These Ludwig Acrolite snares were issued to everyone who played drums in our school band class. Standard issue for "students" back in 1979-1984. At least where I went to school. I was only 12yrs old in 1979 and when I received this brand new with the case, I fell in love with Ludwig drums for a lifetime. These specific snares have an extremely satisfying old school "crack" without the annoying ringing sound that became popular starting in the 90's. When I got my first drum SET, I actually added a "FIELD SNARE" drum from our marching band room to it and it thundered and rocked like no other snare on a set that I've played since. In my old age, I now play Roland electronic V-Drums but I still have this snare saved in it's case for sentimental reasons.
Old men think alike! I hated that perfectly tuned "natural" thing nobody could live without when it showed up. The worst is getting to see or hear modern live recordings of bands you loved back in the day who have ruined their sound with it. If it was such a carved-in-stone requirement for good recordings, why is everybody in awe of the past sixty years worth of music that doesn't have it? My studio kit was oversized fiberglass-lined concert toms with coated Emperors on them and SM57's on the inside, tracked in a room full of OC #703 fiberglass panels.😛 With a couple quick low mid notches on a parametric EQ, they had a nice dead, rubbery "thud" to them. My go-to snare was also likely standard issue school band crap, but was a 5.5" Premier. It looked cheap, but somehow just managed to record really well.
Yesssss!!!! Do a video going through the entire restoration process! Even multiple videos if you have enough to do with it. Such a great sounding snare and with some nice restoration tricks and new heads and a better Ludwig throw off would be so cool to watch
I love you're videos. I've been playing 35 years and you have the knowledge that all drummers should have and you respect drums tremendously. Keep up the informative videos. You rock.
You can't beat that sound, reminds me of my Ludwig snare of my set back in the late 50s. I enjoy watching you take apart the drums and bringing them up to speed. Brings back memories of me putting on new leather heads and tucking the edges of the wet skin into the frame hoop using bottle opener. Hood old days.....hahaha.
I learned on this very snare, bulky case, and drum stand back in the Mid 80's. Purchased second hand for $80. I still have it. You can tune it real tight and it almost sounds like a piccolo. Nice crisp pop.
Found a 1973 acrolite at a rummage sale for 20 bucks too! First drum I restored and absolutely love it. I've tried different tunings on it, but like you, the high tuning really makes this snare come alive. Definitely repair that bad boy. They're worth it!
This Ludwig model was my first drum (in the early 90s). When I was a kid we couldn’t afford a drum set, so I had a Pearl P880 pedal attached to a square office garbage can on its side , and I used the back of a chair with a Remo Putty Pad as my hi hat. The Ludwig snare with the rubber muffle/practice pad plus a towel on top made a great little practice kit to work coordination, all while using a Seiko DM-20 metronome. I actually “sang” the hi hat sound when I lifted my left foot. This brought back some memories!
I discovered the Acrolite snare back in 1982 and fell in love with it at the time and didn't care it wasn't a top-o-d-line snare. It was AWESOME and like an idiot sold it. Last year after talking about old times and snares with a friend he JUST SO HAPPENED to have a MINT condition acrolite with original unplayed heads FROM THE SAME YEAR (1982) and gave it to me as a gift. Since I have been able to aquire a vertually mint case, original ludwig sticks, practice pad, stand, & music book ALL virtually MINT! awesome! sentimental....
I am always amazed that there are drummers out there who DON'T already have an Acrolite. They're everywhere, they're cheap, and they sound perfect. Great score. Don't sell it.
Those are on the "Must Have" list I give to any of my students. I own 3 myself (from different decades, each with different head & snare wire combinations) and they each sound awesome! Definitely keep it and do a little replacing/restoring on the heads, wires, & non-so-reliable parts.
I really do like mine. It's like a Supraphonic Junior. I'm a total novice with drums, but there's just something about it that records well and feels great.
Your Home Recording Studio I used to own one years ago. It was a very nice drum to record with, I definitely agree. But once I got a snare custom built, kind of sold my snare collection at the time... Might try and buy some more again.
Wow that is a great sounding vintage looking grey?beauty!!! defiantly let us see what ever mods you give it that was a outstanding find 👌 very happy for you Dave happy new year and keep doing what you do 👊
Nice find! I just recently picked up a 1970s Blue & Olive Badge Ludwig White Acrylic(Vistalite) drum set for $50 from a thrift store / junk shop in Washington Township, NJ. It includes a 22" X 16" bass drum along with 10" X 6.5", 12" X 8", 13"X 9", 14" X 10", 15" X 12", & 16" X 14" single headed concert toms which are all in rough shape & look like they were stored outside at some point. Since I'm really not fond of the sound of concert toms, I'm going to clean up the drums, repair them, & turn them into double-headed toms. Additionally , I will be adding floor tom legs to the 15" & 16" toms & using those along with the 14" tom & bass drum for now since they are in the most decent shape. I'm also on the lookout for any cheaply-priced Ludwig LM402 Supraphonic Snare or Acrolite like you found since I also know of someone who picked one up at a yard sale for $15. I also have a 1980s Pearl Export which I finished fixing up as well. So I'm looking forward to the Ludwig project. With the Ludwigs, I will be doing a "Bonham" Style setup with them. I also use Remo drum heads, Zildjian Cymbals, & Vic Firth Sticks in addition to Ludwig & Pearl Drums & hardware. Any tips would be helpful. By the way, in what Sate are you located? I like your sense of creativity with the drums especially when it is a cool idea that works and/ or saves money..
