I love my ('79 to '81) Acrolite. Mine was in excellent condition when I bought it, polished to a gleam, so I didn't bother using my Turtle Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover on lugs/hoops. (NevR Dull works on Aluminum, as does Flitz No Scent Metal Polish ). I did put new Ludwig 18-strand Vintage Snare Wires (L1963) on it (which comes with grosgrain ribbon), along with a new INDe strainer & butt plate, & it sounds vintage in a *"brand new"* kinda way. It is now my favorite out of 7 snares.
Hilarious honesty "This sounded fine before, and was not really worth the time." And the snare throwoff mount/bracket you made was seriously impressive. You're a real one.
I'm really glad you didn't drill any holes in that shell. The Ludwig acrolite is a very collectible drum. I work in a drum shop that specializes in vintage restoration and repair. You may have heard of us. Klash drums in Nordeast Minneapolis MN. Hit us up if you ever have any questions or need parts.
The trick to the Ludwig snare switches is to unscrew the tightener all the way off. It will let the one piece separate from the bottom. Then you can reach the screw with a screw driver. Sorta sucks. But I found that out while restoring my own acro.
rdavidr next time you wrap a snare or tom can you wrap it in blue silk onyx someone on ebay is selling the wrap I bought it and wrapped my one floor tom so it would match my kit and my 10x4 pearl short fuse snare
What's funny is that when you started playing that groove, it made me think, "well he does this groove alllll the time" it's like your thing. (no offense if you hate it) but I really dig it.
Great video bro! I just did the same restoration with my first snare drum, an awesome Acrolite. I had a similar issue with the throw-off...nice fix on the throw-off hole alignment. Mine was in very good condition, so I did not have to do to much to it either. However, I did replace the hoops with die-cast hoops. Due to it being an 8 lug snare this made a noticeable difference to me with it holding better tune and sounding and feeling more solid. Really enjoy your channel and videos! Happy drumming! Little Drummer Channel ;)
A feaking masterpiece! sounds meaty and love the flare it has! The Acrolite restored has to be worth over $700+ after you restored her. Makes my day hearing a snare sing again
Great stuff, as always. Have you ever though of using a sonicleaner for small parts? Harbor Freight sells one for like $50, and it is great for small parts. I use it for gun parts, but it would work really well for screws, lugs, bolts etc... Just a thought.
I think what you did was worth it it looks and sounds great and me your viewers enjoyed this and now you don't have to do anything to it as the saying goes "if you're gonna do something then do it properly" and you did and even better that you added Ludwig parts to it 👍 thank you for sharing this with us
i was on craigslist the other day and i found a kit with an acrolite snare, the kit was from the 60's and it looked in really good condition i shouldve hopped on it
I might just one day get my kit out and restore it, it has been like forever since I played them, I need a room to get my kit up. I miss playing so much you inspire me to do it Great Video and love all of your videos :)
Excellent video. I have a 1978-ish Acro, got it around a year or two ago, and it's my favorite snare at the moment with my keystone Supra 400 a close second. A real no-fuss drum that just works, tunes easily, and gives you a variety of sounds with tuning, tape, or T-shirt. ;) I've thought about stripping the paint to bare aluminum, but I probably won't...even though it has a lot of brothers, I still like keeping things original. Also, my P-85 functions perfectly fine at the moment, but it has only holes for snare cord, so I use the Gibraltar cord while the Ludwig orange stuff is on eternal backorder from one of my local stores. I prefer cord anyway; in my opinion, you can dial the snares in better, if not without a bit of trouble at first. I also appreciate the tone control, which I happily use as I don't strike the drum too hard. I had a phase there of removing them, only to reinstall them or plan to later.
even out of respect for this particular drum it ain't a waste of time at all!! :) you inspire me to repair some old stuff that i have instead of trowing them or additional money away
I have a suggestion for a cleaner that won't mess up the surface. As a teenager I worked as a janitor and we used to have to clean these stainless steel doors and surfaces. An old fella taught me to use a semi abrasive cleaner like Ajax or Comet. Not too harsh but has enough grit to remove dirt and more importantly adds brilliant shine. Take a small amount in a plastic cup and add a little water until you have a light paste. Then take a cloth and lightly scrub in the same direction that the metal goes. Afterwards keep wiping off with a clean cloth and clean water until all the cleaner is gone. I obviously wouldn't recommend it on a chome drum like a Supra or anything, but for a dull finish like an Acro I think it would work like a charm.
