwig written on it; buy one of the other ones.

Hey calfskin, thank you for that really informative history. This is one of the reasons I love this place so much, I learn something new each and every day!John