![]() ![]() Some of us may remember the infamous riveted finishes. The 1980's also saw some unfortunate quality issues that were beyond Ludwig's control. The Modular hardware is needlessly bulky and heavy as well. I seem to recall the interiors being heavily lacquered which may explain the harshness. These drums are heavy and, to my ears, always sounded a bit harsh. The 80's era six-ply shells are probably the least sought after. They still managed to produce some nice stuff but a lot of junk got out too. The transition from a family owned to a corporate owned business and the migration from Chicago to Monroe resulted in some real quality issues. The 1980's was not a very kind decade for Ludwig. The 6 ply Maple/Poplar shells are the most common, and since they are thicker than the 60's/70's three ply's they tend to project more but aren't as warm as the earlier ones, which also had a more rounded-over bearing edge. ![]() Ludwig's quality control was somewhat hit and miss back then, especially towards the tail end of production at the Chicago plant before the move to Monroe, NC. The Super Classics, which were 4 ply Maple/Poplar, came out later in the decade and are very highly regarded. Ludwig had the Rocker series as well, which started out as Maple/Poplar 4 ply's, then went all Poplar. Overall quality was decent on them, but the Birch Classics are quite a bit better. I was very happy with them, played them for about 18 years before getting rid of them for a set of Birch Classics. of 1980s-era Ludwigs (maybe in comparison to the late mid-late '60s and early 70s models)? How do they compare to today's new Ludwigs? In generalm does anyone know much about the quality, construction, etc. I haven't been able to get the serial numbers yet, though. I'm thinking about buying a 1980s era Ludwig kit from a private seller. ![]()
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February 2023
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