I was very fortunate to be able to buy this drum from a new friend Bob Campbell who lives in the US. I had been looking for this drum for years. This 1958 Super Ludwig snare drum was the earliest of the Supraphonic snare drums. It was the first metal snare drum catalogued by the Ludwig Company after the family purchased the Ludwig name back from the Conn Company in 1955. This model was introduced in about 1958 as the Super Ludwig in 5” depth only with chrome plated brass or lacquered brass finish.
The first version of the P-83 synchromesh strainer featured the WFL stamp and slotted protusion on the left side. This strainer is seen on very few of the earliest Super Ludwigs. By 1959, this strainer was replaced by a newer version of the P-83.
The 1958 – 1960 brass Super Ludwig drums were formed from strips of rolled brass welded together with a vertical seam. This seam is clearly visible on the inside of the drum. The shell flanged downward from the bearing edge, then folded back towards the shell. The snare bed was formed by crimping, leaving a deep indentation easily visible from a distance. This in itself does not signify a brass shell, as the first few aluminum-shell models also were given this crimped snare bed. This snare drum also has a WFL badge on it.
Danny Bilan - Our Man in Canada
*** Information for this article was taken from “The Ludwig Book” by Rob Cook (2003)