Ludwig Legacy Classic - who knows 'em?

fusssion said:
So what ....is it the type of maple being used? Is that what is bridging the gap? Sounds like a nice compromise to me.......what else do you know?
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I think it's basically what their Classic Maple shell would be - if it was made overseas. But it shares enough of the hardware to be regarded as a high-end Accent kit.

Ludwig is basically doing what other companies have done for a while: offering several distinct series' while trying not to blur too many lines. The Centennial is the only series that sort of blends two other drums - Accent and Calssic.

That's also part of the reason that finishes are limited and in some instances exclusive. The Legacy drums for example currently offer only 4 wraps and 2 (exclusive) lacquers, even though they're made in Monroe and could easily be finished in any other available color/wrap. They don't want to have drummers or retailers think that the Legacies are an offshoot or in any way related to the Classic series. And vice-versa.

I know a few things, and I know that the next few years will be BIG for Ludwig! :)

As I said when I announced my endorsement in 2006, this is a really good time to be on board with them.

Bermuda
 
bermuda said:
... the next few years will be BIG for Ludwig! :)
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I think you're right - it seems like they're charging ahead and re-emerging as a top-tier drum company. They have such a proud tradition, I'm really happy to see this. The new web site looks fantastic and they're marketing wisely in other ways - such as getting into that new video game "Rock Band", front page ads in Modern Drummer, etc.
 
bermuda said:
The old drums may be out of round, have some flat spots on the the edges, or other anomalies that plagued their drums when they were cranking out kits to meet demand (the mid-'60s were the most problematic in this respect.)

The Legacy drums are consistent and more predictable as to sound, and using strictly the mini lugs, I think the sound will be more open (I haven't had the opportunity to a/b them yet.)

And unless one is a purist, the hardware advantages to the new drums are also superior. For example, I like my old rail consolettes, but I like the center mount pole better.

Bermuda
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Yeah production was quite crazy during that era, some sets weren't perfect indeed, but that doesn't mean there aren't good kits out there, and they are definitely not in small number. Another thing is that those minor imperfections weren't always a bad thing, it gave character to the drum sound.


Even so, bearing edges and out of roundness aren't common problems among the market granted you do a little inspection before buying or asking for a few more pictures just to make sure of it.

Just saying about what else you could do with the money though, the choice is up to the buyer though because there are definitely perks to going either way,
 
bermuda said:
I know a few things, and I know that the next few years will be BIG for Ludwig! :)
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Oh Yeah???? :)

I hope so. I've always loved the Ludwig brand, and would love to see them stand out a bit more in the sea of pretty good drum companies. As they should!

Cheers,
-Ryan
 
HI, came across this post well after it was originally posted obviously. Am curious if in the meantime anybody has gotten a chance to truly compare the sound of Legacy Classics against a 60s/70s 3-ply? I've been considering off and on tracking down an 18" floor tom to add to my '68 set, and had expected my only real option was to find a drum of my era and rewrap it. Does this line give an alternative? I'm a rocker, not a jazz player, so subtle differences are probably fine. What I don't want is a drum that doesn't blend in acoustically, or reports so well in comparison I have to adjust hit strength to keep it from overpowering the other drums. Someone have some insight?

Lyle
 
bonzolead said:
A lot of drum companies are going with deeper bass drums nowadays.the $1000.00 pricetag insures me that there made overseas.I think I would go after the Classic Birch at least they're made in the USA.

Bonzolead
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According to Ludwig's new catalog introduced at the end of 2007, they only offer three finishes for the Birch Classic line. There used to be a lot more than that offered before.
 
slyone said:
I've been considering off and on tracking down an 18" floor tom to add to my '68 set, and had expected my only real option was to find a drum of my era and rewrap it. Does this line give an alternative?
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You'll find that the Legacy and late-'60s/early-'70s drums are very close. Perhaps with the aid of a soundproof room and test equipment you could detect a difference, but it's very unlikely you'd hear it in any environment.