Holy crap dude! I just looked at your subscriber count and you have like 72,000! I remember when you had 2,000 subs. You're doing an amazing job dude. Great videos!
I have found 6 worthy drums at thrift stores: a 24" Japanese-made Tama Swingstar kick, an entry-level 13X14 Yamaha tom, a 1958 3-pc Slingerland kit 14sn/13T/22K, and....a 1966 Acrolite with the big clunky "UFO" case! The Ack I got for 32 bucks at a thrift store. It's one of my favorite snares!
I had a Acrolite in 1970, and wish I had never sold it - it was a wonderful drum. I needed the money at the time. Congratulations on a great find. Thanks for the great video and memories. Keep the drum!
Great video! I actually still own this series ( and time period) snare that was my first drum i ever received from my parents. It is extremely durable and has served me well. It is actually strong enough to handle a Kevlar marching snare head without warping if you like that high pitched "crack." sound. It's been on mine for years without problems.
Also, the black face p85 throw-off wasnt incomplete - it was designed purely for strings back in the day, the new ones with a chrome face have space for both strins and strap mounting. I bought a brand new p85 for my 1968 Supraphonic 14x5 and it tends to jam in the off-position a lot, but an old p85 that came with my 14x6,5 Supraphonic from 1977 works like butter. Strange
This video just came across my feed, I’m a new subscriber. Just wanted to say that’s a rad find man! I’m not trying to one up you... but... about 15 years ago a musician friend of mine bought a four piece kit at goodwill and asked if I would mind cleaning it up for him. When he brought it over I was totally blown away! What he bought for $60 was an early 60’s Ludwig club date with matching snare the glitter wrap is red, yellow, red stripe. Along with it came another snare that turned out to be a 1924 Ludwig & Ludwig “Professional series” solid mahogany shell. He ended up giving me the kit and snare since he is a pianist/ guitarist. They are my baby’s.
that's got a nice sound to it. good find! I found a Ludwig wood snare in silver sparkle from 1969 one time at a church garage sale for $15. it's still one of my main snares and I will never get rid of it.
I have had this snare for at least 15 years and I still use it. I use a vented head on it.....this snare lightweight, smoove and consistent. The only upgrades I am in the process of making is getting die cast hoops and new Ludwig strainer so I can use snare straps. Mines is dated 1975...without any upgrades, it sounds fantastic! Can't wait til see how it transforms after!!!!
Hey David - Found a blue/olive badge Ludwig Acrolite with Ludwig stand and case for $35 this week-end - just needed some nut-and-bolt tightening, cleaned off some dirt and rust, heated some dents out of the original Ludwig drum head - plays great!!! It was worth the hour drive to pick it up!
I picked up a 1965 acrolite with the baseball bat red felt muff that is freaking awesome. Was spray painted red and came with a nice set of pearl late 80s early 90s exports. From a free stuff Craigslist ad. I couldn’t believe it. It is my cherished snare. Disassembled cleaned all the red spray paint and it looks new.
I got the same Ludwig snare with the UFO carrying case. It’s a great sounding snare. My folks bought it for me when I started band in 7th grade. It was $699 when I got it new in 1989. It’s in perfect shape.
it's not missing the backing plate on the p85. This early type had no backing plate. Those two holes are for the string. I personally prefer to use string. I've never had an issues with it. Keep that snare! They're nice! Great vids, keep up the good work!
I literally had almost the same scenario as you. Someone was selling a Ludwig snare, case, and stand for $20, picked it up, and I love it. I didn't bother doing any research on it but I just figured out that it is an early 1980's Ludwig Acrolite. Not too shabby.
wow! what an absolute steal! it would be cool to see you do a full restore of it.. however, it sounds killer as it is, so if you did restore it, you may as well completely customise it!
Dude! Been watching your videos since practically the beginning! I have a '70s Acrolite and out of all of the snares that I own, it's my favorite to record with. It doesn't take a beating or hold its tuning like newer and better-constructed snares do, but if you ever want that perfect fat, gushy snare, this drum should be your choice. I'm a working drummer in LA and everyone I know that has one, says the same thing. Enjoy yours man! I will never get rid of mine! Also, I don't know if you know who Aaron Sterling is, but he's been a huge inspiration for me and I like spreading the knowledge he possesses. The dude's a badass session drummer that's played on so much crap over the years, some of it includes John Mayer's last couple albums. 'Nough said. Anyways, he has these great masterclass videos available for purchase on his website and in one of the episodes, he talks about his acrolite and how to get that perfect fat snare sound. Now I'm done man! Hope this can help persuade you into keeping that snare for a LONG time!
Acrolites range from bare brushed aluminum from the early days, 60s, to smooth anodizeded gray, 70s-80s, and thick, orange-peel type gray or black powder-coating 80s on. The early brushed aluminum type are more open sounding and have a larger tuning range but have a distinct ring. The later orange peel variety are more dampened sounding and don't have any noticeable ring, are described as dry with a sharp crack, and are among the best recording snares you can get for $200-$300 dollars usually. They can be found quite regularly since so many were made and sold to schools for band snares. If you find one in good condition, snatch it up. Most drummers I have known have at least one and RDavidR has several now. I have one of the 80s orange peel versions and I play it most
I have 4 of these I purchased at Goodwill. Not as cheap as yours was but far cheaper than normal markets. 3 are brushed and one has the grey paint. All in great condition, originals heads and snares, with case, stand, and one came with the xylophone as well. Love good deals and you sure got a great one.
