Part 2 uncovers another piece of the puzzle of how cymbals made their way from the orchestra to the rock band: the bass drum pedal and a device called a "clanger."
Read moreGuide To Vintage Drums - Leedy Strainers 1923 - 1965
1929-1930 was an important time for the Leedy Manufacturing Company. After the company was sold to Conn, the entire operation was moved from Indianapolis, Indiana to Elkhart, Indiana. The new Leedy company immediately introduced several important design changes which placed them firmly on the cutting edge of drum technology.
Read moreLudwig's Use of Paper Labels in 1971/1972 - Date Stamps and Date Codes
Ludwig's Use of Paper Labels in 1971/1972 - Date Stamps and Date Codes - Rick Gier sheds light on this mystery.
Read moreKelli Rae Tubbs' Back In Time - Sound Effects, Episode 5 - Railroad Imitation with Bill Ludwig III
As a drum historian, Kelli has been collecting vintage and antique drum equipment, method books, photographs, and literature, creating a fine collection of resource material for a deeper understanding of the role her peers from 100 years ago played in the development of the drum set and how those innovations shaped the music we all listen to today. To help document her research, she has created a series of videos that address specific historical drum equipment.
Drum History Podcast: Episode 5 - Long Live The Speed King with Vincent Leef
Vincent Leef of Vitalizer Drums (formerly Polyphonic) is keeping the legacy alive by restoring Speed Kings and making them play like new. He shares the whole story of the pedal with us in this episode - from the journey through world war 2 through the 60's and 70's with Bonham and Ringo to its decline in the 2000's, and finally the current revitalization
Read more1929-30 LUDWIG & LUDWIG 5 x 14 DeLUXE ENGRAVED STANDARD-SENSITIVE MODEL
--For those of you that are not familiar with 1920s-30s “Sensitive” models, all that you have to remember is that the “Sensitive” mechanism is the set of snares that are internal and under the top head with the exception of the New Era-Sensitive that has two sets of internal Sensitive mechanisms.
Read more1940-41 Super Gene Krupa Radio King [1st Clamshell strainer] 8 x14
This is an 8“ x 14“ Slingerland Model 156 Super Gene Krupa Radio King snare drum in Black Diamond Pearl. Very special thanks to Brooks Tegler for his wonderful document explaining everything about this drum! Also, thanks to Mark Cooper of coopersvintagedrums.com; a great, educational vintage drum site.
Read moreOne of the Rarest Stands at Studio 3T
I never saw one of these in person and I never imagined I would ever own one, I’ve been looking for years.
Well, one popped up online and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
1960s Gretsch Progressive Jazz Set
“I like the smaller bass drums, although I look better behind a larger one. It's all bout the look, you know. Ringo looked good behind a 20" bass drum, but Abe Laboriel Jr. would not look good behind a 20" bass drum.”
Read moreKelli Rae Tubbs' Early Drum Set Video Series, Episode 4 - Horse and Livery Sound Effects with Bill Ludwig III
A series about the sound effect instruments used in silent films 100 years ago, at that time known as "moving pictures," with host, Kelli Rae Tubbs and special guest, William F Ludwig III. The
Read more1914-1918 Ludwig & Ludwig 6.5 X14” 6-lug Scroll Engraved Black Beauty DeLuxe
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.
Read moreSlingerland Broadcaster? Oops, Radio King
In 1934-5 Slingerland came out with the Broadcaster. Then oops, Gretsch said that’s our brand name, so Slingerland dropped that model name and the Radio King snare drum was born c.1935-6.
Read moreThey are still out there!!! 1963 Slingerland Gene Krupa Deluxe Outfit No. 1N
Sometimes a set just thrills you to no end and gets your heart racing, this is one of those sets. Allow me to introduce my latest addition to the Studio 3T arsenal. 1963 Slingerland Gene Krupa Deluxe Outfit No. 1N with the upgraded Solid Shell 1-Ply Radio King 3-Point Strainer Snare all in Sparkling Blue Pearl.
13”, 16”, 22”, 5.5” x 14” RK.
The definition of "vintage drum"
Vintage, classic and antique cars are classified by the states and by insurance companies. There are monetary and legal ramifications of a car's age; insurance rates, allowed usage, registration fees, etc. And, of course, resale value. Much of vintage drums' classification comes from the world of cars and antique furniture and art, not grapes or wine.
Read moreWere American Drum Manufacturers Required by Law to Use Serial Numbers During the 1960s?
Many vintage drum enthusiasts have taken advantage of the existence of serial numbers on drums as a relatively reliable tool for estimation of manufacturing dates. Many have compiled lists of drums’ serial numbers and date stamps to understand and exploit the relationship between them. Most cared little about why the serial numbers were there, but were just happy that the serial numbers were there to provide a rough tool for use in dating drums. As one learns more about how drum manufacturers used serial numbers, one begins to question the reason that serial numbers were used at all.
Read moreSung and UnSung Heroes: Tal Bergman
This month’s drumming sung-unsung hero is Israeli-born Tal Bergman.
Read moreTwo 1920s L&L White Enamel/Deluxe Super Ludwig snares
The 6.5 x 14 was another story...the shell came to me wrapped in lime green glitter contact paper. This looked – as my good friend John Aldridge would say – “as ugly as home made soap”, and it was.
Read moreLast Flight Home - Todd Sucherman's Debut Solo Album
The album is not a flurry of prog rock drum tracks as one might expect but passionate and varied pieces composed by Todd and his creative partner, J.K. Harrison, with Todd on lead vocals. There are 10 great tunes, carefully sculpted and crafted to tease our emotions and draw us in. This phenomenal debut album is available on CDs, high-definition audio (.WAV), and signed and numbered 180-gram vinyl LP’s
Read moreSolid Drum Company Snare Drum
Almost everybody in the drumming world knows the name, Johnny Craviotto, but not everyone knows the name Solid Drum Company.
Read moreStudy of Vintage Ludwig Date Stamps to Determine Frequency of Days of the Week
A fortunate byproduct of gathering information from vintage drums to create serial number-based dating guides is the large database of information about individual vintage drums which results is a great resource for other inquiries. This study looks at vintage Ludwig drums from the time when they possessed both date stamps and serial numbers to learn about production by day of the week.
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