Found a drum in the attic...

wavehopper1

I found a snare drum during a clearout. It's been lying untouched in a box for at least 15 years. It's been used as there are scuff marks on the white skin and some pitting on the chrome casing - but otherwise looks in appearance to be in good order. There are no drumsticks or stand that I can find.

The markings are "Ludwig Weathermaster medium snare". Then a patent number, then "CT-Batter: db-750".

I know nothing about drums, hence posting to ask a few questions here - any tips appreciated!

How do I assess that its in good order? If I brought it into a music shop would they assist or tell me to take a hike unless I'm buying? Any suggestions for a good place in Dublin to go?

A bit of googling shows me ads stating that the "snare on/off switch works as it should". Any obvious way that I can check this without having drumsticks? If the answer is to take it to a shop to find out - then I'd still appreciate that feedback.

I've read the "how much is my...worth" post here but it assumes that the reader has more knowledge than I have. So I'm not asking what its worth - just wondering what the next step is. If it were a piece of furniture I'd take it to a dealer for a quick evaluation - is there any obvious place to go to assess this?

punchdrunk

Hi i'm no expert on drums but Ludwig made some of the nicest one's around
could be quite a nice find!

novarock

you could give X-Music a call - the guys in the drum department are some of the most knowledgeable in the country - them or the Naas Drum Centre

Eoin Madsen

Post photos! In-focus photos.

Where are the markings you mention, exactly? Bear in mind that markings on the heads (aka skins) more than likely refer only to the heads, which probably have no value of their own (heads are consumable/replaceable). The only markings of relevence will be on the shell.

Not meaning to disappoint, but if the shell has an entirely chrome finish then it's more than likely a steel shell, which puts it generally at the lower end as far as production cost goes, and also means that it's unlikely to have appreciated much in value.

wavehopper1

Thanks all for the info, I'll post some pics tonight. To be honest, I wasn't expecting major value from this drum - it is more "should it be saved from the skip". I'm in the process of dismantling a piano that has become untunable with age, but I just have no knowledge of drums to judge - this one looks so bright and shiny though :cool:. All info appreciated!

bytey

is it metal ?

if so does it look like any of these ?

is it heavy or very light ?

a 400

http://www.guitaravenue.com/images/photos/drum-2.jpg

b 400

http://www.snarehouse.com/shopimages/products/thumbnails/Ludwig400Supraphonic14x51961ChromeonBrass_1.JPG

c acrolite
http://www.snarehouse.com/shopimages/products/normal/LudwigAcroylite145Snare_1.jpg

d 402
http://www.guitaravenue.com/images/photos/drum1.jpg


a or b are worth about 300- 400 euro depending on year and condition

c is worht about 200

d about 450 - 500



if its very heavy- then its likely brass , and worth about a grand .

TheBigRedDog

Ludwig make great snares! If you want to get rid of it, I'll gladly except ! Ludwig itself should have some info on their website. Do you know the depth of the drum? James

wavehopper1

Great info here, guys, thanks all.

Eoin - as you suspected, the markings I mentioned are on the heads. I had a close look but couldn't find any on the shell.

Bytey - a picture is worth a thousand words, thanks for the effort of loading them. It's definitely not b or c. I can't tell the difference visually between (a) and (d) - they look the same. Oh, now that I peer a bit closer - is one taller than the other? Is that what James is referring to by depth? There's a bit more space around the badge in (d) - which makes mine a match for (a).

Here are some pics:





James/TheBigRedDog - thanks for the Ludwig link. That helped me try to narrow down the actual age of the drum. The badge is the blue-and-olive badge and the registration number is 1704531. If I understand the info correctly on the manufacturer's site that would date it to 1979. That is actually 10 years older than I expected - judging by age of the inhabitants of the house at the time. Maybe it was acquired second hand.




One more question was if it was particularly heavy or light i.e. brass. As I have nothing to compare it to, it seems pretty heavy to me, but I doubt that it's the more expensive brass version.

So it's been really interesting following this up. I'll list it on adverts.ie and see what happens. Would be a shame for it to be stuck in a shed for another 20-30 years!

Drummerboy08

Post over on Drumming Ireland. There's a few big Ludwig fans over there who will tell you straight away if its a good find or not.