Nice find! I always had such a stigma against aluminum snares for some reason; I think I just had hung out with people that played them tuned to high heaven, played terrible music and they sounded way too tinny to me. I picked up a 70's Acrolite off Reverb a couple years ago for $40, and it was a total game changer. They're really forgiving with different tunings, cut through a mix beautifully and have a really consistent sound that I couldn't ever get from my old 50's Gretsch. I really dig the Remo controlled sound head on there, or just a coated head with a Richie Ring around it. Really nice, punchy, dry sound. They're also total workhorse drums; strong, light and totally reliable. Awesome find (and you already got it sounding incredible!)
The Ludwig P85 lever at that time period (60s-70s) did NOT have a mounting plate. Most drummers used rope or cord and secured it through those holes you though were mounting holes for a backing plate. I found out the hard way. Drummers didn't use plastic straps to secure snares to the lever back then, some of them thought it would make it not sound "correct" or something. While I agree with you, I don't like the P85 either, the replacement is not worth the price of the drum. So, I'd fix it up, use it that way, and be happy. It also adds to the "mojo" of the drum, if it's anything to you.
Best find: Friend's dad died, was a maintainence man for the school district. She asked me if I'd want this "old drum" he had packed away forever. Sure,why not? Opened the fibre case and my jaw dropped. Ludwig Black Beauty 1920-something, engraved, calfskin heads, original snares, torn bottom head and a missing lug. Told her what it was. We brought it to Maxwell. Appraised at $1200. My best: Grungy thrift store. On a bookshelf,just for a prop, Ludwig 3"×13" wood piccolo. Old. Original snares. Nickel chrome,no pits. Offered them $20. Walked out with it. Brought it to Maxwell. Finish is "blue duck"(?). Late 50s,early 60s. Appraised at $275. And I found a powder coated '70-something Acrolite a few years ago. Paid less than $200. Love it.
That sounds tight dude. I'd love to see a full restoration vid on it. I love the dry and throaty nature to aluminum, it's got the projection of metal, the dryness of wood, and a fraction of the weight. Gonna try to get my hands on one soon!
FYI, older snares did not come with hardware for snare straps, as cords were all that were used in the good old days. Also, Steve Gadd used an Acrolite throughout the 70's on many famous recordings. The Acrolite has a deeper fundamental tone than a chrome Supra, which is simply a chromed Acrolite shell with Imperial lugs. I have a 1971 Acrolite purchased new and a hammered bronze Supra. Ludwig snares are the best, in my opinion.
I had one of these as my student snare, slightly newer in black galaxy finish!! Glad i held onto it, and my friend gave me his so now i have 2!! Great snare!!!
I got one of these from an old lady off craigslist once for $100. it was like brand new. It has a date stamped on it for 1969. sounds amazing. Love to see you fix this one up!
As a beginner, one of the guys at this trade show I went to said I should start with that exact snare so I went ahead and bought it, case and all. Nice to hear it when someone who knows how to play plays it :) No, I didn't get it as cheap but it did come with everything intact, too, including the snare wire holders. Cheers!!!
That snare will sound great in any range of tuning! Congrats on a sweet deal. Little known fact: if you have to cut a snare wire, always cut the same wire on the other side of the snares, this keeps the tension even across the wires. So say you have to cut the second wire for some reason, always cut the second wire on the other side!
I don't know what it is about your videos. I don't play drums, nor am I that interested in them. That being said, I fucking love all your videos. The building/shop work/fabrication videos are my favorite. Keep em' coming please.
great deal you got! I have a vintage 1979 myself. I believe yours its vintage 1984 or so because of the finish with its “new” Powder Coating, which Ludwig switched to that same year. Also the first six years, 1963-1969 the Acrolite sported the Keystone Badge instead of the blue/olive like yours does..........
Last year I got two acrolites from craigslist -- both in worse condition and incomplete but with complementary parts. One was free, the other was $30. After cleaning and combining the best of each along with a new bottom head it's now one of my favorite snare drums. I think I have an extra tension rod for that muffler left over if you want it. Send me a message if you do. Great channel my dude.
Extreme coolness! I found a Pacific Drums piccolo snare at a thrift shop with basket stand for 10 bucks a while back , there was a screw missing from the throw off. I thought I made the deal of the day! Your Acrolite for 20 bucks trumps my piccolo snare all day and twice on Tuesday. I would probably have had to hold back tears if mine was an Acrolite like yours.
Nice find. I found an acrolite at a pawn shop near me, not quite as cheap as yours, but still cheaper than what it's worth. It's my main snare now, I love it.
