A short while ago, I was contacted by a talented drummer by the name of George Sluppick on Instagram. It turns out he had a Ludwig drum from the 1940’s which he wanted to identify and might consider selling. He got the drum from a shop called Lollipop Music in Princeton, WV. They got the drum from a guy who bought it from a pawn shop. So unfortunately, no identity of the original owner. I was still determined to find out more…

I now own several Ludwig Peacock Pearl snares, but all are 5 x 14”. In late 2020, I found out that Paul “Jamo” Jamieson was thinking of retiring and paring down his drum collection. Jamo is well known for his many contributions to the music industry as a drum tech and cartage/rental businessman. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the music business and accumulated some amazing drums along the way. In one of our many engaging conversations, Jamo mentioned that he had some cool vintage drums that I might be interested in. One of these was a 6.5 x 15” (yes, 15”!) Ludwig Super-Sensitive in Peacock Pearl.

I’d like to start this story by both thanking and blaming Mark Cooper (Coopers Vintage Drums) J. Many years ago, I met Mark at one of the Chicago Drum Shows. He was sharing his fabulous collection of vintage green-wrapped drums from Slingerland and Leedy.

This 1939 WFL Paramount snare was produced in the year that Germany invaded Poland, and just over 2 years later, the U.S. would join the war. Bill Ludwig, Sr. had lost his name, much of his savings, and yet survived both the transition and WWII. In the end, his company thrived, and he regained his name. There is so much to be admired about Bill Sr’s. drive, fortitude, and relentlessness. This 1939 WFL Paramount snare is one representation of his work during this challenging time and embodies all those who appreciated its sound and construction over 8 decades.

One day in late 2020, I was doing my usual browsing through vintage drum-related social media posts and came across a 1936 Leedy & Strupe (L&S) white marine pearl drum kit for sale. This L&S kit consisted of a white marine pearl 14 x 28” bass drum (with calf heads), 9 x 13” tom (tacked bottom head), 6.5 X 14” snare, cowbell, and various hardware (original L&S bass drum pedal, hi-hat with lamb wool beater, Clamp-Rite trap holders, spurs). According to Harry Cangany (noted author, drum historian), this kit was, “a ‘Dictator’ model in white pearl (L&S name for white marine pearl)…1936 is probably correct.”

Ramy does not rest on his laurels. Constantly looking to do more and do better, he has recently expanded the A&F line-up to include an array of innovative nickel-plated drum hardware: snare/tom/kick stand, cymbal stand, pedal mount for snare stand, hoop mounted clamp and L-arm, kick-bone, cocktail basket and kick pedal clamp.

So overall, I would definitely recommend trying out the No Nuts products, especially the Cymbal Sleeves, as they really do make mounting and dismounting cymbals so much easier and quicker. The convenience factor is well worth the money in my mind. I like having alternatives to felt pads so the CymRings are a much better substitute. I don’t use a sizzle cymbal enough to justify the cost. Having a little ‘doodad’ like the SizzleNut that I can stick in my bag and pull out as needed is more practical. Think of it this way, for the price of 1-2 pairs of drumsticks, you could buy a set of Cymbal Sleeves, CymRings, or SizzleNut. Music is about experimentation. Try things out!

The album is not a flurry of prog rock drum tracks as one might expect but passionate and varied pieces composed by Todd and his creative partner, J.K. Harrison, with Todd on lead vocals. There are 10 great tunes, carefully sculpted and crafted to tease our emotions and draw us in. This phenomenal debut album is available on CDs, high-definition audio (.WAV), and signed and numbered 180-gram vinyl LP’s

I’d like to share some of our conversations in order for you to get to know Mike as I did, describe a few examples of his work, and also explain how his approach differs from that of other gifted hand engravers, like John Aldridge and Adrian Kirchler.

I like to think of John Aldridge as a “Drum Jedi Master”.  He is an endless wellspring of drum history, wisdom, experience and creativity.   In this sequel to Part 1, I wanted to share some examples of John’s unique custom works with personal insights from John about their design.  Many of these drums are from my personal collection and are greatly treasured.  It is my hope that drummers will not only appreciate John’s incredible versatility, but also realize that “drum art” can be truly personal.  Drum engraving is not restricted to scrolls and florets!

The first of these is the best-known drum engraver of our time, John Aldridge. Some years ago, John Aldridge wanted a hand engraved drum. When he discovered he couldn't afford it, John learned how to do it himself, and brought this lost art form back to the drum industry. 

Tommy Thomas is a classic example of “the most famous drummer you probably never heard of”. 

Ramy Antoun, the designer of this wonderful drum, is a well-known drummer (Seal, Black Eyed Peas, Alexi Murdoc…), songwriter, producer and entrepreneur.   Given this combination, it is no wonder that he applied his creative talents to drum design. 

In my relentless pursuit of vintage drums, I came across an interesting Ebay listing: “Early 1900's Vintage Ludwig Drums, Black Beauty Snare, Zildjian, Zenjian Cymbals”.  While the pictures weren’t very sharp, I could definitely see a 1920s-1930s engraved Ludwig Black Beauty in what appeared to be the original case.  There were four cymbals, a bass drum and clearly a bunch of assorted hardware, all in De Luxe finish.  Normally, I just collect snare drums but in this instance, I decided to make an exception.  So I pulled the trigger.

In the end, I did not find a rare silver Stipelgold Ludwig snare drum.  Indeed, what I received was an even rarer gift, a beautiful circa 1930 brass Ludwig drum that was passionately played by a war hero and kind friend to many.  

I was at a loss to find any of the previous owners prior to Bun E. I keep wondering who was the drummer who bought and played this drum almost 90 years ago. I wish I knew…

So with the help of the master boat builder and much trial-and-error, Johnny began making his own one-ply drum shells.  By 1984-85, Johnny had started to perfect his technique.  Word of his drums spread until it caught the attention of Billy Gibson (Huey Lewis & The News).  Billy asked Johnny to join forces with him to form a drum company, the Select (later changed to “Solid”) Drum Company.

A little over 13 years ago, I came across a picture of Alan White (YES) playing what looked to be a set of glass and brass drums.  Being a drum nerd, my curiosity got the best of me.  Were these gimmicks, art, or perhaps something more? I became obsessed with finding out more... So in 2001, I contacted John Orlich to learn about Orlich Percussion Systems.   I later had the opportunity to speak with Alan White and Tris Imboden (CHICAGO) about their Orlich glass drums.  After that, I was hooked.  I wanted a set of these drums!  But let me tell you the whole story from the start…

So the drum was given to Levon by Ringo, clearly played and signed by Levon to the son of another tremendously influential drummer, Richie Hayward.  Four degrees of separation, perhaps?  I was happy to win the auction, securing both drum for its history and the ability to help Seve in my own small way.