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When Did Ludwig Change the Way the Wrap Drums?

Posts: 109 Threads: 35

I have a 1969 Ludwig kit in gold sparkle wrap. The bass drum seems to be a bit more faded/cloudy than the other drums. So, I took the kit to someone to have it buffed out (I needed some of the edges cleaned up as well.)

The guy called me to tell me that he thinks the kit has been re-wrapped because the wrap does not go into the butt joint as on the early/mid 60s Ludwig kits he has worked on. If this drum has been re-wrapped I'm going to be ****ed because that was not disclosed when I bought it, but I'm also going to be absolutely shocked because the badge/grommet look original to me.

So, I know Ludwig changed their wrapping methods at some point, but I have no idea when. Can anyone tell me when Ludwig changed the wrapping process? How would I be able to tell on a 1969 clear interior Ludwig drum as to whether or not it has been re-wrapped?

Posted on 6 years ago
#1
Posts: 6524 Threads: 37

I think it was when they went to six ply, or is it five ply ? Anyway, it's not a scarf joint so wrapping then forming is not the way they made the thicker shells.

Before, they were wrapped first then formed with the wrap going into the scarf.

That's what I read.

It`s a drum,.....Hit It !!

.....76/#XK9207 Phonic Sound Machine D454/D-505 snares !i
Posted on 6 years ago
#2
Posts: 586 Threads: 22

The method of forming the shells and applying the wrap changed in roughly 1968/69. Someone has a better or more precise date, but I do not have it in front of me at the moment. Have you looked at the scarf joint to see if there is wrap going into the joint? That would be an indicator of a drum wrapped the old way (wrap applied to flat three ply wood and then bent to form the round shell).

Collecting information about the following for ongoing research projects:
Gretsch drums with serial numbers,
Ludwig Keystone and B/O badge drums with serial numbers and date stamps,
Ludwig Standards from 1968-73, and
Ludwigs with paper labels from 1971-72
www.GretschDrumDatingGuide.com
Posted on 6 years ago
#3
Posts: 2010 Threads: 19

1969 should be good.

I believe the change occurred sometime in 1968 at roughly the same time as they went to the clear maple interiors. If your drum has the clear maple inside it was most likely wrapped after the shell was formed rather than having the wrap applied while the wood was flat (which is why the wrap goes into the joint on drums made prior to that). It was also around this same time frame that Ludwig introduced the Standard line of drums which used the same shells and also did not have the wrap going into the scarf joint.

As Rick mentioned above if the drum originally did have the wrap in the joint that original wrap would still be visible in the seam. When you rewrap one of those drums you have to cut the old wrap along the seam, there is no way to get the wrap out of the seam short of breaking apart the scarf joint which would be crazy to do (the only reason to even consider doing so would be if you were trying to counterfeit a high value drum like a Ringo snare).

Of course that doesn't necessarily mean the drum couldn't have been rewrapped, just that the evidence your guy is citing is not proof of that being done. Most probably it is original though.

Posted on 6 years ago
#4
Posts: 109 Threads: 35

Thanks for the replies. I had it in my head that it was around 1968, so I'm glad to hear that it's a possibility.

I don't currently have the drum (the guy working on it for me still has it) but I'll post some pictures when I get it back.

Posted on 6 years ago
#5
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