Dave Bateman i got a Yamaha Steve Jordan signature at a pawn shop for $70 about 2yrs ago, Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedal for $6, Zildjian Z23 Mega Bell for $120 (new condition), Sabian AAX Stage Ride $40, and about $ 900 worth of cymbals which included a (Paiste 2002 22in Power Ride, Zildjian avedis 15 in high hats, Zildjian 18 in thin crash, and a Sabian AAX 18 in medium crash) all for $190. I have since turned a lot of that around for other stiff but i recently got my younger brother's old 90's Japanese Tama Rockstar back for FREEEEEEE from a friend of mine who bought it it a guy. My brother and i were in a pop punk band back in the 90's and i played bass even though I'm a drummer first he also played drums so i jumped on bass, well after i left the band he got into drugs and drinking and pawned all of his drums and gear and we never saw it again until i posted a picture of us from a show back in the day and i mentioned our bands name (Millhouse) and a friend of mine sends me a message that says "hey i just got a back up Rockstar in the same color (ocean mist) with a sticker that says" Millhouse " man my heart almost skipped a beat, ao i asked if it was a red sticker because i remember my brother putting a red one and sure enough that was his kit! I told him if he ever wanted to sell it let me know, well he immediately tells me" say the word because I'm ready to sell it". Well about two week go by and i had some financial hiccups and tell him he can sell it because i won't be able to by it and he says "im going to give it to you!", dude i almost did a back flip (inwardly of course). I call it the hand of God as i am a Christian and so is my friend and seeing how it came about i can't call it anything else. Well my son, brother, and i have punk band and i have everything set up in my garage and my brother came to practice and played on his old kit again after 21 yrs of losing it. On another blessing from God i got a Marshall JCM 2000 tsl 60 head for $300 and change and I've haven't seen one for under $600, before that i got a 4x12 guitar cab loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's for $230, all cabs loaded with those speakers go for a minimum of $600 up to almost $1000 depending on who makes the cab. I haven't found any musical instruments at good will like David but i find a bunch of my VANS shoes there to add to my collection 👍👍.
Dave Bateman hey that's pretty sweet. I did the conversion in Canadian cause that where I live. For those interested you paid the equivalent of 358$ CAD and to buy new it would be about 740$ CAD. Good score!
i got this exact same snare at a pawn shop a while ago! had the exact same snares and ropes, with a clear ambassador batter head. i put new emperor batter and ambassador reso heads on it, along with a new 42 strand snare. love the sound it makes! interesting to see you playing with the same thing
you definitely got yourself a nice Christmas gift, practically for free. like one of those sleeper treasures on antiques road show. ludwig allll day, brother.
Great find with the snare drum!!! I got one of those last year, in the black galaxy finish. Here's my best Goodwill find: I picked up an old 18" K Zildjian, at least 30 years ago, at a Goodwill store in Seattle. It was in a cart of stuff being put out on the shelves and I grabbed it immediately. Took it up to the register and asked the girl how much it was as there wasn't a price on it yet. She said...what is it? I said, oh, just some old cymbal, trying to sound like I wasn't really that interested. She says to me, how about $1.49!!!!! I said, oh, well OK, I guess so. LOL I gave her $2.00 and even got change back! got back a cymbal that nowadays old 18" K's are going for at least $1000.00 or more.
David you do so well at crafts. I’d like to make a double sided box drum pad vintage with quality wood finishes. Prentice is hard to get due to the sad loss of the Founder....I believe you could really create some custom pads!
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Nice find! Sound great.....especially for $20
These Ludwig Acrolite snares were issued to everyone who played drums in our school band class. Standard issue for "students" back in 1979-1984. At least where I went to school. I was only 12yrs old in 1979 and when I received this brand new with the case, I fell in love with Ludwig drums for a lifetime. These specific snares have an extremely satisfying old school "crack" without the annoying ringing sound that became popular starting in the 90's. When I got my first drum SET, I actually added a "FIELD SNARE" drum from our marching band room to it and it thundered and rocked like no other snare on a set that I've played since. In my old age, I now play Roland electronic V-Drums but I still have this snare saved in it's case for sentimental reasons.
Old men think alike! I hated that perfectly tuned "natural" thing nobody could live without when it showed up. The worst is getting to see or hear modern live recordings of bands you loved back in the day who have ruined their sound with it. If it was such a carved-in-stone requirement for good recordings, why is everybody in awe of the past sixty years worth of music that doesn't have it? My studio kit was oversized fiberglass-lined concert toms with coated Emperors on them and SM57's on the inside, tracked in a room full of OC #703 fiberglass panels.😛 With a couple quick low mid notches on a parametric EQ, they had a nice dead, rubbery "thud" to them. My go-to snare was also likely standard issue school band crap, but was a 5.5" Premier. It looked cheap, but somehow just managed to record really well.
Already sounds better than your other snares, you should keep it man.
can't go wrong with a ludwig snare.
Fix that snare up ! I'd love to hear it's full potential
Kamil Sliwinski amen
"Dear Santa, this is rdavidr, I would like a camera mount for Christmas."
These snares are amazing. I've had my 70's one for ages and will never sell it. Got a crack and a tone to it that is hard to replicate. Awesome find!
I also got another new toy, anyone see it? o.0
rdavidr nice cymbal :p
Buttery af
Whats the name of that Big and ugly cymbel? XD
is that the XSR monarch?
It's an Apollo right? Nice find the snare sounds great, I have a Tama SLP steel that sounds similar
i've had several of these.. absolutely the best sounding midrange snare ever made. You can't go wrong. Crank it up and wail!
22 bucks! Holy shit what a lucky find
you should fully restore it, pretty cool find
ludwig acrolites were student snares. but they sounded awesome and have a nice pop so rock drummers started using them
Yesssss!!!! Do a video going through the entire restoration process! Even multiple videos if you have enough to do with it. Such a great sounding snare and with some nice restoration tricks and new heads and a better Ludwig throw off would be so cool to watch
dude how are you so lucky?! all that's at my Goodwill is clothes lol
Can't wait to see the whole restoration of this !
