Ludwig Vintage Drums

The Ludwig and Ludwig Company was formed according to rsearch in 1909 by two brothers named William F. and Theo Ludwig. They had an interest in music and therefore on the southside of Chicago it is said, in a rented barn they developed and produced their first product. That was a bass drum pedal which was supposed to be capable of creating faster beats than any other of the typical products of that time. They went on to develop a hydraulic action timpani and in the year of 1916, the two brothers, it is said invented a spring mechanism which is the basis for the current Balanced Action Pedal Timpani.

The company based on information obtained, was forced to merge with the C. G. Conn Company during the Great Depression. There was just not enough business to go around during this period of time. Never-the-less disgruntled with things as they had gone, William left the company and formed his own company known as the WFL Drum Company in 1937. The two companies remained separate for many years after that.

In the year of 1955 the Ludwig Division was purchased back from Conn and renamed the Ludwig Drum Company. William L. Ludwig succeeded his father in ownership of the company after his father's death. In 1966 Ludwig purchased the Musser Marimba Company which produced vibes, marimbas, bells, chimes and xylophones.

Ludwig Industries was purchased by the Selmer Company in 1981. The drum and timpani instruments are manufactured in Monroe, North Carolina. All the other instruments manufactured by the company are produced in La Grange Park, Illinois.

Today the drums which were made by the Ludwig brothers and their company are classic musical instruments and are coveted by many people. A lot of the drums are collector's items. These Vintage Ludwig drums and drum sets are sold at auctions and at retail stores. There are quite a few Vintage Ludwig drums and drum sets being sold by Antique Dealers and by private collectors.

There is a Vintage Ludwig Drum Set, circa 1960's, USA Champagne, 4 pieces, advertised as being in nice condition at a price of $349 offered on E-Bay.com.
Another Vintage Ludwig Vistalite 13" Tom and Drum Set offered at $191.10 on E-Bay. There is a Vintage Ludwig Stainless Steel 1970's Drum Set being auctioned at a price of $1,000.00 on the E-Bay website, beautiful pieces. Also on sale is a Vintage Ludwig Rocker Drum Set Kit, priced at $19.99. If one is into retro, there is a Ludwig Element SE Retro Vintage Hollywood 4 piece Drum Set, being sold for $845.00. The prices for these Vintage Ludwig Drums and kits on E-Bay appear to be reasonable in comparison to regular sites.

An Antique Leedy and Ludwig circa 1953 Drum set with a Black Diamond Pearl Finish, in excellent condition according to the advertisement, is said to be
a one of a kind antique, not made anymore, and is a collector's item. The set
includes a 16" x 16" Floor Tom, a 13" x 9" Tom, a 20" x 14" Bass Drum and a 14" x 4.5" Snare Drum. The set is being advertised as well as authentic and in excellent condition. The asking price is $1,250.00 or best offer, a free pair of drumsticks will be added. This is listed on Drummer Web Ads website.

A second Vintage Ludwig Drum Set circa 1960's is offered by Musician's Garage Sale website, which has 4 pieces. It is a Ludwig Blue Sparkle Drum Set with a 12" Tom with Mount 1966, a 13" Tom with Mount 1968, a 16" Floor Tom with legs 1966, and a 20" Bass with Center Tom Post Mount 1966. The set is advertised as being in very good to excellent condition, the seller is providing free shipping to the USA, the price of set is $1,395.00.

Other Vintage Ludwig Drums and Drum Sets are offered elsewhere as well. Cascio Interstate Music features a Vintage Ludwig Drum kit, a Ludwig LW4220V Vintage 20" White Bass for a price of $28.28. The company also features a Vintage Ludwig LW4222V, Vintage Logo bass Drum Head 22" in size. This piece is advertised as having a Smooth White Heavy Vintage Script Front, and is priced at $30.18.
Finally Cascio offers a Ludwig LW4222V Vintage Logo 22" White Bass Drum Resonant Head with Black, priced at $30.18.