Ever seen Stainless steel Supraphonics?

Dirtysticks

Senior Member
I was doing research on Supras and I saw a few people saying that there were some steel Supras that were made and may still be floating around. I also talked to a very dependable drum guy who also said that some were made as prototypes as well as by special request. I've heard of people saying that they have had magnets stick to Supra shells too. I've also heard that there were many different drums slip through the cracks at Ludwig over the years. Anybody else ever heard, played or seen them?
 
Haven't seen one, but Ludwig admits to having made a few (not sure if they were seamless or not.) As for the magnet test, it won't stick to a brass or Ludalloy (aluminum) shell, and will also not stick to some stainless steel shells. The best you can determine if it does stick, is that the shell is regular steel, or stainless with a high chromium & low carbon content.

Bermuda
 
Haven't seen one, but Ludwig admits to having made a few (not sure if they were seamless or not.) As for the magnet test, it won't stick to a brass or Ludalloy (aluminum) shell, and will also not stick to some stainless steel shells. The best you can determine if it does stick, is that the shell is regular steel, or stainless with a high chromium & low carbon content.

Bermuda

I spoke to a drum guy who has a multitude of drum knowledge and he says that he has seen stainless steel supras from Ludwig that weren't just modded steel shells. He also says that Ludwig admits that some were made but not really tracked and put in catalogs. He said the few he has seen had seams.
 
I spoke to a drum guy who has a multitude of drum knowledge and he says that he has seen stainless steel supras from Ludwig that weren't just modded steel shells. He also says that Ludwig admits that some were made but not really tracked and put in catalogs. He said the few he has seen had seams.


'Seems' like it wouldn't be worth it, the spun one piece aspect is the SUPRA's mojo.
 
'Seems' like it wouldn't be worth it, the spun one piece aspect is the SUPRA's mojo.

True but the highly sought after brass models from the 60's that had a seam have the Ludwig Mojo too and still sound great.
 
They're called Supralites, right?
 
They're called Supralites, right?

The modern "Supralite" appears to be just an LM300 rebranding with a lug/badge makeover. Chrome over steel with Ludwig fix'ins.

The OP indicates he has imperial lugs, which would rule out the LM300.

sGRnNnN.jpg
 
Same shell though right? Like a Supra only steel?
 
The modern "Supralite" appears to be just an LM300 rebranding with a lug/badge makeover. Chrome over steel with Ludwig fix'ins.

The OP indicates he has imperial lugs, which would rule out the LM300.

sGRnNnN.jpg

Definitely not an LM300. It has imperial lugs, an internal dampener, and the P85 and P33 that only fits the supra... Only with a steel shell.
 
.........Ludwig admits to having made a few.......

This is the first time I think I've ever seen this one confirmed direct from the source themselves.

The elusive steel shell Supra has been discussed at length. There's always plenty of Tom's, Dick's and Harry's who claim to have seen one, but to date no one has ever seems to have been able to produce one as far as I can tell. I was almost consigned to placing them with the equally as mysterious unicorn horn Supras.

I think the vast amount of "sightings" are the result guys who advertise steel shell Supras, but in reality are just confused by the chrome plating and in fact are just selling regular old 400's and 402's.

It's good to finally be able to see some confirmation once and for all. Now I'd really like to see one.
 
There is more than one type of stainless steel and one of the types does attract a magnet, but generally most commonly known stainless steel products won't hold a magnet. The Ludwig snares do present a bit of an anomaly too tho, because I went to GC a couple weeks ago and stuck a magnet on the side of a new chrome over aluminum Supra and it stuck!


I have solved the mystery of the "Supra" that I had which had a seam... turns out it was a LM300 which had all "upgraded" LM400 hardware, all the way down to the internal dampener. I found this out because of the placement of the badge and dampener matched the placement on the LM300 and LM400. I have spoken to people and confirmed that there have been stainless steel Supras, but the badge placement matches the badge placement on a regular Supra and that they are very rare. I have since returned the snare and replaced it with a Yamaha Musashi Oak.
 
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