Christmas comes late for David!
drum nerds assemble.
Chris L he got these on christmas eve
Tommy Ryan that great and all cause I'm watching the video now.
I picked up an accrolite a couple years ago for about $50. It's my favorite snare! It's always cool to find little gems like this.
I love you're videos. I've been playing 35 years and you have the knowledge that all drummers should have and you respect drums tremendously. Keep up the informative videos. You rock.
Possibly the most versatile snare out there. Many slept on this for years.
You can't beat that sound, reminds me of my Ludwig snare of my set back in the late 50s. I enjoy watching you take apart the drums and bringing them up to speed. Brings back memories of me putting on new leather heads and tucking the edges of the wet skin into the frame hoop using bottle opener. Hood old days.....hahaha.
I have that exact same snare.
RetroWeld are you those guys who sent stuff to Braille?
Yes
RetroWeld you guys give Braille the best stuff, wouldn't expect to see you here!!!
Doug is the man, so of course youd find him here!
I learned on this very snare, bulky case, and drum stand back in the Mid 80's. Purchased second hand for $80. I still have it. You can tune it real tight and it almost sounds like a piccolo. Nice crisp pop.
The Acro is a workhorse of a snare. For a cheap snare it is very versatile. Great find.
Found a 1973 acrolite at a rummage sale for 20 bucks too! First drum I restored and absolutely love it. I've tried different tunings on it, but like you, the high tuning really makes this snare come alive. Definitely repair that bad boy. They're worth it!
This Ludwig model was my first drum (in the early 90s). When I was a kid we couldn’t afford a drum set, so I had a Pearl P880 pedal attached to a square office garbage can on its side , and I used the back of a chair with a Remo Putty Pad as my hi hat. The Ludwig snare with the rubber muffle/practice pad plus a towel on top made a great little practice kit to work coordination, all while using a Seiko DM-20 metronome. I actually “sang” the hi hat sound when I lifted my left foot. This brought back some memories!
I discovered the Acrolite snare back in 1982 and fell in love with it at the time and didn't care it wasn't a top-o-d-line snare. It was AWESOME and like an idiot sold it. Last year after talking about old times and snares with a friend he JUST SO HAPPENED to have a MINT condition acrolite with original unplayed heads FROM THE SAME YEAR (1982) and gave it to me as a gift. Since I have been able to aquire a vertually mint case, original ludwig sticks, practice pad, stand, & music book ALL virtually MINT! awesome!
sentimental....
I am always amazed that there are drummers out there who DON'T already have an Acrolite. They're everywhere, they're cheap, and they sound perfect. Great score. Don't sell it.
See, I hate the way the Acrolite sounds - I'd much rather have a Supraphonic.
Those are on the "Must Have" list I give to any of my students. I own 3 myself (from different decades, each with different head & snare wire combinations) and they each sound awesome! Definitely keep it and do a little replacing/restoring on the heads, wires, & non-so-reliable parts.
dude thing has a nice crack to it. Definitely wanna see you get this thing looking and sound 100%
Great score! I have a late 70s one that was given to me by a band director. Got to love great cheap gear.
I love Acrolite snares! One of the best snares.
I really do like mine. It's like a Supraphonic Junior. I'm a total novice with drums, but there's just something about it that records well and feels great.
Your Home Recording Studio I used to own one years ago. It was a very nice drum to record with, I definitely agree. But once I got a snare custom built, kind of sold my snare collection at the time... Might try and buy some more again.
jeez this is one of the best sounding metal snares I've heard! congrats on a great deal, the snare is killer
Wow that is a great sounding vintage looking grey?beauty!!! defiantly let us see what ever mods you give it that was a outstanding find 👌 very happy for you Dave happy new year and keep doing what you do 👊
Nice find! I just recently picked up a 1970s Blue & Olive Badge Ludwig White Acrylic(Vistalite) drum set for $50 from a thrift store / junk shop in Washington Township, NJ. It includes a 22" X 16" bass drum along with 10" X 6.5", 12" X 8", 13"X 9", 14" X 10", 15" X 12", & 16" X 14" single headed concert toms which are all in rough shape & look like they were stored outside at some point. Since I'm really not fond of the sound of concert toms, I'm going to clean up the drums, repair them, & turn them into double-headed toms. Additionally , I will be adding floor tom legs to the 15" & 16" toms & using those along with the 14" tom & bass drum for now since they are in the most decent shape. I'm also on the lookout for any cheaply-priced Ludwig LM402 Supraphonic Snare or Acrolite like you found since I also know of someone who picked one up at a yard sale for $15. I also have a 1980s Pearl Export which I finished fixing up as well. So I'm looking forward to the Ludwig project. With the Ludwigs, I will be doing a "Bonham" Style setup with them. I also use Remo drum heads, Zildjian Cymbals, & Vic Firth Sticks in addition to Ludwig & Pearl Drums & hardware. Any tips would be helpful. By the way, in what Sate are you located? I like your sense of creativity with the drums especially when it is a cool idea that works and/ or saves money..
Holy crap dude! I just looked at your subscriber count and you have like 72,000! I remember when you had 2,000 subs. You're doing an amazing job dude. Great videos!
