Is this drum out of round?? Ludwig Coliseum

[D-Rum]

Hello! I’m searching around for an 8x14 Ludwig coliseum and have found one locally, but I believe it may be out of round. I’ve attached pics and would appreciate any help in identifying this. I’ve never actually seen a drum that is out of round, but it’s pretty noticeable on this one I think. On one half (or slightly less) you can see the shell separate from the hoop and head on the reso side and can actually see down through the head to the floor.

If it is out of round, what issues can I expect? I assume this will make it harder to tune, but what sound issues will there be?

And lastly, how much is this drum worth? Aside from possibly being out of round, the badge is off center and very slightly tucked under one of the lugs (just the corner). It’s also missing a few tension rod locks and is missing a muffler. Not too worried about those things. They’re asking $499, which to me is quite high as I’ve paid no more than $250 for the other coliseums I’ve had and they were in fine shape.

Sorry for the long winded post! Thanks in advance

NOTE: In the third pic of the entire drum, you can start seeing separation from the head and rim on the bottom half.

[slingerfan]

Walk away. A better example can be had. Sorry for the short winded post!

[jda]

maybe the hoops bent or off. As long as heads go on and off easy..whats the issue

[Hoppy]

Not having hi-res pics makes it difficult to accurately diagnose what's going on with that drum.

But if you're really interested in that particular one and have physical access to it, the I would recommend the following: Take the head off; use a tape, measure across the drum at several points. If there is a significant discrepancy in the numbers the shell's roundness is in question.

If you don't have access to the drum and have a bit of doubt, then wait for the next one to come along. The price is on the upper end of what these drums have been going for, so I would expect at least a prime condition drum for that price tag.

The lug locks aren't really that important to the drum (mine are usually never in the down/locked position), but can be replaced easily without a bunch of cost. I've pulled the muffler out of mine, those can be replaced pretty easily as well but will cost a few more bucks. Lastly, if it is a rim issue like jda pointed out that another expense you'll have to account for in the total cost.

Again these drums have been creeping up in value (especially the maple veneer ones) and I don't think that I'd pay over $450, if it's got a rim issue ~$400... of course I'd probably start a bit lower in the offer. However, if it's out of round then NO SALE!

[OddBall]

I agree with slingerfan,...walk away.

The snare gate is a cut out and has no bridge. The cord is behind the hoop and it should go over it. The badge thing, IDK could be a manufactured drum. walk away, someone did not know what they were doing.

[OddBall]

Even with the non die cast hoop, the cord should go over, not behind the hoop. If it has floating heads, when the hoop is centered correctly, you should be able to see all the way to the floor all the way around the shell. I have floating heads on all my drums.

[D-Rum]

Thanks for the replies!! I’ll be heading in the other direction on this one. They pop up pretty often. I’ll wait

[Hoppy]

Originally Posted by OddBall

The snare gate is a cut out and has no bridge. The cord is behind the hoop and it should go over it. The badge thing, IDK could be a manufactured drum. walk away, someone did not know what they were doing.

Good catch on this. I didn't see it on the first pass. The cord should absolutely pass through the "gate" and not in between the rim and head. With that, it's easy to understand why there is a wrinkle/ripple on that part of the picture - possibly giving the illusion of a roundness issue.