1. Ludwig Serial Number Identification

I believe the B/W badge was reserved primarily for Ludwig's less expensive drum lines such as the original Rocker series. It was used alongside the B/O badge and the modern keystones.It still survives today on the Acrolite snare drums (among others) which, despite being one of the best sounding snare drums money can buy, is considered a lower priced 'student' model drum.Of course with Ludwig there are no hard and fast rules so there is always the possibility of a B/W badge turning up on a top of the line drum.but generally speaking they were confined to the cheaper ones. AgDrumma07 said:I saw a B/W badge Ludwig snare paired up with a firewood kit at a pawn shop last weekend. It was up on a high shelf, but after staring at it, I noticed it had a B/W badge, Ludwig engraved butt plate, bowtie lugs and a muffler just like an Acro. The shell did not have the ridge down the center like an Acro, rather it was more of a brushed aluminum kind of deal. Looked like a low-end snare, so I didn't bother to check it out.Anybody know what I'm talking about?Sounds almost like an aluminum Standard snare shell, which didn't have a bead (but otherwise was the same as the acro and supra spun shell), but then it shouldn't have had the bow-tie lugs and the badge would be the 'U' shaped standard badge not the B/W version of the B/O badge. There were some wooden shelled rocker drums covered in metal finishes that used that badge.they would look as you described, although more typically with a chrome finish.

Could it have been one of those?Here's a picture of a Rocker series set from the '84 catalog.it sports the B/W badges while the regular Ludwigs in the same catalog have the traditional B/O badges. These rockers used the small 'classic' lug rather than the smooth 'Standard' style lug that was used on later Rocker variants. Said:AgDrumma07 said:I saw a B/W badge Ludwig snare paired up with a firewood kit at a pawn shop last weekend. It was up on a high shelf, but after staring at it, I noticed it had a B/W badge, Ludwig engraved butt plate, bowtie lugs and a muffler just like an Acro. The shell did not have the ridge down the center like an Acro, rather it was more of a brushed aluminum kind of deal. Looked like a low-end snare, so I didn't bother to check it out.Anybody know what I'm talking about?Sounds almost like an aluminum Standard snare shell, which didn't have a bead (but otherwise was the same as the acro and supra spun shell), but then it shouldn't have had the bow-tie lugs and the badge would be the 'U' shaped standard badge not the B/W version of the B/O badge.

There were some wooden shelled rocker drums covered in metal finishes that used that badge.they would look as you described, although more typically with a chrome finish. Could it have been one of those?Here's a picture of a Rocker series set from the '84 catalog.it sports the B/W badges while the regular Ludwigs in the same catalog have the traditional B/O badges. These rockers used the small 'classic' lug rather than the smooth 'Standard' style lug that was used on later Rocker variants.No, I wouldn't say it was a chrome finish. 'Brushed aluminum' probably wasn't a very good description. It looked 'cheaper', something like this.

Sir,Might want to check out one of these. Frequently pooh-pooed by the connoiseurs.I believe this to be the sameshell set-up as the L-600 Chrome over wood (cept' this one has ebony wrap).usually found with brownish beigegranitone - type painted interior. I've found the drum to be very user friendly and easy to tune (nice bearing edges). Delivers classic woodsy tone at reduced prices. My snare is 4 ply.

I suspect that at some point may move up thefood chain in drummer appreciation.Peace, Chas. Cdlaine said:Sir,Might want to check out one of these. Frequently pooh-pooed by the connoiseurs.I believe this to be the sameshell set-up as the L-600 Chrome over wood (cept' this one has ebony wrap).usually found with brownish beigegranitone - type painted interior. I've found the drum to be very user friendly and easy to tune (nice bearing edges).

Delivers classic woodsy tone at reduced prices. My snare is 4 ply. I suspect that at some point may move up thefood chain in drummer appreciation.Peace, Chasattachment=0after rehab.jpg/attachmentDo those have a name or number at all? What can you get one for? AgDrumma07 said:No, I wouldn't say it was a chrome finish.

'Brushed aluminum' probably wasn't a very good description. It looked 'cheaper', something like this:At some point Ludwig dropped the real chromed metal wrap and switched to the plastic version, and that often didn't age so well so sometimes it can almost look brushed. Using a too strong cleansing agent on it can damage it in that way too. Even when in good shape it does have a 'cheaper' look to it than an actual metal or metal wrapped drum.Also I believe there was an actual wrap offered by Ludwig at some point in the early 80's that looked like brushed stainless or aluminum but I'm fairly certain that was not available on the B/W badged drums.I've bought at least one of these wooden rocker snares over the years just for the parts. The wrap (plastic chrome) was trashed and partially spray painted but it had eight good bowties, a P-85, butt, snares, hoops & rods for $75 (everything one would need to clone a Jazzfest besides a shell and badge). You couldn't get all those parts individually for anything approaching that price.

If I remember right the 4ply drum did not sound bad at all, but I had bought it specifically because I needed those parts for another project so I did tear it down.

There is a certain passion and joy that goes into documenting, or identifying a vintage drum, especially one manufactured by Ludwig. It tells a story, not only in what it is, but where it's been; the roads traveled, its relevance to drum manufacturing, and its influence on music. Digimaster 3 software download free.

