955 WFL Black & White and Colorized versions of the 1955 catalog with a few big differences.

The color is so vibrant and bright it was shocking once I cleaned all the dirt off.

 It has some beautiful graphics inside, including color pictures of the Black Beauty “Ludwig Deluxe Model” and the “New Ludwigold Irridescent Display Finish”

“My take away from this is that the overall sound, which is most important to me, is absolutely outstanding and I would place these drums up there with some of the finest sounding instruments ever made.”

A very special rare Drum Catalog arrived.

 The insert highlighted in my column this month is one of the earliest known examples. It was actually in the 1909 Leedy edition as well as their 1910.

This set was born together and still with the one and only original owner whose parents purchased it for him brand spanking new in 1970. He played it for about a year with his cousin in a little band in his basement and never again after that. The set NEVER left his house and was NEVER played out. He also immaculately cared for it keeping it under cover.

The drum is only one of two (one is in the drum museum in the Midwest) known in this style, and even these two are both different.

This 1936 Slingerland catalog also has some of the most glorious color palettes of drum sets ever displayed between its pages. The center fold out is spectacular as well, showing the finest available drum finishes in all their grandeur.