It goes without saying that the engraved Ludwig Black Beauty is one of the most prized and sought-after drums in the world. Their unique construction, sound, and hand-engraved artwork have captured the eyes and ears of drummers since the early part of the 20th century. The growing popularity of vintage Black Beauties has meant that they are becoming quite difficult to find, even with Ebay and Reverb and such. The early 6.5 X 14” Black Beauties have increased in demand and value. Of these, the 6-lug engraved Ludwig & Ludwig Black Beauties are some of the earliest and rarest.
The 6-lug scroll-engraved Ludwig Black Beauties preceded the 8-lug and were only produced for a few years. According to vintage drum historian, John Aldridge, “Anywhere between 1914-1918 is a good starting place for 6-lug Black Beauties, which were the flagship until 8 lug models replaced them in 1922.” These drums of the period were brass, two-piece shells joined at the reinforcing bead. The bearing edges were folded over back toward the shell to form a triangular chamber. It’s long been my belief that the unique sound of the drums was a combination of these aspects in shell design.
To my pleasant surprise, Chris Hawthorne (Hawthorne Drum Shop) contacted me about an early 6-lug scroll-engraved Black Beauty up for sale. It turns out that the drum was owned by Mark Tirabassi (Hubbard Music, Cardinal Percussion, Attack Drumheads, Wuhan Cymbals/Gongs). Mark was kind enough to send a bunch of pics. The engraving looked quite good, and the black nickel quite intact overall. The DeLuxe finish was also in nice shape. For a drum over 100 years old, it was very well preserved. The catch was that the drum had some issues: two extra holes in the shell, one above and below the strainer, and a p-338 strainer without DeLuxe finish. The holes were only on the one side, so this wasn’t a converted Super-Ludwig. Normally, I say no to any drums with extra holes, but this drum was uber rare. I didn’t know if I’d see one again in my lifetime. I did have an extra p-338 throw-off in DeLuxe finish that I picked up two years ago at the Chicago Drum Show (thank you, Jim Johnson!) for such an occasion.
So, I “called in a lifeline” – Mike Curotto. Mike has done quite a number of superb restorations for me over the years. Who better than the man who has the largest Black Beauty collection in the world? Mike reminded me that, “You know I treat these drums like they are my own drums, so my pickiness with regards to my personal drum restorations carries over to your drum restoration… 6.5 x 14”, 6-lug DeLuxe’s are pretty rare. I have one, but I’ve only seen or heard of one other one besides yours.” Mike suggested that he could have a local welder repair the holes and re-blacken the affected area. As Mike goes through each drum with a fine-toothed comb, he noticed a few missing or incorrect washers, tension rods, and collar hooks. Mike quoted me a price for the project including period correct replacement parts, plugging the holes, cleaning, and re-lacquering. In the end, I decided to go ahead with the purchase and restoration to preserve this artifact of drum history for future generations. Mark Tirabassi said he was “glad it sold to someone that appreciates it”.
I think the pics tell it all. The drum came out beautifully, thanks to Mike’s careful restoration work. All parts, excluding the heads and wires, are now correct. The drum is whole. It is always a pleasure for me to see these drums come back to life. I hope they live on for many generations to come.
I said many years ago in one of my first columns that we are merely custodians of these unique historical drums. As a collector, I feel it is my duty to preserve, protect and share these early drums for future generations. I wish to thank Chris Hawthorne and Mark Tirabassi for the opportunity to be the next caretaker. I also want to thank Mike Curotto for his phenomenal attention to historical detail in the restoration process, and John Aldridge as always for answering my many questions.