68 Supraphonic???

Defender

Silver Member
Hi guys.. I'm always looking for info on stuff and this post is no different. I have my eye on what is being advertised as a 68 Supraphonic snare. I'd like some professional guidance on what I'm looking for to make sure that drum is legit, all there and not damaged before I go look at it and offer my hard earned money. The only thing I think I know is that the 60s models have the keystone badge (I think).

Also, what is the going price for this drum in good shape?

Thanks guys, Defender
 
That year and 69 were a transition time for Ludwig.The drum could have a baseball bat muffler,or a round knob muffler.The shell is chrome over ludalloy(aluminum/zinc alloy).It should also have a serial numbered keystone brass badge,steel rims,and a P-83 block or script logo strainer.The P85 strainer came later.

Depending on condition,any where from 190-280,depending on condition.Any where above or below those numbers is a drum priced either too cheaply or too expensively,with the exception of a drum in near factory new condition.Location is also important,as drums from certain parts of the country generally sell for less that market value

Steve B
 
According my serial number, I have a 68 Supraphonic. It is a great drum ! I love it.

But the baseball bat dampener seems to move after playing for a while. But then who needs a dampener when playing rock and roll?

vintage-ludwig-drums-supraphonic-1966.jpg


ludwig-serial-numbers-keystone-badge.jpg



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Yeah, I always have to readjust the muffler on my '65 Acro after each song. It usually turns off completely halfway into it. Probably just needs to be tightened, but I won't bother with it until I need to replace the heads again :p
 
What's the difference in the P83 and P85 strainers? And are there any reissues of this drum with the keystone badge??

As far as how they work, none. The mechanism is exactly the same. The difference is purely aesthetic. The older P-83's also have the little holes so that the wires can only be attached using snare cord though.

The Keystone badge only disappeared for a short while in the 70's when it was replaced with the Blue/Olive badge. Since the early 80's US made Ludwig drums have all been available with a Keystone badge (you can still request a B/O badge too if you want one). They are slightly larger than the old badges from the 60's.....and of course they now say Monroe instead of Chicago.....and the serial numbers can no longer be used to date the drum. But nonetheless, Keystone badges they are.
 
Hey, sorry to be difficult, but I have another question.. I think the only thing I'm still wondering is what the original hoops for the Supra actually look like. I just tried to google it and had no luck. Are there Ludwig marking on them from back in 68? And do I want (should the drum come with) the original hoops? I've read a couple things very recently that tell me that some hoops other than the originals "choke" the drum out.

Please advise, Defender
 
They originally came with 1.3mm triple flanged hoops (your '68 drum is likely to have these), whereas nowadays Ludwig use 2.3mm.

The other hoops you'll be thinking of are die cast. They are much heavier than a triple flanged hoop and many feel they dry the drum out too much.
 
They look the same. The only difference between a 1.3 and a 2.3 hoop is that one is slightly thicker, they have the same shape. To the best of my knowledge, Ludwig triple flanged hoops are not marked with any company logo or anything.

I think I have a set of 1.3 COB hoops in my pile of junk somewhere...
 
A lot of thought going into this mate. Perhaps too much thought, if I'm honest. If it's round, in good nick and gives you a sound that pleases you when you hit the thing. Have at it.

Supra's are a tried and tested snare drum. They've been used by thousands of guys the world over since 1963. Apart from a few cosmetic changes over the years, they really haven't differed too much since that time. All things being equal, a drum from 1968 sounds pretty much identical to one made in 2008. That's the beauty of them. A good, reliable workhorse that fits so well across a wide variety of musical applications. A "go to" snare in many a drummers arsenal.
 
Well, I did it. I'm now the owner of a 1968 Ludwig Supraphonic snare. It's got a few small scratches and maybe 4 - 8 very small dents but the price was way to cheap to pass up.

After I bought it I popped over to Guitar Center and got me a new Hazy 300 and Genera Dry (my new favorite snare batter). I took it all home, carefully pulled every single piece of hardware off the drum, cleaned all of it, gave the outer shell a nice polish, slapped it all back together, swapped out the extremely worn out ludwig 18 strand wires for some pretty much brand new 20 strand wires and...

She's singin' like a songbird!! I really had no idea a 14 x 5 snare could sound this freakin' good!

Thanks to everyone who helped me ensure I was buying what the ad said. PICTURES WILL FOLLOW in the coming days. (I'm too busy playing it to take pictures of it, lol)

Peace, Defender
 
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I really had no idea a 14 x 5.5 snare could sound this freakin' good!

Glad you're digging you new snare. Looking forward to some pics. I thought I had my acro tuned the way I liked then I sat down and played it for a bit and it didn't sound as good as I had hoped. Still a little dry for my tastes. However if Morello used one then I should be able to get it tuned to my liking. Is it just me or are the shallower drums harder to tune?

Only one thing to point out, sorry to nitpick you, the Supra is a 14x5 or 14x6.5. I'm guessing you meant the shorter one.
 
Glad you're digging you new snare. Looking forward to some pics. I thought I had my acro tuned the way I liked then I sat down and played it for a bit and it didn't sound as good as I had hoped. Still a little dry for my tastes. However if Morello used one then I should be able to get it tuned to my liking. Is it just me or are the shallower drums harder to tune?

Only one thing to point out, sorry to nitpick you, the Supra is a 14x5 or 14x6.5. I'm guessing you meant the shorter one.

It totally says 14 x 5. I have no idea what you're talking about. *looks around in the air and snickers*
 
I promised pics, and here they are. One 1968 Ludwig Supraphonic. It's amazing what a good deal comes to those willing to wait.

Enjoy the pics and again, thanks for all the tips, Defender
 

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It's amazing what a good deal comes to those willing to wait.

Ever since reading abotu the Supraphonics on this board I've been interested. I have obviously heard one without knowing it on recordings, but I haven't heard one (that I know of) up close and in person. We had a jazz trio play at my church last Sunday and the drummer had a Supraphonic. I asked him about his kit and he made a comment about it being his cheap travel kit... "except for the snare, the snare is awesome."

Guess what popped up on Craigslist yesterday? It was advertised simply as Ludwig Snare without any pictures. I asked for details and pictures. Turns out to be a 1966 Supraphonic with what appears to be the original heads and snares. The best thing about it was the price... much much lower than anything that has sold on Ebay in the last couple of months! Actually, the best thing was when I got it home and played it. It has "the sound" I expect when hitting a snare. Matches my New Beats perfectly.

So, how do you clean these things?
 

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