I have found 6 worthy drums at thrift stores: a 24" Japanese-made Tama Swingstar kick, an entry-level 13X14 Yamaha tom, a 1958 3-pc Slingerland kit 14sn/13T/22K, and....a 1966 Acrolite with the big clunky "UFO" case! The Ack I got for 32 bucks at a thrift store. It's one of my favorite snares!
I had a Acrolite in 1970, and wish I had never sold it - it was a wonderful drum. I needed the money at the time. Congratulations on a great find. Thanks for the great video and memories. Keep the drum!
Great video! I actually still own this series ( and time period) snare that was my first drum i ever received from my parents. It is extremely durable and has served me well. It is actually strong enough to handle a Kevlar marching snare head without warping if you like that high pitched "crack." sound. It's been on mine for years without problems.
Also, the black face p85 throw-off wasnt incomplete - it was designed purely for strings back in the day, the new ones with a chrome face have space for both strins and strap mounting. I bought a brand new p85 for my 1968 Supraphonic 14x5 and it tends to jam in the off-position a lot, but an old p85 that came with my 14x6,5 Supraphonic from 1977 works like butter. Strange
This video just came across my feed, I’m a new subscriber. Just wanted to say that’s a rad find man! I’m not trying to one up you... but... about 15 years ago a musician friend of mine bought a four piece kit at goodwill and asked if I would mind cleaning it up for him. When he brought it over I was totally blown away!
What he bought for $60 was an early 60’s Ludwig club date with matching snare the glitter wrap is red, yellow, red stripe. Along with it came another snare that turned out to be a 1924 Ludwig & Ludwig “Professional series” solid mahogany shell. He ended up giving me the kit and snare since he is a pianist/ guitarist. They are my baby’s.
that's got a nice sound to it. good find! I found a Ludwig wood snare in silver sparkle from 1969 one time at a church garage sale for $15. it's still one of my main snares and I will never get rid of it.
I'm so stoked for you. Bought mine in 1995 for $395 ish at a GC here in San Diego. Recorded two albums with it, they sound great. Hats off to ya
Dude..................... Your channel is amazing!
I'm glad you kept this drum, these are some of the greatest sounding snare drums, I would love to see you do a makeover on it.
For TH-cam, that thing sounds sick! it's got all the intricacies in the tone that make a snare sound great.
I have had this snare for at least 15 years and I still use it. I use a vented head on it.....this snare lightweight, smoove and consistent. The only upgrades I am in the process of making is getting die cast hoops and new Ludwig strainer so I can use snare straps. Mines is dated 1975...without any upgrades, it sounds fantastic! Can't wait til see how it transforms after!!!!
Nice find. My friend had the whole Acrolyte setup in the case with the snare stand and all when we were in band together, back in the 1900's...
Hey David - Found a blue/olive badge Ludwig Acrolite with Ludwig stand and case for $35 this week-end - just needed some nut-and-bolt tightening, cleaned off some dirt and rust, heated some dents out of the original Ludwig drum head - plays great!!! It was worth the hour drive to pick it up!
I picked up a 1965 acrolite with the baseball bat red felt muff that is freaking awesome. Was spray painted red and came with a nice set of pearl late 80s early 90s exports. From a free stuff Craigslist ad. I couldn’t believe it. It is my cherished snare. Disassembled cleaned all the red spray paint and it looks new.
A great find at an unbelievable price. the Accrolites go for about $100-$200 Congrats bro.
I got the same Ludwig snare with the UFO carrying case. It’s a great sounding snare. My folks bought it for me when I started band in 7th grade. It was $699 when I got it new in 1989. It’s in perfect shape.
it's not missing the backing plate on the p85. This early type had no backing plate. Those two holes are for the string. I personally prefer to use string. I've never had an issues with it. Keep that snare! They're nice! Great vids, keep up the good work!
I think this is as excited as David gets lol. Definitely would like to see a another video on fixing up this snare.
RDR, noticed that you got a new snare mic and the Acrolite sounds really good!!!!
Sounds killer! Can't wait to see the restoration video.
I want to see more with this snare drum! I love the acrolite's, great deal man.
Hey Dave! I'd love to see a full restoration of the snare. And maybe at the end add in a little thing explaining your "new toy"
I literally had almost the same scenario as you. Someone was selling a Ludwig snare, case, and stand for $20, picked it up, and I love it. I didn't bother doing any research on it but I just figured out that it is an early 1980's Ludwig Acrolite. Not too shabby.
Great find and nice grease container. Thanks for sharing!
Killer find. I'd love to see you bring that back to its full glory.
Nice! My first and second kits are Ludwig. Good quality drums. Awesome find.
wow! what an absolute steal! it would be cool to see you do a full restore of it.. however, it sounds killer as it is, so if you did restore it, you may as well completely customise it!
Dude! Been watching your videos since practically the beginning!
I have a '70s Acrolite and out of all of the snares that I own, it's my favorite to record with. It doesn't take a beating or hold its tuning like newer and better-constructed snares do, but if you ever want that perfect fat, gushy snare, this drum should be your choice.
I'm a working drummer in LA and everyone I know that has one, says the same thing.
Enjoy yours man! I will never get rid of mine!
Also, I don't know if you know who Aaron Sterling is, but he's been a huge inspiration for me and I like spreading the knowledge he possesses. The dude's a badass session drummer that's played on so much crap over the years, some of it includes John Mayer's last couple albums. 'Nough said.