Dating Ludwig Drum products can be rather easy or quite tedious. In reality, the early days of drum manufacturing held no regard for dating or serializing a product for chronological relevance.

A future significance in chronologically cataloging a product produced by Ludwig wasn't foreseen. Luckily, there have been devotees that have developed a refined system to dating and cataloging drums produced by Ludwig.This section exists as a guide to identifying and dating, Ludwig drums produced in the 1960’s. It is heavily concentrated on factors that were included on all cataloged trap kits, and wood drums of this era. There are several ways to date Ludwig drums from all production periods. The most accurate way to dating a drum is to see it as a whole, and assess every aspect of the drum. Indicating factors include (not limited to): serial numbers, date stamps, shell mold, shell hardware, finishes, and badges.Serial numbersSerial numbers don’t directly identify specific drum type or year.

In fact, it wasn’t until 1964 that Ludwig started to put serial numbers on their products. That leaves 4 years of 60’s era drums that can’t be dated using a serial number guide. The boom in production, along with new government regulations, prompted Ludwig to begin issuing serial numbers on badges of their drums. The new regulation would later make it easier to date and catalog Ludwig drums, but it came with a price of extensive time and effort. Serial numbers are subject to discrepancies, which is why it is important to assess all aspects of the drums listed on this page not only to date the drum, but do determine the originality of it. This era would also mark the end of the Keystone badge era.Date StampsDate stamps are the most accurate indicator to when the drum was formed, however not completed.

Unfortunately, more often times, the number does not exist or has worn away. Date stamps were done on the inside of a drum shell with a abbreviation of the month, followed by the day, and then year. Date stamps for drums produced in 1960-1963 were strictly red ink, while date stamps from 1964-1969 were red or black. The discrepancy between date stamps and serial number on badges exists because the stamp was put on the shell during the first half of the production process. Drum shells were formed and then stored in stock until pulled for final assembly. Once in final assembly, badges were then issue to the shell that was pulled for final assembly.Shell MoldsThe Ludwig Shell molds from 1960-1967 were 3-ply mahogany/poplar/mahogany shell with 1” solid reinforcement rings.

Ludwig Serial Number Identification

The interior of the shell was clear in 1960, and by 1961 all shells were white up until 1967. By then, the shell mold changed from using a mix of mahogany and poplar to using maple and poplar in the same style 3-ply mold.Tom bracketsThe first tom bracket on 1960’s Ludwig drums was the diamond bracket. The diamond shaped chrome bracket was designed with a slot to slide on the extension arm of the sliding rail. This bracket was replaced around 1962 with the first generation Ludwig script logo bracket. First Generation Ludwig Script logo Brackets appeared from 1962 until early half of 1965.

It was a smoother contoured looking bracket. The bracket was designed with a threaded housing tapped on the bracket itself, allowing for a wing head bolt to be fastened in potion onto the L-Rod.Mid 1965 saw the rise of a second generation Ludwig script logo bracket.

These brackets were designed with a more boxed hard edge look, with an internal eyelet bolt needing a wing nut to fasten the bracket to the support rod. It was continuously used in to the 70's on most catalogued outfits. Another existing tom bracket of the 1960’s was the round slide mount. This mount was configured on Hollywood and Blue Note outfits up until early 1965. It was then replaced by second generation Ludwig script bracket.Drum mufflersLudwig drums had mufflers installed on all drum but the bass drum. First era mufflers are known as the “baseball bat” mufflers since the rod that made the muffler active on/off was the shape of a baseball bat.The internal component that was the muffler was a rectangular 2” or so felt pad. This also changed form throughout the 60’s.

The first generation muffler had red felt and existed until around 1965. From then on, the felt pad was white. By 1968, Ludwig introduced the round muffler pad installed directly adjacent to the badge on a drum.Rail mounts and bass castingsLudwig used varying bass drum mounts and rail mounts that coincide with the change of the shell mounting brackets on tom toms or floor toms. First generation rail-consolette catered to the diamond bracket mount.

The second-generation rail mount was used when the first generation Ludwig script mounting bracket was introduced in ‘63. By ‘67, the third generation rail mount with adjusted locking teeth at the joint was introduced, coinciding with the second generation Ludwig script mount that was introduced in ‘66. Ludwig bass drums that complimented a double tom post was fixed onto the P1610D bass casting. This bass casting would change form at around 1966.Bass drum spursBass drum spurs were also another drum shell hardware component that saw a dramatic change on Ludwig kits throughout the 60’s.

Telescoping spurs were apparent on bass drums from 1960 - 1962. By 1963, the gull wing spurs were introduced with two variations including either first generation Ludwig script bracket or second generation Ludwig script bracket. Bass drum spurs found there final change of the decade in 1968 with the introduction of the first generation 5/16” curved spur, carrying well into most of the 1970’s.In the end, all of the changes and variations of Ludwig drums translate to a chronological progression, while depicting growth and advancement in design. Ludwig Drum Co. Really benefited from the response their products had received.

By the end of the 1960’s, Ludwig Drum Co. Wanted it to be apparent that change and progress forward were to come. The change of the Ludwig logo, from the script to the stricter square logo, was a sort of foreshadowing of just that. 1968 saw the rise of a new logo and yet the coming rise of another decade owned by Ludwig innovation.

This time headed by William Ludwig II.