Hey!
I'm thinking about buying a black and white badge era Ludwig Rocker shell to make an 18x16" bass drum. The auction ends today, and before I bid, I'd like to know a few things:
1)Do you know if the holes for the rocker lugs will match classic lugs?
2)What is the material of these drums? I've heard some were four ply maple/poplar, and I've also heard birch. The wood looks fairly nice, but I'd hate to get the thing and find out it's luan.
3)For anyone else who has turned floor toms into bass drums...are there any issues with floor tom bearing edges being used as bass drum edges? Do you buy bass drum heads or floor tom heads? Is there a difference between the edge of an 18" floor tom v. the edge of an 18" bass drum? I've never owned either.
4)I'll have to buy lugs, claws, tension rods, wood hoops, spurs, and two heads--will the project be worth it, or should I keep looking?
Thanks!
Will
Need Ludwig Help ASAP 8-2-06
Yeah...I helped a student rewrap one of those great old WFL/Ludwig transition kits with the mahogany/poplar/maple shells and nickel hardware. It was white marine pearl, but someone had painted it gold, and then someone else had tried to strip the paint which cracked the finish. Then someone else put white marble contact paper over the shells. So the drums sounded great but looked like butt. Since that WMP doesn't exist anymore, we refinished them in Ringo-style black oyster pearl, thinking if he ever decided to sell them, so Beatles dude who wanted a gigable set might buy them. That glue was deadly! I must have spent an hour with a hair dryer on each drum, and even then, I had to use some wood filler later on to take care of all the spots where the mahogany pulled off with the glue. Then filing the new plastic--that has to be the worst part of refinishing a drum. But it paid off...those drums look so great, and the nickel hardware is really cool. Too bad it's so hard to find. I think those mahogany/nickel kits are going to start going up in value soon. Everyone is so into maple, and I get why, but when people start paying attention to how real African mahogany (not the fake luan stuff people associate with the word mahogany thanks to sneaky marketing) sounds after forty years of aging, we won't be able to find those sets for under $500 on ebay anymore.
Anyway, here is the punchline--about three months after we got the drums looking brand new, the kid went and bought a 7-piece Mapex pro maple set. So if you know anyone looking for a nice player's grade late 50's Ludwig/WFL 13/16/22 set, he wants to sell.
Oh, multiperc--in other news...the 80's band is a bust, but I started a funk/soul/jazz/hip hop group that's really cool. A guy who raps and plays congas, sax, trumpet, fender rhodes (hopefully), chapman stick, bass, me, and a female vocalist (hopefully).
Will
Anyway, here is the punchline--about three months after we got the drums looking brand new, the kid went and bought a 7-piece Mapex pro maple set. So if you know anyone looking for a nice player's grade late 50's Ludwig/WFL 13/16/22 set, he wants to sell.
Oh, multiperc--in other news...the 80's band is a bust, but I started a funk/soul/jazz/hip hop group that's really cool. A guy who raps and plays congas, sax, trumpet, fender rhodes (hopefully), chapman stick, bass, me, and a female vocalist (hopefully).
Will
cool Will
funk/soul/jazz/hip hop is hot in the summer. I think I mentioned I played in such a mess at one time, though our band was 12 pieces (sometimes more). Yours should be more manageable and contained. Is the Chapman Stick palyer doing bass or is the bass player a different person? I started playing the Stick many years ago and got to a point with it....a very challenging instrument indeed.
If you do find an 18 or 20 inch floor tom to convert to a kick, do it. I converted an 18x20 Slingerland and it was killer. I also had a 16x18 tom of the same make and vintage, but only used it as a tom. As you know, decades ago those shells had counterhoops, both toms and bassdrums, and the size of counterhoop varied by shell diameter, but I don't remember the edges being significantly different whether tom or bassdrum. In general though, edges were rounder than a modern maple drum (without hoops)...more edge surface contact.
Too bad your 80s band fiasco didn't happen - you should write a book, a blog or podcast the story as if it did happen. Reading your posts was fun - a clever concept and a good 80s visual.
funk/soul/jazz/hip hop is hot in the summer. I think I mentioned I played in such a mess at one time, though our band was 12 pieces (sometimes more). Yours should be more manageable and contained. Is the Chapman Stick palyer doing bass or is the bass player a different person? I started playing the Stick many years ago and got to a point with it....a very challenging instrument indeed.
If you do find an 18 or 20 inch floor tom to convert to a kick, do it. I converted an 18x20 Slingerland and it was killer. I also had a 16x18 tom of the same make and vintage, but only used it as a tom. As you know, decades ago those shells had counterhoops, both toms and bassdrums, and the size of counterhoop varied by shell diameter, but I don't remember the edges being significantly different whether tom or bassdrum. In general though, edges were rounder than a modern maple drum (without hoops)...more edge surface contact.
Too bad your 80s band fiasco didn't happen - you should write a book, a blog or podcast the story as if it did happen. Reading your posts was fun - a clever concept and a good 80s visual.