Were there WFL's or early keystone Ludwigs constructed with three-plys, two rings, and the "last-ply-wrap-overlap" technique as my 1960's Ludwig shells? I've spent the last hour or so digging around here and come up with nothing. I''m specifically interested in the 1956 models.
Thanks guys!
Were there WFL's constructed with three-plys and the "last-ply-wrap-overlap" technique as my 1960's Ludwig shells? I've spent the last hour or so digging around here and come up with nothing.Thanks guys!
Hi, I own and have owned WFL drums both wrapped and unwrapped (natural finish)
These are the 3 ply mahogany / poplar / mahogany drums. The only difference between them is that the ones that were wrapped were essentially the same, but the wrap was glued to the outer ply of mahogany before the drum was formed. I don't count the wrap as a "ply". They're 3 ply drums. Wrap is wrap. Does an unwrapped drum have a different sound to a wrapped drum? Probably, but does a mahogany interior sound different to a maple interior? Definitely! So I don't count the wrap as a ply or having anything to do with the sonic properties of the drum. It's all about the wood. So, in short, your WFL shells are the 3 ply mahogany / poplar / mahogany shells and that's what gives them their full, fat, dark sound! Great shells!
I may have misunderstood your question. In short the answer is yes! WFL were 3 ply mahogany / poplar / mahogany which carried over into the early 60's. Later the shell construction changed to maple / poplar / maple with the white painted interiors. The wrap was always glued to the outer ply while flat and then formed into a drum.
Generally a WFL shell will be mahogany/poplar/mahogany with rings. Wrapped drums had the wrap applied while they were still flat so the wrap is in the seam same as the wood plies. Painted drums had an exterior maple ply instead of the mahogany to give a smoother surface for the paint. Some drums might have maple interiors. They didn't seem to have one particular shell formula set in stone but apparently used what they could get a deal on or had in stock in order to keep production rolling. When WFL morphed into Ludwig in the late 50's nothing really changed as far as the way they made the drums.
Cool, thank you!
What I was trying to get at was whether they were tucking the wrap beneath the last ply and then rolling the shell in the fifties, specifically '56 as they did in the sixties. I'm trying to authenticate some shells said to be from '56. They have the pearl tucked (started) beneath the last or outer ply (so not recovered). I haven't been able to see close pix of the badges, yet, either. It's this kit on CL:http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/msg/5145347715.html
The respondent says she listed them for her friend who is the O.O. and hasn't answered any of my questions, so far. I'd like a bit more info before I drive for an hour to be disappointed, ya know? I like the uniformity of the patina and the yellowing, though. That looks right, at least.
Wrapped shells from Wfl in the 50's had the wrap tucked into the shell just like the 60's shells did until '68 or so.
Mike
Very cool kit.
I'm gonna go check it out tomorrow, or the weekend. Yeah, could be very cool if they're as advertised. We shall see. Thanks for all the help, group!
Those look original from the pics I see. Those badges are probably right around the 1956-57 timeframe too. The dark african mahohany can make reading the date stamp hard. They used red ink and if it fades a little it can be tough to see. Especially if you are the original owner with poor eyesight! In the 50's the date stamp tended to be inside the shell near the airhole. Hope you score those!
