In the 1960's there was only one real name in drums.
The age old argument about the golden era of music is very much alive and well, but it’s certainly hard to refute that the 1960s birthed some of the most iconic and innovative sounds in the history of music. This not only comes down to song compositions themselves but the recording equipment, associated techniques, technical innovations and the sound of the instruments being captured to tape. For many, in the 1960’s there was only one real name in drums. With a potent history spanning back to the beginning of the 20th century, The Ludwig Drums Company was leading the way in drum manufacturing and shaping the sound of music in this golden era of drums.
Throughout the numerous iterations, ownership and company name changes, the Ludwig Drums brand enjoyed a wealth of key innovations throughout its long and fruitful history, dating back as far as the first decade of the 20th century, when the first Ludwig bass drum pedal was produced in 1909. The 1920’s introduced the now legendary Ludwig Drums Black Beauty snare drum (still produced today), with the great depression of the 1930’s marking ownership changes as the Ludwig & Ludwig company and name was sold to CG Conn. This soon prompted William F Ludwig to start the new WFL Drum Company in Chicago Illinois in 1937, with the creation of the first Speed King Bass drum pedal in 1938.
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Supporting the war effort through the 1940’s, the WFL Drum Company made drums with wooden hoops, lugs and rope tension due to the massive shortage of metal available at the time, with a minuscule 10% metal being used in their drums at the time. By the end of WWII in 1945, WFL Drum Co produced the first post war catalog in 1947 featuring none other than Buddy Rich on the cover, the most famous drummer in the world at the time. The 1950’s brought further changes and acquisition with William F Ludwig buying back the “Ludwig” name from CG Conn in 1955 and forming The Ludwig Drum Company.
The 1960s is when The Ludwig Drum Company really came into its own, kicking off the brand’s golden era of drum making. It was the decade that changed the company and music itself forever, with one particular event that, as William F Ludwig Jr put it “launched one thousand orders”.
Having bought back their name, Ludwig Drums (now back under the ownership and operation of William F and son Bill Jr) worked tirelessly in the early 60’s, steadily building a sound reputation as one of the most reliable drum manufacturers in the world, with their drums being sold all over the USA as well as across the pond. The concept of the 3-ply shell had been adopted which really formulated and solidified the iconic “Ludwig” sound, with a beautifully open, warm and rich timbre and wide tuning range produced from their thin shell composition, which between 1960-67 was typically mahogany/poplar/mahogany with a solid 1″ reinforcement and white inner shell, moving to the maple/poplar/maple composition in ’67.
These classic shells were not only innovative in their mould/composition and overall sound but also the wraps they were finished in, which were incredibly striking and eye-catching, making a lasting impression. These wraps ranged from the most recognisable Black Oyster, through to the striking Psychedelic Red and wide range of sparkle wraps ranging from Blue, Green, Gold, Champagne and everything in between. Throughout the 60’s production, various hardware restyling took place across the various available models ranging from numerous generations of tom brackets and drum mufflers which improved in design over the course of the decade, as well as a variety of rail mounts, bass castings and bass drum spurs, which allowed for a variety of mounting options. This kept the Ludwig drum sets nice and compact with less requirements for additional hardware. By 1967 the adjustable rail mount was adopted on bass drums, which allowed for a wide variety of sturdy tom mount positions, plus the mounting lugs for a cymbal arm and percussion L-arm. The reliable gull wing bass drum spurs were standard by the 1963, which replaced the telescoping spurs in the early 60’s.
A wide variety of models were produced throughout he 60’s ranging from the Super Classic model, a great all-rounder for jazz/bebop through to rock and pop, which spec’d with a 5″ x 14″ snare, 22″ x 14″ bass drum, 13″ x 9″ rack and 16″ x 16″ floor tom. Another notable model was the Club Date which was slightly different from other models in that it featured smaller sizes (20″ x 14″ bass, 12″ x 8″ rack and 12″ x 15″ or 14″ x 14″ floor) and self-aligned tension lug castings. The largest configuration offered was the Blue Note model, which comprised of a total of 9 drums (including two bass drums, two rack toms and floor toms as well as bongos) for a more expansive set, representing the gradual shift in drumming at the time to be a more featured instrument in music arrangements and compositions.
I mentioned that “particularly event” earlier and that of course was the famed American debut performance from The Beatles, which took place on the the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Rocking a Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl drum set, Ringo Starr set the Ludwig brand on fire with this iconic performance which immediately sparked a mass of orders, essentially doubling the company’s revenue overnight. This flood of orders was a struggle for Ludwig to keep up with, with the company also having launched the Ludwig 400 Supra-Phonic snare drum the same year 1964, which was arguably the most popular snare drum in the world at the time. No biggie. This massive boom for the Ludwig name meant the brand became synonymous with drummers, drumming and music as a whole forever. Aside from Ringo Starr, the other most notable name who sat behind a Ludwig kit at the end of the 1960’s and most famously in the 1970s was of course John Bonham of Led Zeppelin.
The decades following the 1960s saw Ludwig go through a wealth of other changes to their instruments, including alterations to shell compositions (moving from 3-ply to 6-ply) as well as bolstering up hardware to be more sturdy and reliable for the vigorous on-road demands of touring bands. Ownership changes, a myriad of new models and more affordable lines being made available from the iconic brand over the following decades meant younger up and coming drummers could also get a taste of the most legendary name in drums.
It hasn’t been until the last decade or so that Ludwig has hailed back its original “vintage” sound, with a selection of their American made kits being made available in their classic 3-ply shell configuration, bringing back that iconic sound but in a more modern and reliable form.
You’ll find some of today’s most notable drummers behind a Ludwig drum set including likes of Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (The Roots) and Jon Theodore (Queens of the Stone Age), to name but a few. To pick up a genuine vintage Ludwig kit from the 60s now, be prepared to dig deep into your proverbial pockets, particularly if its a famed Black Oyster Pearl wrap, ooft! But, for the sound and a piece of real drum history, they’re worth every penny.
For local Ludwig Drums enquiries, reach out to Dynamic Music.