I would have cleaned it the same way, David. Just needed that TLC, even if it's not noticeable. Sounds nice though! This one's a keeper! It has that classic sound great for recording. Funny how these old Luddies are as plain vanilla looking as anything, yet everyone owns one for the sound.
My primary snare is a Ludwig acolyte in sparkle black. I think it's early 90's. anyway you mentioned you might sell the drum, but I'd pay a pretty decent price to trade with you because that's my preferred color, and I love that throwoff
I think I mentioned this before but I've had my acrylite snare for 22 years and it's one of the best recording snares I've ever owned. So was it worth it to clean it and give it a spit shine yes definitely good job.
Somedays I wish I kept my Acrolite, it was always a great snare. But, I did manage to find a 1920's Ludwig and Ludwig Parade drum for 55 bucks and restoring it. Has all original parts except for heads of course.
Hey man! I love your videos.. Very educational. I'm currently working on restoring a very old drumset. I'm having trouble getting my hands on quality drum heads. It's really expensive here in the Philippines. Please make more videos.
someone on my local Craigslist has a Ludwig acrolite snare for 150 and like I want it now but I don't really play drums or have a kit. lol basically I'm just excited about it because ive been watching your channel for weeks now tho
A cool idea for another video might be to make your own stave snare? I know you're a pretty good carpenter and I've been looking for a good step by step video to make my own! Maybe even use 2 different sorts of wood and sort of layer them? Keep up the good work bud! Cheers
So yesterday i found a acrolite at my middle school in storage the snare i had as a main was a 13 in superstar and its head was husted we only had 14 inch heads so i used this snare and found how good it was and my teachers were shocked and it was like mint so i now have a great snare
With the screw driver problem. You can use some thin cloth or rag to put over the end of the tool. It will make a tighter fit and if you slip, it helps what your'e working on not get scratched..
James D A popular current band duo comprised of a singer a drummer and computers. Their kinda cool cuz they switch around with genre a lot and have a very unique sound.
Yeh I discovered that same thing about a month ago after playing drums for 20 yrs...,,(I hate rope tied snares). I bought a Pearl freefloating maple shell. First snare with ropes. After messing with them for about an hour they went into the trash and I cut out two pieces of "tape" out of an old drumhead that works perfectly.
I checked out my 70s Stewart snare and it actually has a wide depression in the bearing edge where the ropes go so I dunno what to make of that still sounds nice
How much did that big ass drum key cost? Nah but for real you are actually pretty creative,saving things you know you will use. And of course amusing editing you are pretty darn talented. Been here since I don't even know but certain a long time . Road to 100k
Time and money well spent, IMO. I've bought and sold half a dozen Acrolite snares over the years, none cost me more than $30. Sold them all on eBay after a little work and new heads for between $125-$200. In retrospect, I should have kept one. It would have filled the void I currently have between my other snares. I really do love the sound of them and they require minimal dampening.
I found a Ludwig Acrolite in the garbage. The family was moving away and did not care I guess. Just an FYI: The Ludwig P-86 millenium strainer has the same bolt pattern/spacing as the P-85, and is a nice upgrade.
I heard he responds to spaghetti
you heard correct
rdavidr when are you gonna make some new background music? Just wondering... 👍
ugh ive been waiting for that haha. i have no time! ill have to set aside a weekend soon
Erin Wright lol
Personally I only respond to lasagna, but that's just me.
Best part of the day is when David post
agree absolutely.......
I love my ('79 to '81) Acrolite. Mine was in excellent condition when I bought it, polished to a gleam, so I didn't bother using my Turtle Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover on lugs/hoops. (NevR Dull works on Aluminum, as does Flitz No Scent Metal Polish ).
I did put new Ludwig 18-strand Vintage Snare Wires (L1963) on it (which comes with grosgrain ribbon), along with a new INDe strainer & butt plate, & it sounds vintage in a *"brand new"* kinda way. It is now my favorite out of 7 snares.
