I would like to see the shell interiors...specifically around the grommet holes.

More pictures, please.

The one that you sent a link on Reverb does look more like Mahogany grained.

Interiors are clear. Natural finish Mahogany color 701 from catalog(1979) which I mentioned earlier in previous post. I still believe the other members are correct but...

Need more pictures please.

Wayne

ALSO....

Those badge numbers would place the drums well into the 70's -not at the transitional stage where a white-painted shell still might have been left over at the factory and used.

1976 917xxx - 1290xxx

1978 xxxxxxx

1979 xxxxxxx - 2013537

In addition, they would have never chosen to use a white-painted interior shell for a drum with a natural wood finish, either.

EDIT...I mean...it COULD have had a white painted interior if it was earlier than the parallelogram badged drums from the mid 70's...That and the Mach lugs....too modern for a white-painted interior shell....I'd bet on it.

I will send more pictures when I get the kit later today. Ludwig Interior finishes are Resa-Cote from serialnumber 0-610000 / Clear Laquer from Sn: 610000 - ongoing / Lud-Cote Sn: 850000-1620000 (1971-1976). The kit has serial numbers 936xxx. So I date it to 1972/73. Pointed corner B/O badges. Large knob tone controlers. I will check the shell bearing edges and how many ply´s of wood and send more pictures. There is no date code on paper label.

I agree that they would not have painted the interiors on natural wood, 12 and 13 tams are the only ones with interior paint.

My findings so far are :

Serial numbers

12 tam: 943784

13 tam: 943789

16 floor tam: 944790

22 Bass drum: 944635

Based on the serial numbers I date the kit to 1972 ( 1972 : 950.000 serial number

1973: 1060000 serial number )

Ludwig used B/O badges with pointed corners without R for serialnumbers 749200 to 945000

So this kit is one of the latest to be produced with pointed B/O badge without R.

In the 1973 Ludwig catalouge they offer laquer mahagony in natural finish. However, I am more leaning towards that this kit was originally a Ludwig Mach 5 kit with mahagony/poplar/mahagony and maple re-rings. Through the 70´s mahagony was occasionally used internally or externally ( floor toms and bass drums )

12 and 13 tams are painted white inside with a similar paint as Resa-Cote, but not original

From the catalouge 1973

Respectfully....That thing is SO wrong I don't even know where to begin....*takes a deep breath*....

My friend...That is one of the most blatantly refinished kits I've ever seen. It's stained (very, very poorly) inside and out -except for where it's incorrectly painted white (bearing edges included!)

The BADGES are from circa ~1976...You can look it up on this forum's badge dating list. I posted it above, but...whatever....The shells appear to be legit Ludwig 3-ply shells that someone has just disgraced with stain and paint....They are probably a typical 70's-era maple/poplar/maple layup....

This was someone's rainy-day, garage refinishing job -spray can and all! I can't tell you how absolutely and blatantly wrong this kit is. It's a shame. I'm sorry.

More and more fast growing wetland trees are being accepted as Mahogany these days. It's part of the sales thing.

Your kit looks to be one of the African Mahogany varieties recently accepted as Mahogany. The Indonesian/ Honduras and Brazilian have a real tight grain and a bit darker depending on heartwood or sapwood. Dark wood gets lighter as you clear coat it.

But that looks like an African variety. Mahogany does not like finish,...it may bubble or flake too. Wax does better.

No. That's maple with a mahogany-ish color stain over it. The grain pattern is maple. Mahogany grain has a stringy, undulating -almost iridescent grain. Trust me on this. I have worked with both types of these woods and the grain pattern is nowhere even close to any kind of mahogany. It's absolutely maple. The interiors are stained and the bearing edges are stained! End of story. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news and all that....but...

[QUOTE=O-Lugs;450249]

The BADGES are from circa ~1976...You can look it up on this forum's badge dating list. I posted it above, but...whatever...

O-Lugs, the badge dating list you are referencing is old and not entirely accurate. There is newer, much more detailed info available in Rick Gier's book "Serial Number Based Dating Guide for Vintage Ludwig Drums". Available on eBay, pick one up I think you will enjoy it. The OP is correct: Pointed corner B/O badge without R logo and with serials 943xxx-944xxx is ~1972.