If you care to hear them...I've got a stupid little video up on Youtube of a set of 6plies I restored in WMP finish. Check it out if feel the need.

I'm "ITeachThereforeIDrum" and it's under the heading "Solo on my newly restored Vintage Ludwig drum kit". It's a goofy video, but it does have decent sound. You can hear the tone of the drums and the deep punch of the 13 and 16 very well. Nice kit. I will miss the shells, but that chapter has closed. Moving on.

Boy was I off on this one. It wasn't totally my fault you see, because when I saw the drums in person, there were only the 4 pieces (kick, 2 rack toms and the floor tom). I spent most of today talking myself out of buying these cause I just don't need another kit.

But something kept nagging at me to reconsider. I guess it's just my addiction, but I decided to have a look at the stores website and see if they were still available. I found the link to the kit right off and noticed something odd - The website had the kit listed as a 5 piece and the blurry picture clearly showed a snare sitting at the top of the pile.

I looked closer, squinting my eyes trying to make out what that snare was. My mouth suddenly went dry - Could it be? No... but it sure looks like one.

I jumped in the car and drove straight to the store, determined to put an end to this once and for all. Sure enough, I got there and saw the 4 drums sitting exactly where they were the day before. My heart sank, but I suddenly had a thought.

The salesman approached me and asked if I was interested in the drums. I said yes, but that I thought there was something missing. I showed him the ad from the website and asked "So where's the snare?" Puzzled, he looked around for a moment and grabbed a dirty, rusty chrome CB-700 snare from another pile and said "Here it is."

I looked at the picture again and pointed out to him that the CB didn't look at all like the snare in the picture. He looked at it and said "You're right - I don't know what happened to it, but I'll give you this snare if you want?"

My mind raced... It can't be, it must be here somewhere... but where. And then, I started to think like a drummer. Not just a drummer, but a drum Teacher. I asked the salesperson if they taught lessons here. He said "Yes", so I said "I wonder if maybe your drum teacher grabbed the snare and brought it back to the drum room for a lesson."

The salesman said "hmmm... could be, let me run back to the drum room and check." I stood there, for what seemed an eternity, but after a minute or two, the salesman emerged from the back room, carrying a snare of some kind. As he got closer, my palms began to sweat... no way... was it really...

Yes... a 6.5" X 14" COB Supraphonic - I couldn't get to the cash register quick enough and the salesman was looking at me funny. He said "There's something going on here... you seem way too interested in this kit." I assured him that after I had paid for the kit, I would explain everything.

So I paid for the kit... with the snare... $269.99

Then I told him the bad news.

p.s. I measured the drums once I got home. Sizes are 22" kick, 13" & 14" rack toms and an 18" floor tom. Yowza! These are some big cans!!

I've seen large classic lugs on a 1973 black cortex 3-ply 12" tom, too. In fact, there's a picture of that black cortex Jazzette kit somewhere around here...

Maybe 6-ply is right, but I usually associate the pointy B/O badges with late 3-ply drums. I make my cutoff date for Ludwigs at 1976. After that era, I don't care what they do!:Santa:

Hey O-Lugs - I think 6 ply is the only possibility here, as others stated that no re-rings = 6 ply. Ludwigs info on their site seems to confirm this, if I'm reading it right.

They are certainly not 3 ply and I know for sure there are no re-rings. Also, there is definitely a clearcoat on the inside of the shell which points to mid-late 70's.

This from the Ludwig site:

Beginning in 1976, the Classic series was made with new molds and a new construction; small (6" and 8") toms were 4-ply and larger drums were 6-ply maple & poplar, with no reinforcement rings. These shells were not only stronger but less expensive to make. The interior was a clear-coated natural finish.

So there you go. While I may not have scored a 3 ply kit, I think I did okay, when you add in the Supra. I tried to track down the SN# on the Supra but I couldn't find a definite date.

SN# on the Supra is 1900167. I'll check the other drums later and report back. Right now, I'm just enjoying looking at the Supra.

THAT is one of the coolest stories. Great grab. You paid what the store advertised. Nice.

Back in 81, I picked up a Premier kit in San Francisco that was advertised with a very very inexpensive price. They said I couldn't have it and that there must be some mistake. I stood there waiting to pay for it until the manager got peeved and left the store squealing his tires. But, I walked out with the kit. Truth in advertising. Black twin 24's, 12, 13, 16, 18, with snare and full matching hardware. Loved that kit.

As a side note, that store had a Steve Gadd kit there. He had just used it to play with Al Di Meola two nights before. He had given them pictures and a signed page stating this. My brother had been at the concert. I was young and stupid. I passed on that kit to buy the Premier. I was very much into Keith Moon. Go figure.

I don't think the store was trying to get away with anything, I just think that the drum teacher saw a mucho-cool Supra sitting there and figured, what the heck... Might as well bang on that instead of the (likely) crap snare in the lesson room.

I would have done the same thing!!!

I also found out from the salesman that the person who took in the kit was a bassist. He bought it from the owner for $150.00 and figured that $269.99 would bring a decent profit on the set.

And it did actually, but had they known... HA!

Even the salesman, a younger drummer, had no idea what they had. All he knew was that it was an older Ludwig kit. Once I told him what the snare was, he sighed, shook my hand and said "Enjoy your new drums."

It's one thing when someone brings in a '74 Les Paul. Everyone knows that it's worth something, but a crusty old drum set... I think I'll stop by more often :)

Yep. That would make them very early 6-ply drums. I don't know anything about them, but lots of people say good things about them. I am a 3-ply guy, but, hey, for $270, you did GREAT! Man, you can't even buy a World Max snare drum for that low a price! You have a great KIT for the price of a nice used Supra!Burger KinBurger Kin

6 ply Ludwigs didn't get the rounded corner badges until 1979......

Nice Score Whew hoo!

Here's a similar story...

I bought my six ply silver wrapped 1977 kit in 20, 16, 14, 12 ,10 from an ad on Kijiji.

I met the seller in a parking lot of MacDonalds near his city of residence.

His price was right, $300 and that included hard cases.

When I talked to him on the phone he mentioned he had a Ludwig snare with the kit and I left it at that until we met. The drums were fine, some typical rash here and there... some scratches and could use a re-wrap, then he opened the snare case. Lo and behold it was a nice Monroe badge Supra! Absolutley no pitting and original heads, just a little grimy. He said he added the snare later to the kit. I paid him on the spot and loaded up the gear, smiling all the way home. The Monroe Supra, upon further inspection was date stamped 1991. Not a classic Supra but a Supra none the less worth about $275.

The shells can be re-sold as a nice "Classic Rock" kit and there are many out there who will appreciate it. I'm 3-ply too and would never part with my early '70's Blue Sparkle, 3 ply clear lacquer re-ringed hunny! But, for a classic rocker the 6 ply vintage Ludwig will be a dream come true and a good sale for me and I get to keep the nice Supra, so everyone wins.

Enjoy your great find!!

~Kelly

So I'm trying to nail down the exact model/name of this kit. I went through the couple of 70's catalogs we have here at the site and couldn't find a match.

The 1980 catalog however features a page with the Ludwig Rock Machine kit. The sizes match up with what I have and the hardware and snare look correct.

Did Ludwig call this kit something else prior to 1980? Someone mentioned Big Beats, but up to 1975 they were smaller sizes than my kit.

Dang, wish I had the 76 - 79 catalogs.