ludwig serial numbers black and white badge

The inherent limitations of the existing dating guides and their frequent misuse by some in the vintage drum community inspires a fresh look into how to best date and authenticate Ludwig drums. It could just be inexact language which present estimates and approximations as if they are highly precise or an attempt to pump up the seller and make it appear that they are more of an expert than they really are in order to obtain a higher price for their drums. Instead, they state with false authority, precision and accuracy that a particular drum was produced at a particular time 'because the date guides say so.' This phenomenon is seen frequently in online listings and in the opinions of some 'vintage drum experts,' who are often misapplying the same limited tools that are publicly available. It appears that many people do not understand, or perhaps do not wish to understand, the limitations of these tools.

Nonetheless, many people see the existing dating guides as if chiseled in stone. Most knowledgeable of Ludwig drums agree that someone armed with only a serial number cannot reliably pinpoint a date of manufacture of a Ludwig drum. In the 1999-2005 time frame, several guides were published which report known serial number and date stamp combinations and/or show the general relationship between serial number and date.* These addressed the Keystone badge drums of the 1960s and ventured only slightly into the Blue/Olive badges which replaced them in 1969. Many Ludwig drums, including main line (Keystone and Blue/Olive Badges) and Standards, have dates stamped inside their shells or on paper labels. Is it based on when they were made, or differences in models? Ludwig black and white badges - posted in Vintage Venue: Hey guys, Whats the difference between black & white badged and blue & olive badged Ludwigs. Baby Dodds snare 1923 Ludwig & Ludwig White Enamel 4 x 14 All Metal Dance. More details to come on other activities such as drum clinic info and kids drum. The Niles, Illinois badges are black and brass ovals with serial numbers. Ludwig drums have a distinct advantage over Gretsch when it comes to establishing a relationship between serial number and date. Now available from the publisher at, on eBay from Seller (Rebeats), or by emailing the author.

It is broken down into five parts: Part I - Current Guides, Part II - New Dating Guides for 1963-1984, Part III - Tracking Changes in Physical Characteristics, Part IV - Dating Guide for Ludwig Standards 1968-1973, and Part V - Date Codes from 1971/72 Era. Serial Number Based Dating Guides for Vintage Ludwig Drums Main Line Drums 1963-1984 & Standard Drums 1968-1973 A fresh look at vintage Ludwig drums, with an emphasis on understanding how to evaluate authenticity and estimate manufacturing dates.

Ludwig serial numbers black and white badge