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Baby Dodds?... drumset?... 1920s?

Posts: 142 Threads: 33

Hey fellas!

Any info on the original set Baby Dodds had when he played in his brother Johnny Dodds' band?

I'm looking for specs on what he was using then,... in the 1920s at that time,.. in THAT band,.... not later. I've seen photos online where someone took photos of a set that was owned and played by him,... though no info as to if it was the set he had just kept from the era with brother Johnny, or if it was a later set,...

AND,...

what all was in it? (ie. makers, size drums, etc, etc.)

Thanks in advance for ant help!

Posted on 14 years ago
#1
Posts: 392 Threads: 30

Dodds says in the "instructional" video from 1946 that he bought that snare (as seen in most of the photos of him) in 1923 (Ludwig 1923, “Latest Model” as seen in the Ludwig catalog for that year, is my guess. It has 8 lugs and looks like 6.5 deep). It looks as though he painted it white (even the hoops) sometime early on.

The snare he is seen with in the early King Oliver photos seem to show a 6 lug Ludwig, so I don’t think it is the same snare as the Ludwig he is playing in 1946. I’m not sure of the drums he used in his brother’s band, but the snare was likley the one I spoke of above.

If my memory serves, the set that is in the museum in New Orleans claims it is a set Dodds “played” but I’m not sure it was Dodds’ own set, that he played regularly. There are photos of this set on the net that might be confusing.

Here's the link to the Ludwig snare catalogs:

http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/ludwig_snare_drum_catalog_pages.html

“In fact your pedal extremities are a bit obnoxious”. – Fats Waller
Posted on 14 years ago
#2
Posts: 142 Threads: 33

510...

Much appreciated!

Its amazing how much info is hard to find on these old boys!

What a shame!

Posted on 14 years ago
#3
Posts: 392 Threads: 30

TheHotIron - In the King Oliver photos, it looks to me like he had a tube lug bass drum with the small thumb screw type of T rod. So I think it could be like the first one on this 1923 catalog page.

See here: http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/images/other_stuff/bill_ludwigiii/ludwig_1923_7.jpg

Later his WMP bass looks to be another later Ludwig tube lug model from somewhere between 1928 to 1938 I would think (If he got this bass in 1928 he would have most likley used this drum and his 1923 snare on Johnny's bands). He had inlayed hoops on this one so that might help date it, if they are stock. There is a photo from 1940 that shows what appears to be this drum with a china tom (in the 20s with his brother he would have had the china tom), but a little later he has added a couple of later model (1937 to 1940 something) possibly WFL WMP toms with single lugs and single flange hoops.

I am not an expert on these drums but this might give you some ideas to follow up on. I’m hoping someone that has more expertise on Dodds' sets will chime in soon.

If you haven't already seen it, here is a link to the Baby Dodds 1946 instructional video:

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/babydodds46.html

“In fact your pedal extremities are a bit obnoxious”. – Fats Waller
Posted on 14 years ago
#4
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