1960s Ludwig Red Glass Glitter Player Set

July 31, 2022 Phil Wilson

The set I am featuring in this issue is a completely restored 1960s Ludwig Set in beautiful red glass glitter. The bass drum is 20X14, the mounted tom is a 12X8, the floor tom is a converted marching drum 15X12. The snare is a Jazz Festival. The rail consolette works great and all the chrome is in great shape. It is a very pretty set with the glass glitter wrap. Red sparkle looks great, but red glass glitter just pops. I have a humorous story about this set I would like to tell you.

Drums From the Eastern Bloc

July 31, 2022 admin

Those who lived in the Eastern Block in the communist era have different recollections of those days. Some miss them, some curse them. I am too young to remember it well, but what I do know is that it wasn’t very pretty. Communism was very efficient at sucking creative juices out of those less persistent, as well as the will to do things that weren’t widely accepted in the society.

Vintage Gretsch Round Badge Finishes

July 31, 2022 Rick Gier

Just how common are the various wraps and finishes that Gretsch used on its vintage drums? This study reviews data gathered from a representative sample of Round Badge Gretsch drums produced from about 1962 through about 1969.

One Sweet Ride

July 31, 2022 David Barsalou

On view at The Memphis Drum Shop -- Joe Morello's legendary 'Take 5' ride cymbal displayed in all of its historical significance. The provenance is without question.

The Search is Over!

July 31, 2022 Kurt Ekstrom

I have spent countless hours looking at Mod Orange sets and saving pictures of them. I have been to countless drum shows as well as music stores and in the last 30 years of looking, have probably seen no more than 10 sets in Downbeat sizes.

1926 Ludwig & Ludwig StipelGold Standard Professional Model Snare

July 31, 2022 Danny Bilan

I recently purchased a fully reconditioned Ludwig & Ludwig Stipelgold Standard Professional model snare drum. I purchased it from Bill Wanser at Olympic Drums in Portland Oregon who did an amazing job refinishing it. It is a beautiful example of the rare Stipelgold finish offered by Ludwig & Ludwig in their 1926 catalogue. You could also purchase the snare along with the bass drum as an outfit. Stipelgold is a coarse, textured finish with a yellow hue. The unique badge indicates Genuine Stipelgold above Ludwig & Ludwig.

Adventures in Arthritis

July 31, 2022 Bill Ray

I went to a sports medicine specialist, got X-Rayed and he pulls up
the picture, circles a spot in the middle of my hand and says “yep,
here’s your problem, you’ve got Osteoarthritis. See how the cartilage
is disappearing? And oh yeah, you’ve got a bone spur right here (adds
another circle). Happy day, Mr. Ray!”

The Jazz Cymbal Beat

July 31, 2022 Joel Rothman

Joel Rothman goes deep into time signatures and note values when explaining the jazz cymbal pattern.

A Conversation Between a Drummer And An Unwanted Visitor

July 31, 2022 Joel Rothman

A storm was brewing for hours. It finally broke with an ear splitting bolt of lightning that flashed across the sky, followed by a thunderous roar. All of a sudden there was a loud single paradiddle knock at the door. I called to my wife, “Honey, please see who it is."

The Myth of Independence

July 31, 2022 Richard Best

When I was at music school, we had a coven of enthusiastic drummers, and almost every week one of our members would see some note-worthy drummer at a club and dutifully report the next day that the player had '4-way independence. But there's a problem with that assessment.