The “Ludwigold” finish snare drum first appeared in the full (large size) 1927 Ludwig catalog. “Glittering, flashing gold – from a million tiny beveled facets – that’s the new Ludwigold display finish.” This finish was not offered for long as the new, wildly popular and more durable, pearl finishes became available in1928. As a result, the “Ludwigold” finish was phased out around 1930. There are only a few known surviving examples of drums with this finish completely intact. The majority of the drums we have seen have little or no finish left, as fragile glitter had all flaked off over the years. This drum was one of those exmples. It came to us with none of the original finish left on the drum. Using a drum with the original Ludwigold finish as a reference and through much trial and error, we have recreated the glittering Ludwigold finish from modern materials. A significant amount of the “Deluxe” finish on the hardware had also been rubbed off so we had all of the original hardware re-plated to match the original hardware finish. The drum comes complete with the original “special” badge denoting the “Ludigold” model along with the word “GOLD” stenciled on the interior of the shell designating the drum to be given the “Ludwigold” finish. To complete the restoration, we plugged one small extra hole in the shell that is completely covered by the new finish abd only visible from the inside of the drum. The solid maple shell is virtually in round however the glitter finish along with the smaller sized modern heads cause the heads to fit rather snuggly. This would be a great candidate for calf heads which can be sized a bit larger (as in the day) and would fit the drum better. Custom made calf heads can be provided upon request. The snares are original era correct adjustable wire snares.
This completely restored Super Ludwig model snare drum is both a beautiful looking and terrific sounding instrument. It will make a beautiful addition for any player's toolbox and will make a great display drum showing off the rare, Ludwigold finish.
General Characteristics | |
Model | Super Ludwig |
Era | 1910-1929 |
Condition | completely restored |
Extra Holes or Modifications | one hole plugged |
Hardware Finish | Deluxe - copper |
Drum Characteristics | |
Color Group | Gold |
Shell Size | 5"x14" |
Hardware Type | Tube Lugs |
Shell Construction | Solid Maple |
Lug Count | 10 |
Shell Finish | Ludwigold |
Badge Type | Oval Brass |