hi...new to the board. i have a couple questions about ludwig drums. what are the differences between classics and super classics? i've looked all over the web for info, but all i can find is someone trying to push some books. is it lug design...one with the single lugs vs the long, high-tension lugs(not club date lugs)? or is it shell design? 3 py with rerings vs 6 ply shells? or is it something to do with the period the drums were made? were all classics/supers maple? or were the shells a mix of different woods? were there 4 piece classics, with a single post tom mount? love to have one of those. anyway, glad to be here, hope i can help whenever i can, and be helped whenever possible. --heff
I have only seen the Super Classic and think possibly the reference to Classic could be a WFL Classic Porto-Pak snare. The name "Super Classic" goes back to the 40's with the Buddy Rich Model Super Classic Drum Outift.
Drum sizes did change, but mainly the bass drum from a 26 to 24, to 22. So size was never an indication of the name since the drum size changed.
We do call the lugs Classic lugs, but in the earlier catalog they were called streamlined tension casings so that might also be part of the crossover of the two names that might be confusing.
I think the shells were mostly 3-ply Mahogany/Poplar/Mahogany so that was never a factor since the drums of other names had the same shells.
So to me it is a name given to a Special Buddy Rich drum set in the 40's and it just carried through the years and in time the lugs just took on the name Classic in reference to the Super Classic Set.
Did I answer any questions? I'm still a generalist with this stuff and never found time to specialize in anything.
David