I have to concur with Purdie on this one.Maple/Poplar/Mahogany is the best in my book.The absolute BEST sounding bass drum I ever owned was a single tension Ludwig Duco from around '65.And the gouges are disappearing-don't give up!

Please don't add any more paint to these great drums, especially on the interiors. You know you're on the right path to making this kit happen, and if you don't want to do the work, you should sell them to someone who does.

Good Luck and Get Stripping!

Aww man, you guys are killing me. You're right though, just like my wife. It would turn out much better if I strip them, and it'll be worth the effort. Thanks for the push in the right direction.

Here is the 6th coat of poly after drying. I put on a 7th right after this picture, I think that'll be it.

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/70s%20Mystery%20Ludwig/IMAG0710.jpg[/IMG]

I finished the 12" tom today, and I think it turned out pretty good. I was going to wrap the others in Bubinga and use the same finish. But now that I see this one all put together, I think I'll just stick with the mahogany and do the rest exactly like this. Looks good to me.

The badge on this one is a reproduction. I got a few for $5 each, because the maker said they are flawed. I can't figure out what is wrong with them, and they look almost exactly like a real badge. The only differences are that the pointy corners are slightly rounded and there is no serial.

I ended up with 7 coats of Minwax Wipe-on Poly and 1 coat of paste wax. I didn't do any buffing on the poly.

Before and after:

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/70s%20Mystery%20Ludwig/IMAG0713.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/70s%20Mystery%20Ludwig/IMAG0714.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/70s%20Mystery%20Ludwig/IMAG0715.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/70s%20Mystery%20Ludwig/IMAG0716.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/70s%20Mystery%20Ludwig/IMAG0717.jpg[/IMG]

Potsy- the drum looks rich, dude! Very nice job bringing that one back. Cool1

John

A new wood finish has been added to the illustrious Ludwig catalog-Distressed Mahogany.Looks like a group of old marching drums converted into a set.Outstanding results....Levon Helm will be calling you.

Ha! Distressed Mahogany-- I love it! Clapping Happy2 I appreciate the kind words guys, and I'm glad you like it so far. I'm super excited about this project now that I see what it will look like. It'll be a lot of work to finish it up, but I'm pretty sure this will become my main kit.

Sorry, but I must be too young to get the Levon Helm reference. I know who he is, but why would he be calling me? I'm guessing he likes the natural finishes.

An extra big thanks to Purdie Shuffle, he was nice enough to donate a badge for this kit.

That's going to be one fine looking kit. Hopefully will be special to you for the rest of your life.

Time to go to school...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VShpcqd3zE[/ame]

I wanted to try this kit out today, so I set everything up. It's silly really, I don't need this many drums at all. Here is everything, including the tom I already finished:

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/IMAG0718.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/IMAG0723.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/IMAG0722.jpg[/IMG]

And here's what I'll actually use:

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/IMAG0724.jpg[/IMG]

Now with cymbals:

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/IMAG0730.jpg[/IMG]