Sept. 17, 1959 was a very good day and year....at least at the Ludwig factory. This will be an ongoing thread while I restore my new (old) 1959 8-lug 6.5" x 15" Ludwig mahogany snare. This sucker's got a beautiful low tone to it.
The first image shows that the shell was in great need of a restoration. All scratched up....but luckily, none of the scratches went into the wood. Also note the bottle of Dawn detergent. In the purple container under the drum, all of the hardware (nickel over brass) was taking a leisurely bath in 3 gallons of cleaning vinegar mixed with 1/2 cup of Dawn. Did the job beautifully.
In the second photo, during the stripping process for the shell. The mahogany is gorgeous and this snare will nicely compliment my 1984 mahogany Ludwig kit. I use spray stripper because I can really control where it goes, as in NOT on the inside of the shell. Obviously, all holes were covered so as to help keep it on the outside only.
I'll keep you all posted....;)
