A Downbeat kit (20,12,14) with an 18" bass would be a Jazzette. The bass drums were most often 12x18, but 14 x 18's were offered, too.......marko

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The bass drum HAS to be 12" x 18" with the rail tom holder on the center of the shell for it to be a real Jazzette bass drum. If it's a 14" x 18" bass drum, it is not a true Jazzette bass drum. Also, if the rail is off center like a downbeat or a super classic, it is something someone added, as the factory would not have offered an 18" bass drum that way. They get too "tippy" to whatever side the holder is on on an 18" bass drum, this is why the factory mounted it on center. The one exception to this "rule" on real Jazzettes is this.....in the 1980 catalog they did offer a Jazzette kit, but it was with a 14" x 20" bass drum and it had a center mounted telescopic tom mount. Also by then it would have been a 6-ply shell. The ones that are considered "real" cataloged Jazzettes are 3-ply shells.

There is a link on the VDG, check here:http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/jazzette.html

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I have a '67 Ludwig White Marine Pearl 14"x18" bass drum. It has the rail off to the side. The 14" depth models from this period also have a shell mount cymbal holder whereas most of the 12" depth models that I have seen do not. So, I would consider mine closer to a Downbeat bass really as opposed to a Jazzette bass.

Mike

Sweet! Thank you Mike.

Agreed....however......the one I used to own was a true Jazzette kit with the 12" x 18" bass AND a shell mount cymbal holder. My dad special ordered it that way :) And the tom holder was centered on the shell. So, it is possible to have the center mounted tom rail AND a shell mount cymbal holder on a true Jazzette. You just had to order it that way ;)

I believe the reason for the center mounted tom rail on the true Jazzettes was due to the depth of the bass shell being only 12". Not enough room to clear the lugs when mounting it offset like the larger diameter drums. A 14" depth bass would have the extra room for that "traditional" position that the 12" would not.

There is no such thing as "Downbeat" toms or bass drums. All the drums Ludwig made were the same models and names like "Downbeat", "Hollywood", "Big Beat" etc. were the names of the various combinations of these drums that Ludwig assembled into catalog outfits. For example an 8x12 tom from a Jazzette set was identical to one from a Hollywood, Downbeat, Big Beat, or Blue Note outfit (with the possible exception of the placement of the mounting bracket). A 12x18 bass drum is the size used for the Jazzette outfit but it is not a "Jazzette" bass drum. You could order a bass drum that size and mount two 9x13 toms and have an 18" floor tom...if you wanted such a thing. It certainly wouldn't be a Jazzette outfit but the bass drum would be the same as one included with a Jazzette.

So in answer to your question, no there is no such thing as an 18" Downbeat bass drum, nor is there such a thing as a 20" Downbeat bass drum but there are 20" bass drums that were part of Downbeat outfits.

That there is the answer we were waiting for. Right on, K.O. IIRC, you have also clarified that these drums did have a name; they were Super Classic drums, yes? At least, the toms were. In my '64 catalog they show Ludwig's "Super Classic" toms, & their "Classic" bass drums.....marko