I think the "beginner's level" idea is more based on marketing than the sonic capabilities of these drums. They were engineered to sell at a lower price but the Club Dates were the same as the Classics except for the center lugs and the Acrolite used the same aluminum shell as the Supra. Being lower priced options they primarily appealed to students and drummers just starting out, but they weren't lower quality drums. If you can get past the idea of them being "beginner drums" they can work just as well for you as any of the other Ludwigs of the day. Same with the Standard line drums...they all have the same 3 ply shells or aluminum goodness, all made in the same plant by the same people to the same production standards.

I have 4 or 5 Acros (and a couple of Club Dates) and I love then all.

I’ve been using an Acrolite on my big band gig. It’s light, sounds good no matter what and it’s light.

I’ve always preferred an eight lug snare to a ten it seems. My number one for years was a Rogers Powertone. My Montineri is also eight. Just solid drums. And super light, which is a bonus when playing 900 series Yamaha hardware...

ugh! Great stands but you could use them as jack stands for school busses. I still have mine but I don't haul them around anymore. They're too heavy and I'm too old LoLoLoLo.

Why I dig Acrolites: After doing a couple Sgt. Pepper shows at the Hollywood Bowl we went into Capitol Records studio to track the album and Producer Geoff Emerick said my acrolite got the best Ringo sound for the tracks.

Not only school bus jack stands. It’s quite annoying when the gravitational pull caused by their mass from having them all in the same bag makes them pull small imported autos off the road. Nearly run over a few times.

If I had unlimited funds, I’d try those new aluminum stands but I haven’t even seen them in person yet. Oh, and their quite pricey.

Hi BEC, just curious which Acrolite was it? Keystone , B/O, black, if you remember.

Wayne

DRUMR69: B+O sharp cornered.

Thank You BEC

Wayne

I almost scored this 64 yesterday in auction, but I forgot to up my bid from 31. and it went for 32 dollars. I even had lined up a friend to pick it up tomorrow to ship it to me.

I've had a Supra for years and to me it's just the perfect drum for backbeat music and the best all-rounder ever made. I just scored my very first Acrolite, a nice Keystone badge, serial number places her in 1965, right around the time of my conception. I've played quite a few Acros and love them but I think I was waiting for this one.