Ludwig Snare Drum History

The history of Ludwig drums is in part a story of the music industry. Ludwig drums have been an important part of making music since the early 1900s, and their instruments have been prized by musicians of many different genres. Ludwig snare drums have a long list of celebrity endorsements, and continue to be among the best-selling snare drums in the industry. Buying a Ludwig drum is a rite of passage for many drummers, who prize the company's respected manufacturing standards and storied history.

Time Frame

The first Ludwig snare drum was produced in the 1920s. This drum, called Black Beauty, was soon followed by the production of the Ludwig Supraphonic. The Supraphonic drum is the best-selling professional quality snare drum in history. Since the 1920s, other models of snare drums have passed in and out of production at Ludwig, and the company continues to develop new models and improvements to their existing models.

Materials

Ludwig is known for experimenting with different materials in their snare drum manufacturing process. The company has used nickel, brass, plastic, acrylic, wood and even stainless steel. Led Zeppelin's drummer, John Bonham, famously had a Ludwig stainless steel drum kit, but eventually Ludwig moved away from stainless steel snare drums because the cost of production was so expensive.

Geography

Ludwig snare drums were originally manufactured in Chicago, Illinois, where the company was founded. In 1981, The Selmer Company bought out Ludwig and moved the production to Monroe, North Carolina.

Collectibility

Older Ludwig snare drums have become collectors' items. Ludwigold snare drums, which were briefly in production in the 1920s, routinely sell for several hundred dollars. Other Ludwig snares with limited edition finishes and designs, especially those from the 1960s and 1970s, are also big sellers with collectors. The cost of the collectibles fell somewhat in the late 2000s when Ludwig, to celebrate 100 years of making snare drums, began a reissue campaign of old favorite snare styles.

Significance

Ludwig refers to itself on its website as "the most famous name in drums." Ludwig snare drums have been used and endorsed by musicians such as Ringo Starr, Karen Carpenter, John Bonham, Ginger Baker, Meg White and Bun E. Carlos. The Ludwig brand is even recognized by music fans who don't play an instrument, much like Fender and Gibson guitars are. The company also helped usher in advances in drum technology, such as adding strainers from snare drum sensitivity and lighter, less expensive hardware systems for building whole drum kits.

References

• Ludwig Drums

Resources

• Classic Drums