1937 WFL Dixieland Swing Twin Strainer Snare Drum

Intro - 0:00
History - 0:33
Demo - 3:45
Pre-restoration - 7:35
Credits - 12:25
During the mid- to late-1930s, William F. Ludwig and his crew designed and built the twin strainer snare drum, with two independently adjustable throws - one with 10-strand “sensitive coiled wire” snares, and one with 6-strand “wire-wound silk snares”.
This configuration results in four possibilities for snare engagement:
- Off (for a standard tenor drum option)
- Silk-wound only (very dry sound)
- Snappy only (full and tonal)
- Both silk-wound and snappy together (fat, yet crisp and articulate)
Marketed as the Ray Bauduc Dixieland Swing Model, these unique snare drums are the stuff of legend.It is said that William Sr. had filled up his station wagon with a bunch of these twin strainer snare drums and made the trek from Chicago to New England to distribute these drums to shops and drummers in the northeastern U.S.
I got this drum from its original owner out on Cape Cod, and although there’s no way to ever know for sure, I like to entertain the idea that it’s very likely one of the drums that William F. Ludwig himself had hauled in his station wagon in that famed trip from Chicago to New England in the late 1930s.
Model 405, 7” x 14” Wood Shell in White Marine Pearl
Apart from the obviously modern heads, the only non-original parts on here are the strainer’s snare-tension thumb screws (the drum came to me with only one, which was impossible to match, so I replaced them both with an appropriate facsimile), and the snare cord has also been updated (although, one end of the snares came to me with the original cord still present!).
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Informational Sources
Not So Modern Drummer
The WFL Twin Strainer Snare
May 16, 2017, Kurt Ekstrom
www.notsomoderndrummer.com/no...
Drum Forum
Late 1930s WFL Twin Strainer
October 2022, rkingston
www.drumforum.org/threads/lat...
1937 William F. Ludwig Drum Company Ray Bauduc Dixieland Snare
November 2015, lersch
www.drumforum.org/threads/193...
Vintage Drum Forum
1939 WFL 7 x 14 WMP/Full Dress Ray Bauduc Twin Strainer Dixieland Swing Model
February 2014 Modern Drummer article by Harry Cangany via Mike Curotto, April 2018
www.vintagedrumforum.com/show...
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Catalog Sources
Vintage Drum Guide
1939 WFL Catalog
vintagedrumguide.com/wfl.html
Drum Archive
1937 WFL Catalog
www.drumarchive.com/ludwig/
Olympic Drums
WFL Twin Sensitive
www.olympicdrums.com/wfl-twin...
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1930s Images, Video, Music Sources
FDR Image: www.britannica.com/money/topi...
Hollywood Image: theasc.com/articles/aces-of-t...
Big Band Video: • Bob Crosby's Bobcats 1...
History Underscore: "Breezin' Along" Armand Hug & Ray Bauduc
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Fair Use Notice
This video may include copyrighted archival material, used here under the United States Fair Use Doctrine (17 U.S.C. § 107) and international copyright laws for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research purposes.
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Special thanks to Jeff Guerin. : )

[@buddabirne4661]

Love Drums with re-ring shells !

[@jas-music-nl]

Super well presented video and excellent production. Thanks Ray!

[@davidterry4059]

That drum sounds amazing.

[@billyrhythm]

What an excellent video!

[@salinasbeat]

Love this! Great brush playing!! and playing in general. That snare sounds amazing.

[@shawnsdrumcave]

Beautiful snare ray! Great job!

[@raykingstonmusic]

Thanks, brother!

[@PrinceAsmodeus]

Beautiful drum.

[@PrinceAsmodeus]

This is excellent, BTW.

[@jazzhole8208]

Beautiful ❤

[@atomic432]

Your playing is very good.

[@raykingstonmusic]

Thanks kindly!! 🙂

[@matthewpredmore6523]

Very nice playing, especially your brush playing. I wish I could get half as good as you with the brushes, but then again I don’t practice them enough. Very sweet snare drum, I hope you get many years of enjoyment with it.

[@raykingstonmusic]

Thanks, Matthew!

[@noahclark8335]

that strainer screw looks like that would be hard to find

[@buddabirne4661]

I wish they would put affordable gut snares and strainers in the Market nowadays.