[COLOR="DarkRed"]2 ways to tell that:

1) magnet. if magnet doesn't stick, it's probably brass.

2) I believe that the brass shells had a different crimp to their snare beds. So, if you post a pic of the snare beds, someone can tell you.'

Also....pitting, I mean, it's something we all have to live with. Others can suggest good polishers/cleaners for that. I use 0000 grade steel wool....gently...but whenever I write that...I get swooped upon by folks telling me "don't use that"...so....I didn't say it....

I think that rechroming...while being VERY expensive (a good, proper job would cost in the range of $100-200 for that shell) would severely reduce the value of the drum should you ever got to resell.

It's one of those...thangs....the original finish is not in prime shape, but a refinish would diminish the vintageness of the drum.

Unless the pitting is real BAD...just live with it, and luv it ....[/COLOR]

thanks... no the pitting is not bad at all. i can live with it... :-)

i started cleaning the snare up tonight. a magnet is attracted to the the rims but not to the shell. however, because it has some minor pitting, i'm assuming it is ludaloy rather than brass.

the 'ludwig' snare wires are all there but one or two of them don't lay flat. looks like one or two of them were bent or stretched at some point. i should probably replace them, right? how important is it to replace them with the same 'ludwig' snare wires or will a brand such as gibralter be okay as long as it has the same number of wires and is of the same length???

the remo ambassador snare head is in very good condition, and the remo diplomat batter head is a bit worn, so i think i will replace that with a coated batter head, maybe an evans???

Any wires will work. Everyone has their personal preference on snare wires.

Here is an article in the upper links on Brass Shells.

[SIZE=2](I like to add links to help others searching the same topic)[/SIZE]

Heads also are a personal preference and it is part of the experimentation process but you can't go wrong with a coated head on the top..

David

thanks david, i appreciate the informaton... Clapping Happy2

okay, here it is all polished, with a new evans batter and new snare wires... let's rock! what do you think?

And who said drums can't be pretty?! Haha, looks great!

After I cleaned up my 60's Ludwig kit, I couldn't quit talking about how great they sounded, and how pretty they were!

My friend told me that she hoped I would talk about my girlfriend or future wife in the same light.

I informed her that if my girlfriend or wife looked as good as the drums did after 48 years, that I probably would!

-Kevin

A magnet won't stick to "Lud-aloy" either....lud-aloy is ludwig speak for aluminum. So the magnet test on a supraphonic or super-sensitive is useless anyway. And btw.....your drum is aluminum seeing as it is from 1969. Only the very early pre-serial number keystone badge chrome snares were brass shells, at least until the late 70's when Ludwig re-introduced them, but by then they had gone to the blue/olive badges.