Instead of a snare strap, I highly recommend grosgrain ribbon, it's so much more flexible and very slip resistant.
Ong?
How is this channel not huge this guys videos keep me alive
Hilarious honesty "This sounded fine before, and was not really worth the time." And the snare throwoff mount/bracket you made was seriously impressive. You're a real one.
I'm really glad you didn't drill any holes in that shell. The Ludwig acrolite is a very collectible drum. I work in a drum shop that specializes in vintage restoration and repair. You may have heard of us. Klash drums in Nordeast Minneapolis MN. Hit us up if you ever have any questions or need parts.
The trick to the Ludwig snare switches is to unscrew the tightener all the way off. It will let the one piece separate from the bottom. Then you can reach the screw with a screw driver. Sorta sucks. But I found that out while restoring my own acro.
socket was easier, I guess it was ludwigs way of saying "hey youre about to take off the lugs, get a socket out" lol
rdavidr next time you wrap a snare or tom can you wrap it in blue silk onyx someone on ebay is selling the wrap I bought it and wrapped my one floor tom so it would match my kit and my 10x4 pearl short fuse snare
Does anyone else get super excited when David posts?
It always amazes me how insanely handy you are dude. Love your content, keep up the awesome work!
Rdavidr: soapy water
Chrisfix: soapy wooder
True
That's actually the best sounding Acrolite I've ever heard, so whatever magic you did really made it sweet. You know how to hit that baby. Great vid.
i think everything that involves drums is worth it
same
What's funny is that when you started playing that groove, it made me think, "well he does this groove alllll the time" it's like your thing. (no offense if you hate it) but I really dig it.
Great video bro! I just did the same restoration with my first snare drum, an awesome Acrolite. I had a similar issue with the throw-off...nice fix on the throw-off hole alignment. Mine was in very good condition, so I did not have to do to much to it either. However, I did replace the hoops with die-cast hoops. Due to it being an 8 lug snare this made a noticeable difference to me with it holding better tune and sounding and feeling more solid. Really enjoy your channel and videos! Happy drumming!
Little Drummer Channel ;)
A feaking masterpiece! sounds meaty and love the flare it has! The Acrolite restored has to be worth over $700+ after you restored her. Makes my day hearing a snare sing again
Just love how it sounds! No muffling or anything just straight drum
Great stuff, as always. Have you ever though of using a sonicleaner for small parts? Harbor Freight sells one for like $50, and it is great for small parts. I use it for gun parts, but it would work really well for screws, lugs, bolts etc... Just a thought.
Snare sound in that programmed groove round 7:30 is epic. Reminds me a bit of the Tribe sound
its the same drum break they used in weve got the jazz, well the snare at least.
I love the level of detail you apply to each job! Nice work!
I think what you did was worth it it looks and sounds great and me your viewers enjoyed this and now you don't have to do anything to it as the saying goes "if you're gonna do something then do it properly" and you did and even better that you added Ludwig parts to it 👍 thank you for sharing this with us
i really love the retro-sonding grooves in your videos
Dude, you're so straightforward. I love it.
I restored an old acrolite years ago.... even had the shell chrome plated again. one of my favorite snares
i was on craigslist the other day and i found a kit with an acrolite snare, the kit was from the 60's and it looked in really good condition i shouldve hopped on it
I might just one day get my kit out and restore it, it has been like forever since I played them, I need a room to get my kit up. I miss playing so much you inspire me to do it Great Video and love all of your videos :)
George Dalesandry Just do it man, It's a simple as that. You won't regret it.
I'm surprised at how good this drum sounds. Nice job on the "resto" Dave *thumbs up*
this is my favorite video from this channel.
I love the Gibraltar drum keys. I finally bought several of them from Amazon, and those things are heavy duty!
Such a genius. I admire your many talents!
Sounds great in the end. I have a couple and they are always reliable when I need them. Take care!
