Brand

Used Ludwig drums

Ludwig began in Chicago in 1909, when William F. Ludwig and his brother Theobald opened Ludwig & Ludwig to make a bass drum pedal. Snare drums followed, and the 1920s brought the engraved black nickel snares collectors now call Black Beauties. William sold the firm to C. G. Conn in the late 1920s, started over in 1937 as WFL, and bought the Ludwig name back with his son in 1955. On February 9, 1964, Ringo Starr played a Ludwig Downbeat on The Ed Sullivan Show with the company name painted on his bass drum head, and Ludwig's sales doubled. The vintage drums people hunt for come from the Chicago years that followed: 3-ply keystone-badge outfits of the 1960s, blue and olive badge drums from 1969, and the Supra-Phonic and Acrolite metal snares. Selmer bought Ludwig in 1981 and moved production to Monroe, North Carolina, in 1984. Ludwig built drums in huge numbers, so condition and originality decide which listing to buy, and its badges, serial numbers and date stamps are well documented.

6 drums we cover.