Leave it six and wrap it to match. The finish is bad at this point (an assumption from your description), so the new wrap shouldn't be a negative. But, drilling is a no-no unless absolutely necessary. The six banger will play well provided the edges and shell and bed are intact. Great drums, those sixers.

To further clarify:

When you go from six to eight lugs, the hole spacing is slightly adjusted. When you add that many holes to a shell, it will be detrimental to sound and integrity.

Bobby Cee:

I've got a 1967 Ludwig Pioneer in original WMP wrap with the baseball bat style-muffler available if you have any interest.

If so, feel free to drop me a PM and I'll forward pics and detailed info.

Thanks and HAPPY NEW YEAR!Clapping Happy2

Thanks for the replies. My Classmate/Luxor is WMP which matches my WMP Londoner. I am curious as to the difference between the Classmate and the Luxor.

I don't know if this makes a difference but the wrap I plan to useon the Pioneer is original Ludwig Oyster Blue 60's pattern which I will remove from a water damaged 20 inch bass I picked up. Thanks again AND, Happy New Year!

I just bought my first 6 lugger: 1964 Ludwig 3x13 Jazz Combo (coincidentally, just like Steve Jordan's).

It sounds incredible! Does the low fat thing quite well. Lovely with brushes and low to moderate volume gigs, but I have to be careful as it has a very sharp pop/crack when hit fair in the center. Tuned high it's a firecracker; records beautifully - almost pre-EQd and compressed. Great for R&B, Hip hop, Funk. Surprisingly sensitive.

I haven't heard/played a pioneer and not sure how it would compare to a Jazz Festival as they're the same depth (I might have missed that in this thread). Can anyone compare?

Just for interest,i had edges re cut on a 6,er Kent 5x14 and i was floored!I had to play it to believe it.I used to build my own shells and truthfully this drum would rival anything i made,and im not ashamed to admit that....Give those 6 bangers a try!!Party

I had a 1965 5 1/2 x 14 wooden Ludwig and you could only get one sound out of it, so ya, it was extremely limited.

You could not get the traditional crisp snare sound out of it. It had the sound where the snare has hardly any snare wire sound and was good mostly for songs like "Midnight Hour"; great backbeats but that was about it. It had a strong fundamental, kinda like it was going through a compressor, and the drum wanted to be tuned low, which is ok, but it was limited to that.

My take on them is that in a 14" circumference, 6 lugs is too few and it was mostly done to make a cheaper drum; not to say they can't sound cool, 'cause they can for sure. A good 3rd snare maybe.

i love wooden six luggers. i have a 64 pioneer in sky blue pearl and also a 64 pioneer in galaxy sparkle. i also have a 67 jazz festival in sky blue pearl. they are all fine snares. i have found that i really enjoy the 6 lug sound much more however. its more open and throaty with a great punch. easy to tune as well.

mike

Once I had a 1964 Duco Pioneer in such a terrible state. I found her on a studio in Van Nuys and they were trashing her. It was in the middle of a pile of broken hardware and cables that was going to be disposed. I took her home and retore her. A couple of weeks before the amazin Karen Teperberg swinged over to check a 6.5 Supra I had for sale on CL. she heard the Pioneer and literally stole it from my hands!...now its her main snare!

She a peach, she sings! Love the depth 'n funk.

I've got a mid-60's Gretsch round badge Dixieland model 6-lug snare that I've been using as my main snare lately. Remo Vintage A batter with an ambassador snare side and 30 strand puresound metrix snares.....fat and sensitive. Really diggin' it.....and I'm a ludwig guy! LOL!