As heavier rock developed, Ludwig became synonymous with Ginger Baker, Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad, and Ian Paice of Deep Purple. In the 70, John Bonham played Plexiglas Vistalites and stainless steel Ludwigs, while Carmine Appice promoted the single headed Octa Plus melodic toms. Ludwig was the choice of most of rock icons Nick Mason Pink Floyd, Simon Kirke Free, Roger Taylor Queen, and thousands of others. Ludwig was much more than just a manufacturer of rock drum kits. The Ludwig company was a total percussion company, manufacturing everything, and globally renowned for its tuned percussion, timpani, and marching percussion. Virtually every symphony orchestra in the world used items of Ludwig percussion. The company had developed a strong educational program and scored early on by selling beginner kits to thousands of students who previously had started with just a practice pad and sticks. In the rock world, Ludwig addressed the move to louder playing with its heavy duty Atlas hardware. However, in order to support the increasingly massive torn brackets, in the mid 70 Ludwig changed its shell designs to 6 ply straight sided shells.

Steam bending was dropped and the modern method of using molds was introduced. Although this was the direction most companies took, it still upset many traditional Ludwig fans. As the decade turned, Bill Ludwig Jr took a decision that echoed his father's 1929 sale of Ludwig Ludwig to Conn. In November of 1981, he sold Ludwig to the Selmer company. With the double threat posed by the Japanese expansion and the 80 advent of electronic kits and drum machines, Ludwig probably had little option. Selmer inevitably made massive changes and stringent cuts, and Ludwig's days of innovation seemed to be over. In 1984, production was moved from its historic home in Chicago to the less glamorous Monroe, North Carolina. And yet Ludwig, more so than the other traditional American companies, maintained a strong rock profile, with the likes of Alex van Halen, Joey Kramer of Aerosmith, and Alan White of Yes. The gods smiled again in the late 80, when Neil Peart picked out Ludwig in a Modern Drummer side by side comparison, resulting in a new generation of rockers checking out Ludwig for the first time. In recent years Ludwig has emphasised its remarkable history. The surprisingly enduring popularity of John Bonham has led to reissues of the iconic Vistalite and stainless steel kits of the 70.

Revamped Oyster Black Ringo style kits are less acceptable to purists, but updating the flimsy 60 hardware makes sense if the kits are actually to be played. More important in the everyday market has been the steady progress of the budget Accent, now manufactured in China. The latest Accent CS Custom Elite looks like a proper Ludwig that anyone would be proud to own, with small Classic lugs and great finishes. It sounds fine, too, at a genuinely budget price. Ludwig now offers the most stunning array of snare drums, and somehow they nearly always sound good, even the cheap Chinese made models. At the top end, there are 8 ply maple snares with a drool inducing selection of exotic wood veneers, including Macassar Ebony, East Indian Rosewood, Pearwood, and Black Walnut. It feels like the American made drums, while inevitably expensive, have gradually won back the respect of many die hard doubters. The 2007 launch of the Legacy, which revisits vintage 3 ply maple poplar maple shells with solid maple reinforcing rings, was perhaps the best tribute to the death of The Chief, Bill Ludwig II, the following year. In 2009, Ludwig celebrates its centenary in pretty good shape.


By Alex Movila who is a dedicated fan of Ludwig Snare Drums for over 30 years.