Anyways, he has these great masterclass videos available for purchase on his website and in one of the episodes, he talks about his acrolite and how to get that perfect fat snare sound.
Now I'm done man! Hope this can help persuade you into keeping that snare for a LONG time!
80s acrolite - basicly the same shell as a supraphonic, only 8 lug. Dont get rid of it, you`ll love it!
Wow I am in love with the way that sounds! Soooo jealous!!!!!
Acrolites range from bare brushed aluminum from the early days, 60s, to smooth anodizeded gray, 70s-80s, and thick, orange-peel type gray or black powder-coating 80s on. The early brushed aluminum type are more open sounding and have a larger tuning range but have a distinct ring. The later orange peel variety are more dampened sounding and don't have any noticeable ring, are described as dry with a sharp crack, and are among the best recording snares you can get for $200-$300 dollars usually. They can be found quite regularly since so many were made and sold to schools for band snares. If you find one in good condition, snatch it up. Most drummers I have known have at least one and RDavidR has several now. I have one of the 80s orange peel versions and I play it most
Great vid as always. I'm in the process of restoring an old Acrolite myself. Probably a mid-80s model. Great sounding drum - score!
That was funky! Let's see the full restore!
I have 4 of these I purchased at Goodwill. Not as cheap as yours was but far cheaper than normal markets. 3 are brushed and one has the grey paint. All in great condition, originals heads and snares, with case, stand, and one came with the xylophone as well. Love good deals and you sure got a great one.
Nice find! I always had such a stigma against aluminum snares for some reason; I think I just had hung out with people that played them tuned to high heaven, played terrible music and they sounded way too tinny to me. I picked up a 70's Acrolite off Reverb a couple years ago for $40, and it was a total game changer. They're really forgiving with different tunings, cut through a mix beautifully and have a really consistent sound that I couldn't ever get from my old 50's Gretsch.
I really dig the Remo controlled sound head on there, or just a coated head with a Richie Ring around it. Really nice, punchy, dry sound. They're also total workhorse drums; strong, light and totally reliable. Awesome find (and you already got it sounding incredible!)
Great snare!!! Had this one in the 6th grade and miss it so much!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Dang, nice score! I got a "blackrolite" a few months back for $90 and I thought I was making off like a bandit. Sounds great man.
The Ludwig P85 lever at that time period (60s-70s) did NOT have a mounting plate. Most drummers used rope or cord and secured it through those holes you though were mounting holes for a backing plate. I found out the hard way. Drummers didn't use plastic straps to secure snares to the lever back then, some of them thought it would make it not sound "correct" or something.
While I agree with you, I don't like the P85 either, the replacement is not worth the price of the drum. So, I'd fix it up, use it that way, and be happy. It also adds to the "mojo" of the drum, if it's anything to you.
Best find: Friend's dad died, was a maintainence man for the school district. She asked me if I'd want this "old drum" he had packed away forever. Sure,why not? Opened the fibre case and my jaw dropped. Ludwig Black Beauty 1920-something, engraved, calfskin heads, original snares, torn bottom head and a missing lug. Told her what it was. We brought it to Maxwell. Appraised at $1200. My best: Grungy thrift store. On a bookshelf,just for a prop, Ludwig 3"×13" wood piccolo. Old. Original snares. Nickel chrome,no pits. Offered them $20. Walked out with it. Brought it to Maxwell. Finish is "blue duck"(?). Late 50s,early 60s. Appraised at $275. And I found a powder coated '70-something Acrolite a few years ago. Paid less than $200. Love it.
That sounds tight dude. I'd love to see a full restoration vid on it. I love the dry and throaty nature to aluminum, it's got the projection of metal, the dryness of wood, and a fraction of the weight. Gonna try to get my hands on one soon!
FYI, older snares did not come with hardware for snare straps, as cords were all that were used in the good old days. Also, Steve Gadd used an Acrolite throughout the 70's on many famous recordings. The Acrolite has a deeper fundamental tone than a chrome Supra, which is simply a chromed Acrolite shell with Imperial lugs. I have a 1971 Acrolite purchased new and a hammered bronze Supra. Ludwig snares are the best, in my opinion.
I had one of these as my student snare, slightly newer in black galaxy finish!! Glad i held onto it, and my friend gave me his so now i have 2!! Great snare!!!
I got one of these from an old lady off craigslist once for $100. it was like brand new. It has a date stamped on it for 1969. sounds amazing. Love to see you fix this one up!
As a beginner, one of the guys at this trade show I went to said I should start with that exact snare so I went ahead and bought it, case and all. Nice to hear it when someone who knows how to play plays it :) No, I didn't get it as cheap but it did come with everything intact, too, including the snare wire holders. Cheers!!!
Best sounding snare I've heard on your show!
That snare will sound great in any range of tuning! Congrats on a sweet deal. Little known fact: if you have to cut a snare wire, always cut the same wire on the other side of the snares, this keeps the tension even across the wires. So say you have to cut the second wire for some reason, always cut the second wire on the other side!
I don't know what it is about your videos. I don't play drums, nor am I that interested in them. That being said, I fucking love all your videos. The building/shop work/fabrication videos are my favorite. Keep em' coming please.
great deal you got! I have a vintage 1979 myself. I believe yours its vintage 1984 or so because of the finish with its “new” Powder Coating, which Ludwig switched to that same year. Also the first six years, 1963-1969 the Acrolite sported the Keystone Badge instead of the blue/olive like yours does..........