Note that currently, Ludwig only offers the small lug on the Legacies, whereas the large lug was used on all older drums 13" and up. So you would have a noticeable hardware mis-match with your older kit. You'd also have to make sure to order the old-style leg mounts, which basically date back to the early '60s. AND, you'd want to seek the old style thinner hoops (rather than the 2.3mm hoops that come with the drum) to really get the drum sonically close.

Other than that, soundwise, you'll be very pleased.

Bermuda
 
bermuda said:
You'll find that the Legacy and late-'60s/early-'70s drums are very close. Perhaps with the aid of a soundproof room and test equipment you could detect a difference, but it's very unlikely you'd hear it in any environment.

Note that currently, Ludwig only offers the small lug on the Legacies, whereas the large lug was used on all older drums 13" and up. So you would have a noticeable hardware mis-match with your older kit. You'd also have to make sure to order the old-style leg mounts, which basically date back to the early '60s. AND, you'd want to seek the old style thinner hoops (rather than the 2.3mm hoops that come with the drum) to really get the drum sonically close.

Other than that, soundwise, you'll be very pleased.

Bermuda
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Way cool, I appreciate the info'. I do want appropriate (matching) hardware, etc so I'd have to figure that into the cost if I pursue this route (being unemployed sucks big time). I have time to determine my best options. Its a rewrap whichever way I go, unless I find a Burgundy Sparkle 18" in good condition but not at the prices I see on the rare occasion I come across one.

Lyle
 
I ordered this kit in Green Sparkle in November of 2008 and Ludwig has delayed the making/shipping from March (4 months) clear back to the end of June (almost 8 months) now. I know the drums are great, and custom-made, but there is NO reason ANY kit should take 8 months to make and ship out! If you have the patience of Job, then go for it, but if you are looking to get your drums within 2009, I would look elsewhere. I'm a Ludwig guy and always will be, but their speed of production is quite ridiculous. My drums better shoot rainbows to the heavens when they finally get here, to make the wait worth it...

-Ryan
 
ryan2112 said:
I ordered this kit in Green Sparkle in November of 2008 and Ludwig has delayed the making/shipping from March (4 months) clear back to the end of June (almost 8 months) now. I know the drums are great, and custom-made, but there is NO reason ANY kit should take 8 months to make and ship out! If you have the patience of Job, then go for it, but if you are looking to get your drums within 2009, I would look elsewhere. I'm a Ludwig guy and always will be, but their speed of production is quite ridiculous. My drums better shoot rainbows to the heavens when they finally get here, to make the wait worth it...

-Ryan
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Holy hell! Eight months!? Seeing as Green Sparkle is a wrap, I can't see any way they could possibly justify that. As with anything, he who screams the loudest gets the most attention. Perhaps you could call them up and threaten to withdraw your order...or generally raise hell? No way would I wait 8 mo. for drums...especially if the first estimate was half of that.
 
Maybe they have to take two steps back before they can go one step forward. What I mean by that is they may be repairing/replacing a ton of stock that was sent back to them in the past year. My local drum shop owner told me they had a real QC issue that needed to be resolved quickly.

What the issue was he didn't know other than the fact that Ludwig caught it after a lot of stuff left the shipping dock.
 
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ryan2112 said:
I ordered this kit in Green Sparkle in November of 2008 and Ludwig has delayed the making/shipping from March (4 months) clear back to the end of June (almost 8 months) now. I know the drums are great, and custom-made, but there is NO reason ANY kit should take 8 months to make and ship out! If you have the patience of Job, then go for it, but if you are looking to get your drums within 2009, I would look elsewhere. I'm a Ludwig guy and always will be, but their speed of production is quite ridiculous. My drums better shoot rainbows to the heavens when they finally get here, to make the wait worth it...

-Ryan
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I'm sure you will be happy with them I would rather wait 8 months for a legacy kit then get

a accent kit tomorrow. remember you're getting the finest Ludwigs available IMO and I'd

rather have them take there time and do it right instead of speeding thru and possibly

having flaws in the drums. try to order a custom DW kit and see how long that takes.