Excellent video. I have a 1978-ish Acro, got it around a year or two ago, and it's my favorite snare at the moment with my keystone Supra 400 a close second. A real no-fuss drum that just works, tunes easily, and gives you a variety of sounds with tuning, tape, or T-shirt. ;)
I've thought about stripping the paint to bare aluminum, but I probably won't...even though it has a lot of brothers, I still like keeping things original. Also, my P-85 functions perfectly fine at the moment, but it has only holes for snare cord, so I use the Gibraltar cord while the Ludwig orange stuff is on eternal backorder from one of my local stores. I prefer cord anyway; in my opinion, you can dial the snares in better, if not without a bit of trouble at first. I also appreciate the tone control, which I happily use as I don't strike the drum too hard. I had a phase there of removing them, only to reinstall them or plan to later.
even out of respect for this particular drum it ain't a waste of time at all!! :) you inspire me to repair some old stuff that i have instead of trowing them or additional money away
I have a suggestion for a cleaner that won't mess up the surface. As a teenager I worked as a janitor and we used to have to clean these stainless steel doors and surfaces. An old fella taught me to use a semi abrasive cleaner like Ajax or Comet. Not too harsh but has enough grit to remove dirt and more importantly adds brilliant shine. Take a small amount in a plastic cup and add a little water until you have a light paste. Then take a cloth and lightly scrub in the same direction that the metal goes. Afterwards keep wiping off with a clean cloth and clean water until all the cleaner is gone. I obviously wouldn't recommend it on a chome drum like a Supra or anything, but for a dull finish like an Acro I think it would work like a charm.
I would have cleaned it the same way, David. Just needed that TLC, even if it's not noticeable. Sounds nice though! This one's a keeper! It has that classic sound great for recording. Funny how these old Luddies are as plain vanilla looking as anything, yet everyone owns one for the sound.
This is a great Hip-Hop sounding snare man! Love your channel.
I am so happy about this new post
9:30 the "when the levee breaks" sample in the music makes me happy
Very fun to watch the whole process. I love my Acrolite.
I never subscribe to channels. this is my first time. great channel!!! good work
My primary snare is a Ludwig acolyte in sparkle black. I think it's early 90's. anyway you mentioned you might sell the drum, but I'd pay a pretty decent price to trade with you because that's my preferred color, and I love that throwoff
Gotta love the John Bonham drum sample from when the levee breaks on 10:02
I think I mentioned this before but I've had my acrylite snare for 22 years and it's one of the best recording snares I've ever owned. So was it worth it to clean it and give it a spit shine yes definitely good job.
Hey, dig your videos rdavidr. Always informative and in depth.
Man that thing sounds great. I love acrolites.
I love your snare drum videos
I got one just like this for free and restored it with new hoops, new snare wires, new bands, new heads, and bright yellow paint. It looks amazing.
Somedays I wish I kept my Acrolite, it was always a great snare. But, I did manage to find a 1920's Ludwig and Ludwig Parade drum for 55 bucks and restoring it. Has all original parts except for heads of course.
Hey man! I love your videos.. Very educational. I'm currently working on restoring a very old drumset. I'm having trouble getting my hands on quality drum heads. It's really expensive here in the Philippines. Please make more videos.
I think the snare sounds great man!
The snare sounds good really good
You cleaned a piece of history….a so called student drum that plays on a professional level. Be proud of what you did….little tlc didn’t hurt….
Snare sounds great man!
rdavidr best known for "Hairiest Arms On The Interwebz" award.
someone on my local Craigslist has a Ludwig acrolite snare for 150 and like I want it now but I don't really play drums or have a kit. lol basically I'm just excited about it because ive been watching your channel for weeks now tho
Best sounding snare you've got in my opinion :D
11/10 best camera man.
Love the sound of it. Good work!
I got one of these from my high school for free. I looked again and there are four more I could snag. School just doesn’t know what they have!
Sounds good! That's sick man, people spend hundreds on snare drums that sound almost exactly the same as this.
hehe,I don't care if you say that this job was waste of time,I think it was great thing to take care of vintage snare:)) cool stuff,Loved it:)
I use car wax on everything. And it stays cleaner longer. Keeps moisture off it. It don't rust or corrode so soon.
You did an amazing job brother. Great video! :)
I have a snare drum that I want to restore but it has a mark left on it from a sticker. Any suggestions on how to remove it??
I love this channel so much, you need endorsements stat.
