VINTAGE 1959-1960 Ludwig All Original Transition-Pre-Serial Pink Oyster Pearl Downbeat Outfit w/ Matching Jazz Festival
- Sizes: 14x20 bass drum, 8x12 tom, 14x14 floor tom, 5.5x14 Jazz Festival Snare.
- Details & Notes: This is a beautiful, and incredibly rare Ludwig Pink Oyster Downbeat, born together between 1959 and 1960. All original with the exception of the snare string. As any Ludwig or vintage drum enthusiast will say, Pink Oyster is one of Ludwig's rarest finishes, having only been produced between 1958 and 1963, with an estimate of only 100 kits having been made. This kit in particular is special, having been made not only in the Transition Badge period of Ludwig drums, but during the transition from the famous Transition Badge to the Pre-Serial number Keystone Badge. A Transition Badge is found on the 14x14 floor tom, and the rest of the drums wear Pre-Serial Keystone badges. At this time Ludwig was still finishing cycling through left over WFL parts after having reacquired the right to the Ludwig name. As such, factory WFL legs are found on the floor tom and a WFL strainer and butt plate are found on the 5.5x14 Jazz Festival snare. The bass drum has a 1960 rail consolette which mounts to a diamond plate on the 12" tom. Both toms and the snare use factory knob internal mufflers, as they are pre Base Ball Bat. The drums have clean interiors with the floor tom and the bass drum being natural, and the rack tom and snare being painted white. This was a very common occurrence for Ludwig drums in the late 50s and early 60s, as the transition to White interiors never seemed to be a priority on all the sets leaving the factory. All drums are Mahogany/poplar 3-ply shells. The mahogany on the floor tom has a darker veneer, while the bass drum mahogany is much lighter. All edges seem very clean, though the 12" tom's batter bearing edge seems to have a little bit of acceptable separation from time at the scarf joint, as was very typical with Ludwig toms of the time. The bass drum hoops have seen some wear, most prominently on the resonant side, which has some pedal rash and gouging where the pedal would attach, as well as a slight hoop crack near the top of the hoop. The hoop crack however is completely repairable, and we would encourage interested buyers that the hoop is fully functional even with the mentioned flaw. The drums are faded from their original state, but in a nice way that shows age while still being true to the original color. All drums sport original Ludwig drum heads. The drums tune up well, are warm and punchy, and have a beautifully rich tone at both high and low tunings. The remarkable 5.5x14 Jazz Festival has a clean tone true to 50s and 60's drums we know and love. This is a true collectors piece, and a beautiful piece of Ludwig history.
- *Used and Vintage Drum Sets are on display in our showroom. Sets may show fingerprints or stick marks on heads from being tested and demoed, or disclosed signs of wear from previous owners*
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