I just did a deal on my dream set. I don't even have it home yet, so I can only share the photos that the seller sent.
Ludwig Downbeat set (12/14/20) with supra from the original owner who bought it in Kenosha, WI in 1964 new.
I'm astounded: All the original heads--the only thing there is he had painted his band's name in the 60s and then converted it to his own name in a white on black later on. The supra looks very nice in the photos.
The stands and cymbals in the photo came with the set in 64, save for the 66 Pearl hi-hat stand replacement, because the Ludwig one, he told me, "had no action" so he traded it in.
He said that the first time he'd taken off the bass drum head since 64 was to sell it now, and he found old newspapers he'd stuffed in there back them to mute the sound. I kindly asked him to leave the newspapers in there.
I thought "He must have repainted the black on the hoops"; but he says no: "The set only came out of its nawgahide soft cases for my shows. They went back into the cases after and never were outside during winter and have been in the cases since the 90s when I stopped playing."
The cymbals, like everything but the hi hat stand, are all as came he bought with the kit. Nothing earth shaking in terms of collectability but enough to help this guy make music every Saturday night in his wedding band and I am damn glad to have them.
Here is the info on the kit from the seller:
No date stamps in the shells, but badges are serial numbered:
Supra: Serial number 473xx
12" Tom: Serial number 522xx
Floor Tom: 14" Serial number 509xx
Bass Drum: 20" Serial number 509xx
Cymbals (all info as provided by seller):
14" High Hat Cymbals - Avedis Zildjian.
20" med/thin Ludwig "pasiste" (swiss made) [sic],
22" med Ludwig "pasiste" (Germany) [sic]
22" med/heavy Zilko (Canada).
OK so this sort of thing doesn't happen to me so hopefully I don't regret having posted all this....but I couldn't help myself. My favorite color.