Just remember "Good things come to those who wait".

Bonzolead
 
zambizzi said:
Holy hell! Eight months!? Seeing as Green Sparkle is a wrap, I can't see any way they could possibly justify that. As with anything, he who screams the loudest gets the most attention. Perhaps you could call them up and threaten to withdraw your order...or generally raise hell? No way would I wait 8 mo. for drums...especially if the first estimate was half of that.
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It took three months for my new kit last summer, but since then I've ordered two more Classic Maple drums and each took about three or four weeks.

Back to the original question: I used to play Rogers (a '66 Holiday kit w/maple Dynasonic) and while it was hard on me to sell it, my new Classic Maples are the closest thing I've ever heard in a modern drum to the old Rogers sound. After fussing with the tuning and heads for a few weeks that I owned them, it just hit me one night "They sound like my Rogers". Maybe its wishful thinking, but I I love 'em, and as Bermuda said, the advances in hardware are spectacular. I think I read in one of the threads that Bermuda said the Legacy's were most like vintage Ludwig's and the Classic Maples were most like vintage Rogers. I never played vintage Ludwig's, but I agree about the Classic Maples sounding like Rogers.
 
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RogerLudwig said:
It took three months for my new kit last summer, but since then I've ordered two more Classic Maple drums and each took about three or four weeks.

Back to the original question: I used to play Rogers (a '66 Holiday kit w/maple Dynasonic) and while it was hard to sell it, my new Classic Maples are the closest thing I've ever heard in a modern drum to the old Rogers sound. I love 'em, and as Bermuda said, the advances in hardware are spectacular.
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Classic Maple IS a great sound. I'd order those over Legacy anytime just because I prefer a slightly thicker shell w/o re-rings.

3-4 weeks, you say? Hhhhmmmmmmm....
 
Let me just say this much about he legacy kit.... when I played them, that's when my balls dropped. They are just that amazing. Capturing the classic ludwig sound....can't put a price on that, that won't stop me from buying them!
 
bonzolead said:
I'm sure you will be happy with them I would rather wait 8 months for a legacy kit then get

a accent kit tomorrow. remember you're getting the finest Ludwigs available IMO and I'd

rather have them take there time and do it right instead of speeding thru and possibly

having flaws in the drums. try to order a custom DW kit and see how long that takes.

Just remember "Good things come to those who wait".

Bonzolead
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i'm with you on this. i appreciate the reply. patience is indeed a virtue. i'm 6/7ths of the way done with the wait... i can't back out now.
 
rendezvous_drummer said:
Let me just say this much about he legacy kit.... when I played them, that's when my balls dropped. They are just that amazing. Capturing the classic ludwig sound....can't put a price on that, that won't stop me from buying them!
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Good. It shouldn't. I've heard others playing them, and was amazed. Hopefully, if I play my cards right, my balls too, will drop!
 
zambizzi said:
Holy hell! Eight months!? Seeing as Green Sparkle is a wrap, I can't see any way they could possibly justify that. As with anything, he who screams the loudest gets the most attention. Perhaps you could call them up and threaten to withdraw your order...or generally raise hell? No way would I wait 8 mo. for drums...especially if the first estimate was half of that.
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Believe me when I tell you that hell has been raised... I've found that patience wins the day.

-Ryan
 
I recieved my kit after a 7 month wait, and it was WELL worth the wait. Appearance-wise, it's second-to-none, and tone-wise, in my humble opinion, it wipes the asses of any other kit on the market. The 18 X 24 bass drum is.... well.... incredible.. If you are looking for the "vintage" sound, and can spring for the price, it's definitely worth the money, and the wait. I have a 9 X 13 inch tom, and a 16 X 16 floor tom, which I put Remo Vintage Coated Emporers on, and they sound great. Nice warm resonance to them. I'm still a believer that you can make just about any kit sound good, when tuned correctly. But this kit, when tuned correctly, is on a whole other level by itself. That, and its a Ludwig... need I say more.

Take care-

-Ryan
 
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