David, I stumbled across your page a few weeks ago and I love your stuff. If you ever decide to sell that snare, I'm interested!
David the bearded dragon...we all want to know what kind of ride you were indulging us with.., thanks man! Love your videos lol
Worth it or not the Acrolite sounds so fucking good, that high resonance with that mad quick drop off is so nice to listen to.
JacksFugueMind
Yep.. I've had one since 76.. it's the aluminum that gives it that nice "crispy" tone.
love your restoration vids..... so much inspiration..... thank u !
I love how tight this snare sounds.
Great job...! Good sound and good groove...!
Cannot wait for the next video.
Snare sounds awesome!!
A cool idea for another video might be to make your own stave snare? I know you're a pretty good carpenter and I've been looking for a good step by step video to make my own!
Maybe even use 2 different sorts of wood and sort of layer them?
Keep up the good work bud! Cheers
nice metal breaking, looks clean
i've got an old acrolite that needs some love too - do you think Barkeeper's Friend would be ok to use to clean the shell?
I am not sure if it is mic'ing or tuning, but you got a really nice snap out of that snare!
So yesterday i found a acrolite at my middle school in storage the snare i had as a main was a 13 in superstar and its head was husted we only had 14 inch heads so i used this snare and found how good it was and my teachers were shocked and it was like mint so i now have a great snare
Can you please do a video showing us how you tune your drums? Your drums sound freaking amazing
With the screw driver problem. You can use some thin cloth or rag to put over the end of the tool. It will make a tighter fit and if you slip, it helps what your'e working on not get scratched..
sick double drum key action at the start there.
hey dave! what do you think of josh dun? drummer to drummer
Jack Carpenter yes! I was going to ask the same thing.
is it bad that I have no idea who that is? lol
Its okay to not keep up with trash!
rdavidr he's the drummer of twenty one pilots
James D A popular current band duo comprised of a singer a drummer and computers. Their kinda cool cuz they switch around with genre a lot and have a very unique sound.
Nice vid once again dave
It’s sick man, cool groove bro
Snare sounds badass
Holy crap! at 7:11 is that a cassette tape on your work bench? lol
What happened to your ride cymbal? Or is that just a different one?
Zachary Volt He uses a Dark crash of some kind from Meinl in other videos, but this one looks like one of the Sabian Big and Ugly Monarchs.
the other was a meinl 20 dark ride
Zachary Volt that ride sounds like shit
If you don't have a drum key drill bit, try putting a 1/4 inch ratchet extension in a drill. Works on my tension rods.
Tienes algún vídeo de cómo quitar el óxido de los herrajes? O de cómo pintar de otro color los tambores y los aros?
Yeh I discovered that same thing about a month ago after playing drums for 20 yrs...,,(I hate rope tied snares). I bought a Pearl freefloating maple shell. First snare with ropes. After messing with them for about an hour they went into the trash and I cut out two pieces of "tape" out of an old drumhead that works perfectly.
Hey Dave, I need some advice, I just bought a 1976 slingerland and I need to redo the wood. Can you help me out with some advice?
I checked out my 70s Stewart snare and it actually has a wide depression in the bearing edge where the ropes go so I dunno what to make of that
still sounds nice
How much did that big ass drum key cost?
Nah but for real you are actually pretty creative,saving things you know you will use.
And of course amusing editing you are pretty darn talented.
Been here since I don't even know but certain a long time .
Road to 100k
Time and money well spent, IMO. I've bought and sold half a dozen Acrolite snares over the years, none cost me more than $30. Sold them all on eBay after a little work and new heads for between $125-$200. In retrospect, I should have kept one. It would have filled the void I currently have between my other snares. I really do love the sound of them and they require minimal dampening.
I found a Ludwig Acrolite in the garbage. The family was moving away and did not care I guess. Just an FYI: The Ludwig P-86 millenium strainer has the same bolt pattern/spacing as the P-85, and is a nice upgrade.
Drum sounds great! Some new cymbals there?
Dude, your vids rock, I am hooked. And I'm a broadcast editor.
Sounding and looking great! What ride are you using?
You do a heck of a job fixing up drums. I am curious.. do you ever buy new drums or cymbals?
Would say those pure sound snares are better than the stock pearl ones?