I just got my almost new looking preserial '63 Ludwig drumkit. Complete with flatbase hardware, cowbell, Bdp 8-lug snare, speed king pedal and even original heads on the 13'' and the 16''.
I'm quite amazed, because it's my first step into the vintage drumkit world.
I will have some free time next month and want to try different heads.
I'm thinking of Aquarian vintage, maybe Earthtone?!
Please share your 60's Ludwig drumkit head experience in this thread!
Cool1
Coated Ambassador's top & bottom tuned that same will make em sing
I just got my almost new looking preserial '63 Ludwig drumkit. Complete with flatbase hardware, cowbell, Bdp 8-lug snare, speed king pedal and even original heads on the 13'' and the 16''.I'm quite amazed, because it's my first step into the vintage drumkit world.I will have some free time next month and want to try different heads. I'm thinking of Aquarian vintage, maybe Earthtone?!Please share your 60's Ludwig drumkit head experience in this thread!Cool1
Are you going for a traditional Vintage Drum Sound? Or are you using the Vintage drums to add to your repertoire of voicing's in some modern music? Traditional Jazz, or Modern Rock, both sound and look great on Vintage Drums but might require a different approach to tuning and head selection.
Different head combination's can really give you different ways of expressing yourself musically in/on the tunes you play. I've used heads ranging from Coated Ambassadors on the batter side and Diplomat coated on the reso side tuned high for a "Jazz" type of sound all the way to Clear Emperors on the batter side and Clear Ambassadors on the reso side for a big stretchy "Rock" sound.
There are so many great head companies and types of heads that it might be shortsighted to say any are the perfect choice, however, if you know what type of sound you want/like/wish to emulate, we can help you narrow it down even further.
Oh yeah, be sure to post some pictures!! We wanna SEE those vintage Ludwigs!! I personally NEVER get tired of gazing at some nice old Ludwig drums!
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Most respect the badge, but all fear the drum.
Thanks!
I'll definitely post some pics, when i'm back from my concert trip in the netherlands. Should be 2nd week of October.
Soundwise, i wanted to know what's the drums "sweet spot". If the range they can be used for is as flexible as you write, than i made an even better deal on them and i could possibly add a 12'' and a 14''. :cool:
I try to be flexible as a player. From time to time my main goal changes. Right now i like to play some jazz and some funky stuff, which doesn't has to exclude my rock background.
:)
Thanks!I'll definitely post some pics, when i'm back from my concert trip in the netherlands. Should be 2nd week of October.Soundwise, i wanted to know what's the drums "sweet spot". If the range they can be used for is as flexible as you write, than i made an even better deal on them and i could possibly add a 12'' and a 14''. :cool:I try to be flexible as a player. From time to time my main goal changes. Right now i like to play some jazz and some funky stuff, which doesn't has to exclude my rock background. :)
Lessee, the "sweet spot" would be that point in the tuning where the drum has the best sound it can produce. The heads and the shell are working together to create the best tone that can come from that drum.
You might find that different heads have an effect on the pitch of the sweet spot, like coated ambassadors MIGHT tune to a sweet spot higher than say, a pinstripe. It's certainly not set in stone, and every drum has it's own sound characteristics and some defy the norm and might have a somewhat peculiar "sweet spot".
It just so happens that I own a set of 1960 keystone badge lovelies in WMP and it has a 12inch rack and a 14inch floor. The sweet spots on those drums are very close so to help get them further apart, I have used a coated ambassador on the batter side of the 12 to "pitch up" the sweet spot a bit. And to make it even more of a difference between those two toms I've used a coated Ludwig HEAVY batter (10mil) on the 14 floor to push the sweet spot a bit lower.
They were REALLY close in pitch before I experimented with different heads.
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Most respect the badge, but all fear the drum.
Ludwigs of that era would have come from the factory with mylar heads that were 7.5 mil. thick. The bass drum heads would have been 10 mil. thickness
The heads that I feel best exemplify those heads are Remo coated Diplomats on the snare drum and toms and I use a coated Ambassador bass drum head.
Depending on your technique and on how hard you hit, they might be too thin....but I play acoustic jazz trio gigs and those heads work great for me. I feel that the thinness of the Diplomats helps them to form a tighter seal around the (often) less-than-perfect vintage bearing edges and they sound more like "Ludwigs" than when I use an Ambassador weight head (snare and toms)...but that's just my 2 cents :2Cents:
Ludwigs of that era would have come from the factory with mylar heads that were 7.5 mil. thick. The bass drum heads would have been 10 mil. thicknessThe heads that I feel best exemplify those heads are Remo coated Diplomats on the snare drum and toms and I use a coated Ambassador bass drum head.Depending on your technique and on how hard you hit, they might be too thin....but I play acoustic jazz trio gigs and those heads work great for me. I feel that the thinness of the Diplomats helps them to form a tighter seal around the (often) less-than-perfect vintage bearing edges and they sound more like "Ludwigs" than when I use an Ambassador weight head (snare and toms)...but that's just my 2 cents :2Cents:
It's a good 2 cents man!! I learned something today!!
I was always under the impression that the Ambassodor was thinner than the Ludwig Heavy heads. Ludwig Heavy's sure FEEL thicker, even after the coating has worn off. And the Ludwig Heavy's tuning looses the "floppy" sooner than the Ambassadors too allowing a lower pitch, further giving me the impression they are thicker.
Good to know the facts!!
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Most respect the badge, but all fear the drum.
Ludwigs of that era would have come from the factory with mylar heads that were 7.5 mil. thick. The bass drum heads would have been 10 mil. thicknessThe heads that I feel best exemplify those heads are Remo coated Diplomats on the snare drum and toms and I use a coated Ambassador bass drum head.Depending on your technique and on how hard you hit, they might be too thin....but I play acoustic jazz trio gigs and those heads work great for me. I feel that the thinness of the Diplomats helps them to form a tighter seal around the (often) less-than-perfect vintage bearing edges and they sound more like "Ludwigs" than when I use an Ambassador weight head (snare and toms)...but that's just my 2 cents :2Cents:
Thanks for the inside!
I also didn't know the thickness of the original Ludwig heads.
Cool1
Tried today to install coated Ambassadors, but it turned out, that the head is too small. It doesn't fit on my 13'' tom Hmmmm
I found some used clear 13'' ambassadors and they fit.... Help2
Maybe i have to get Aquarian american vintage heads?!
