I've seen CL & other ads for Acrolites with the claim "Very Rare!". My reaction is "They've been making them since 1962, they sold them in bulk to music stores who then rented & sold them, they sold them in bulk directly to the schools & other organizations, they're not rare".
So I'm wondering, are there any numbers, even approximate, for Acrolite production?
They made tons of them. That's for sure. These days, lots of sellers seem to get old and desirable confused with rare. It is certainly an overused word.
Mike
They made an awful lot of them. I doubt even Ludwig knows how many. However there were a couple of variations of the model that are relatively "rare". Specifically the early all aluminum ones ( inluding the lugs and hoops) with the seamed shell and the non cataloged 6.5" deep variation that was apparently specially ordered for NYC schools . Even these are not impossible to find ( if you are willing to pay the going rate) and at least a couple hundred of each probably exist. Beyond that the Acrolite is pretty common. It evolved through time so they aren't all identical but most are fairly similar. There of course are the occasional ones with some sort of production oddity but that pretty much applies to any model that Ludwig made.
I used to see them for sale all the time for $25-$50. Not so much anymore.
They made an awful lot of them. I doubt even Ludwig knows how many. However there were a couple of variations of the model that are relatively "rare". Specifically the early all aluminum ones ( inluding the lugs and hoops) with the seamed shell and the non cataloged 6.5" deep variation that was apparently specially ordered for NYC schools . Even these are not impossible to find ( if you are willing to pay the going rate) and at least a couple hundred of each probably exist. Beyond that the Acrolite is pretty common. It evolved through time so they aren't all identical but most are fairly similar. There of course are the occasional ones with some sort of production oddity but that pretty much applies to any model that Ludwig made. I used to see them for sale all the time for $25-$50. Not so much anymore.
I've seen people asking $400-500 for ordinary 60s-70s Acros which I think is outrageous, at least here in the US (I hear they may go for that other places, understandable if they're rare in those countries).
I have a '68 that I'm pretty sure was sold to a student, darn kid (or his dad) engraved a SS# on it :(
Less than 2 years ago I picked up a '00 Blackrolite in excellent condition for $120.
I picked up this Aug. 1970 Acrolite a couple months ago. It has factory Imperial lugs, which has been documented to be a factory anomaly in that month and others do exist. Didn’t pay much for it, but I would consider it rare for an Acrolite. Purchased from the original owner who played it in school band at the time.
Nothing else special about it. Sounds great! Value? Who knows! NFS😌😌
I picked up this Aug. 1970 Acrolite a couple months ago. It has factory Imperial lugs, which has been documented to be a factory anomaly in that month and others do exist. Didn’t pay much for it, but I would consider it rare for an Acrolite. Purchased from the original owner who played it in school band at the time. Nothing else special about it. Sounds great! Value? Who knows! NFS😌😌
That's one classy looking drum.
Yes I agree with K.O.
Love the Imperials on that shell.
Wayne
Agreed - those imperials against that shell look super classy.
My early 80s Acro was about to be thrown into a dumpster during a basement clean out, along with a 1968 Super Sensitive. A friend hipped me to them, and I went down and got them both for free. They both sound great. The SS is badly pitted, but the tone is still there.
It is pretty amazing how much some of the Acros have been selling for though. There has to be a zillion of them out there.
The acrolites can be found cheap on the goodwill auction site.
The ones that are being sold with the student carry case and stand usually are marked as "for pick up only" and so sometimes not bid up.
I got one as the only bidder back in June. It is a late 70s in great shape no pitting or rust, and still has the students name on the case and written on the original rocker head. I did have to contact a person to mail it to me. Cost me more in shipping(sent whole case) 43.75 then my bid on the auction site.
