Ludwig Club Date

Thanks Jon, I could have sworn that I have seen a few conventional lug Ludwig kits with a top center mounted rail.

To The Old Hyde, Im glad that you like your bass mounted cymbal.

To larryz, I still haven't received the CD snare. Portland Percussion has been on it with Ludwig and they say that it will be in soon. End of January. I am not holding my breath :)
 
Here's a Ludwig Catalog page with a Club Date, in the 22, 13, 15 configuration. Note the rail positioned on the left side panel and the cymbal mount positioned on the top panel.​
Standard sizes, with center lugs, were 12x2 and 13x9 inch rack toms, 20x14 and 22x14 bass drums, and 14x14 and 15x12 floor toms. If someone wanted a 16x16, Ludwig gave 'em a floor tom with split lugs. The tension rods for the center lug design weren't long enough to accommodate the 16" depth. Seems like the most common sizes, to survive, at least, are the 20, 12, 14 kits. Also, check here http://www.vintageludwigdrums.com/60sclubdate.html​
As far as a "review" of the new drums, they sound great. The cherry/gum combo makes them very warm sounding. As far as the split lug/center lug thang .... I think you'd really have to have a great set of ears to tell one bass drum, from the other .... if you put both types side by side, and did a shoot out. Kinda the same thing with the 8 lugger/10 lugger bass drum debate. However, if you prefer one over the other, well, that's fine. Your choice.​
As far as where my money went, I bought vintage. Personally, the 3 ply Ludwig shell is what makes me happy.​
 

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GRUNTERSDAD said:
That kit in 1965, using todays money would be 2300.00
Click to expand...
Indeed, drums weren't cheap. Still aren't. The average car cost of a car, in 1965, was $2,650.00. Today, $2,650.00 will buy you a nice set of drums, or a real crappy car.​
 
harryconway said:
Here's a Ludwig Catalog page with a Club Date, in the 22, 13, 15 configuration. Note the rail positioned on the left side panel and the cymbal mount positioned on the top panel.​
Click to expand...

That's not a rail, it's a hoop mount. :) And that's also probably the first incarnation of the Club Date, but it soon settled into the classic 20/12/14 configuration.

Ludwig had a bad habit of changing specs on an outfit, or changing the outfit's name, for no apparent reason. It's been much more consistent over the last 4 decades or so, but custom ordering of badges, spurs and mounts still makes initial identification of newer drums difficult.

Bermuda
 
Ludwig was like most drum companies back then. They were struggling to meet the expanding market and they made many different configurations based on what they felt would sell and what parts were available in inventory.
"
Anyway, The Club Date kits are the, "Red Rider bb gun" of the drum world. :)

Oh, and Grunt, Ludwig kits were always expensive. Even their cheap ones :)
 
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Well, I got them, I hope when I play them live I don't regret it, I never really know how good a kit is until I play them at a gig.
 

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That must have taken you forever to download:) You're a crazy swinging cat Bob, I really dug the band, the kit sounded great and looked cool on stage.
 
Thanks, The local cable company recorded and put that vid up.
That was recorded last September at the Arts Festival in the now well known town of Newtown Ct.
 
Here's mine, Blue Oyster Pearl. I love them. Nice 60s sound. Gigged with them once already, it was a good night.
 

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Well, I played the kit and it was ok, that's not good enough for me, so I took it to Rockin Robin in Houston and traded it for a vintage WFL kit in a black diamond pearl finish. I also had to throw in a couple Paiste Twenty series cymbals, but this kit has a matching Super Classic snare, so it was worth it. I'll have pics up soon when I return home.
 
OK, You bought the Club Date kit, played it at a gig once, then you traded the Club Date along with some Paiste cymbals for a vintage kit.
That's crazy!
Im sorry but I am having a hard time grasping this.
Why didn't you just buy a vintage kit in the first place?

Well at least you should put up the pics of the WFL kit that you bought.
 
Well Bob, I didn't buy the Club Date, I traded another kit for it, I love vintage drums and was hoping the new Club Date would give me that sound without having to pay big bucks for a nice vintage kit. I couldn't get the sound I was looking for, so I took it to Rockin Robin and they made me a good deal on this WFL kit. They are from the 50's and have 3ply mahogany shells with maple reinforcement hoops.
8x12
16x16
14x22
5x14
 

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