Here are some lovely, stately drums. They are WFL drums, which is to say they're drums Wm F. Ludwig manufactured while he didn't own the Ludwig brand. Manufactured in the same factory as previous and later Ludwigs, these drums occupy a special place in the history of drum manufacture.
Put a bit differently: these are very cool, very old and fairly rare drums from the Ludwig family. The badges put them in the 1948-1953 range.
The Noteworthy:
- Original Calf Heads- one each on the toms and two on the bass drum.
- Sparkling Chrome- as per the photos, the lugs and rims cleaned up beautifully. See before and after photos here.
- White Marine Pearl wrap is in fantastic condition. There is yellowing as expected, but the seams are very tight.
- Kit includes fiber cases for the toms and a wheeled trap case that holds the snare drum, cymbals and hardware.
- Complete: the only part this kit was missing was a tension rod on the 13" tom. I replaced it with a period appropriate Ludwig rod.
- Hi Hats: Krut hi hat cymbals included, they're lightweight and the edges are bent up. No cracks though.
- Hi Hat Stand: The most elegant Hi Hat stand design I've ever seen. It's a lightweight two-legged Premier stand that folds in the most ingenious way. Unscrew the bottom plate and the legs and pedal assembly fold flush to the upright post. Tighten the plate and you're off.
- Two snare drum stands included, one Ludwig branded, the other one WFL
- New Remo Coated Ambassador batter head on the snare drum
- Original wrench for rail consolette and period-appropriate drum tuning key included
The Expected:
- Minor chrome pitting on the lugs and hoops
- Major chrome flaking/rust on the rail consolette and bass drum spurs
- Moderate chrome pitting/flaking on floor tom leg brackets and tom mount bracket
- Leather straps on tom cases will need replacement or repair. Cases still offer good protection to the drums though.
- Small cracks here and there on the wraps. None greater than 2cm. Yellowing present where wrap is exposed.
- Bass drum hoops are worn and scuffed. No cracks, hoops are structurally sound and the inlays are firmly attached.
- A few holes in the calf heads. If you plan on playing these (and I hope you do) you'll want to replace the calf or use it for the resonant heads.
The Unfortunate:
- Two holes drilled in bass drum shell to accommodate bizarre wood block mount fashioned from bass drum anchor. Block and anchor included. See photos. Dangit.
- Small crack in the 13" reso-side hoop. Hoop functions perfectly.
The Deal:
Seeking a local buyer who will pick these drums up at my home in Baltimore. Included are the drums, hardware, cases and hi hat cymbals. I'd like to move this whole kit together. These can be played as-is or you can replace the calf heads if you'd like to preserve them. If you must have them shipped we'll have to work something out, but it's going to be costly.
My asking price reflects the condition of the equipment which is offered strictly as-is. I've described the drums as candidly as possible and priced them to move. Cash offers will be considered in person.
A full price offer ($800) will get in addition:
- a Ludwig branded hi hat stand
- a 20" coated ambassador bass drum head with port
- a 13" batter head for the rack tom (I have a few you can choose from.)
- an additional WFL branded snare drum stand
- 4 pairs of new drumsticks
13" Tom
Bass Drum Detail
Floor Tom Detail- Note original calf flesh hoop on resonant head
Snare Drum Detail
Super Cool Premier HiHat Stand
The Unfortunate Holes, the only ones on the kit.
Rail Consolette Detail
WFL Branded Speed King Pedal
Snare Drum Detail, with Krut Hi Hat Cymbals
Kit with Hammond Background
Fiber Cases
13 Case
16 Case
Trap Case
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