Thanks guys for everything! Really mean it. This is the reason this forum is IT for me.

Anyway, thought you'd enjoy a few of "revivaldrumspdx" (ebay) or Revival Drum Shop (Portland) messages to moi on this fab drum (added bold for questionable word choice):

Please take note that almost all late 60's Ludwig shells suffered from at least minor offset lugs, it's a common feature of the elevated production at Ludiwg (sic; apparently w/ computer keyboards as well???).

We feel that the drum was correctly represented based on our knowledge of vintage drums.

This is good (you guys are essentially my VDF friends) :

We pride ourselves in representing our product, but assume that prospective buyers have at least a base knowledge of vintage drums when listing. The edges on the tom you purchased are original, with absolute certainty. The edges represent the shift to simplistic 70's 45 degree straight cut whereas early-mid 60's edges were rounder. We would never misrepresent a drum in that fashion, and to be frank, your friends likely do not handle dozens of these drums daily to truly understand edge consistency or lug drilling.

{did I mention that the tom in question was replacing an EXACT 9x13 tom that has cloudy wrap - the rest of the kit is very good - a mere 10,000 off between the 2 badge #'s??? They might as well be boobs for how close they're situated: a bit of an odd rack with one lovely rounded, the other a bit torpedo!}

All we ask of you is that for future transitions (sic; makes it sound like we're leafing through a Kama Sutra) with other sellers, ask questions before bidding! (my favorite ebay copout! It's your fault for not noticing the crap lug drilling, yo!).

I'll stop here even though there's plenty more BS. I realize that I don't know everything there is to know about vintage drums, which is exactly the reason I come to VDF; but I know a little.

Curious: do you guys handle vintage drums at all here. I don't know a damn thing myself about how to list, take photos & sell vintage drums but have yet to have anyone take a p i s s on me as a seller.

Chris

Hobbs,

Here is a Ludwig drill station. Run and operated by a tec. It uses a disk jig and the ARO positive feed drills are manually operated with the twin feeds at 350 rpm and the hand drill in the tube at 3800 rpm. It has the potential for human error. I don`t know which year this is. But it`s not a modern CNC drilling machine.

This is a 1970`s SONOR drill station, at the bottom left, totally automated and the tec. puts drum on and takes drum off. It drills the entire drum in one pass. The piston in the middle goes up and down on cams , no jig and the drum is drilled vertically not horizontally like the Ludwig station. There is no potential for human error, only set-up error that will be caught at once.(hopefully) It may take a month or so to set up but then it`s out of mind. It will do the same thing every time all the time.

Quality control and investment mattered to SONOR.

Drilling the shells at Ludwig Chicago circa 1965, same equipment as used later on. Hand held drill run through a jig but the potential to come in at an angle that could throw the lug positioning off if the worker were not careful. Leg brackets and air vent are "eyeballed".

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWpVQi9nytA"]Ludwig Drum Company - Making Ludwig Drums! Drilling a Shell - The Drum Experts History Drum Video - YouTube[/ame]

Have to chime in on this one. I have had numerous mis-drilled Ludwig drums. My latest is a Ludaloy early 70's piccolo. Funny how if this had been at a drill station as mentioned above the strainer and butt had to be re-drilled over, and up towards the batter close to a 1/2". Was obviously not originally lined up with snare gates, but then again may have been because the lugs were drilled off as well.

Nevin

The metal drums have the required holes punched out rather than drilled. I'm not 100% certain but I think that was done by the company that actually made the shells for Ludwig rather than at the Ludwig plant.