You would never find this kind of deal in Calgary AB. Canada.
Congrats and Merry X- Mass
J'.p.
Last year I got two acrolites from craigslist -- both in worse condition and incomplete but with complementary parts. One was free, the other was $30. After cleaning and combining the best of each along with a new bottom head it's now one of my favorite snare drums.
I think I have an extra tension rod for that muffler left over if you want it. Send me a message if you do.
Great channel my dude.
Extreme coolness! I found a Pacific Drums piccolo snare at a thrift shop with basket stand for 10 bucks a while back , there was a screw missing from the throw off. I thought I made the deal of the day! Your Acrolite for 20 bucks trumps my piccolo snare all day and twice on Tuesday. I would probably have had to hold back tears if mine was an Acrolite like yours.
The "bulletin board of whatever-ness": You crack me up! XD
bro that snare sound perfect. Really great video!
Man, your videos make me wanna tear apart all my drums, in the best way.
Ludwig is my favorite drum company
same. Ludwig, Tama, and Slingerland. and Paiste cymbals
Tama Starclassic WIth Paiste Rude. Dream set.
Nice find. I found an acrolite at a pawn shop near me, not quite as cheap as yours, but still cheaper than what it's worth. It's my main snare now, I love it.
I love old acros, great break beat type tone. Questlove and Steve Jordan use them.
Sub'd because of this video and your editing skills. What luck running into this. I have one myself and I love it
I got a DW bell brass from a thrift store recently for a steal.
Dave Bateman No shit? Fucking awesome find.
Dave Bateman i got a Yamaha Steve Jordan signature at a pawn shop for $70 about 2yrs ago, Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedal for $6, Zildjian Z23 Mega Bell for $120 (new condition), Sabian AAX Stage Ride $40, and about $ 900 worth of cymbals which included a (Paiste 2002 22in Power Ride, Zildjian avedis 15 in high hats, Zildjian 18 in thin crash, and a Sabian AAX 18 in medium crash) all for $190. I have since turned a lot of that around for other stiff but i recently got my younger brother's old 90's Japanese Tama Rockstar back for FREEEEEEE from a friend of mine who bought it it a guy. My brother and i were in a pop punk band back in the 90's and i played bass even though I'm a drummer first he also played drums so i jumped on bass, well after i left the band he got into drugs and drinking and pawned all of his drums and gear and we never saw it again until i posted a picture of us from a show back in the day and i mentioned our bands name (Millhouse) and a friend of mine sends me a message that says "hey i just got a back up Rockstar in the same color (ocean mist) with a sticker that says" Millhouse " man my heart almost skipped a beat, ao i asked if it was a red sticker because i remember my brother putting a red one and sure enough that was his kit! I told him if he ever wanted to sell it let me know, well he immediately tells me" say the word because I'm ready to sell it". Well about two week go by and i had some financial hiccups and tell him he can sell it because i won't be able to by it and he says "im going to give it to you!", dude i almost did a back flip (inwardly of course). I call it the hand of God as i am a Christian and so is my friend and seeing how it came about i can't call it anything else. Well my son, brother, and i have punk band and i have everything set up in my garage and my brother came to practice and played on his old kit again after 21 yrs of losing it. On another blessing from God i got a Marshall JCM 2000 tsl 60 head for $300 and change and I've haven't seen one for under $600, before that i got a 4x12 guitar cab loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's for $230, all cabs loaded with those speakers go for a minimum of $600 up to almost $1000 depending on who makes the cab. I haven't found any musical instruments at good will like David but i find a bunch of my VANS shoes there to add to my collection 👍👍.
Dave Bateman what did ya pay for it?
220 sterling
Dave Bateman hey that's pretty sweet. I did the conversion in Canadian cause that where I live. For those interested you paid the equivalent of 358$ CAD and to buy new it would be about 740$ CAD. Good score!
i got this exact same snare at a pawn shop a while ago! had the exact same snares and ropes, with a clear ambassador batter head. i put new emperor batter and ambassador reso heads on it, along with a new 42 strand snare. love the sound it makes! interesting to see you playing with the same thing
sick find! I've always said that every drummer should have an acrolite in their collection
you definitely got yourself a nice Christmas gift, practically for free. like one of those sleeper treasures on antiques road show. ludwig allll day, brother.
Wow, $22! What a lucky find. Looks really cool, and sounds great to.
That snare sounds great. Acrolites record really nice & that one was a fantastic find & also sounds great on your recording here.
Great find with the snare drum!!! I got one of those last year, in the black galaxy finish. Here's my best Goodwill find: I picked up an old 18" K Zildjian, at least 30 years ago, at a Goodwill store in Seattle. It was in a cart of stuff being put out on the shelves and I grabbed it immediately. Took it up to the register and asked the girl how much it was as there wasn't a price on it yet. She said...what is it? I said, oh, just some old cymbal, trying to sound like I wasn't really that interested. She says to me, how about $1.49!!!!! I said, oh, well OK, I guess so. LOL I gave her $2.00 and even got change back! got back a cymbal that nowadays old 18" K's are going for at least $1000.00 or more.
That is so dope. I'm gonna be going to every goodwill I see looking for treasures now
David you do so well at crafts. I’d like to make a double sided box drum pad vintage with quality wood finishes. Prentice is hard to get due to the sad loss of the Founder....I believe you could really create some custom pads!