I write my column here two days before Christmas for several reasons.
This set was a December 1941 Christmas gift to the original owner who is still with us, great guy. He was ten years old when he received this eighteen days after Pearl Harbor. Can you imagine? His father special ordered this set while also sparing no expense springing for the chrome instead of nickel and purchasing the full array of accessories and cases. I mean, wow! He told me it was his greatest Christmas EVER still to this day!!!
This set is EIGHTY years old this Christmas morning!
Ludwig & Ludwig “Swing Sensation Outfit” No. 1145PV, identical in every aspect of the famous “Top Hat” set without the cane, glove and hat design.
It is in stunning like new condition being it’s been in its cases for the past seventy years, he never played it after the 1950’s.
This may very well be the last one produced before the War Restrictions went into place. And I believe it is the only existing complete factory set with all the original heads, hardware, sticks, brushes, mallets, cymbals, accessories and cases.
(The only piece replaced was the hi-hat stand he broke seventy years ago.) Since these photos I used the parts from the original hi-hat stand and restored it to new factory functioning again.
Sizes:
7” x 11” Tom-Tom
9” x 13” Tom-Tom
14” x 16” Floor Tom
14” x 26” Bass Drum
6.5” x 14” Snare Drum
All the Original Ludwig & Ludwig heads.
All the Original Ludwig & Ludwig cases.
This took a long time to get it here, logistically, and almost as long to do the restoration.
Now, I shall play it!
Edward Tucker
Fate Up
Studio 3T
Christmas 1941 Ludwig & Ludwig!
