ludwig enthusiasts, enlighten me?

[aaronsternke]

Hey guys,
A buddy of mine is wondering about this kit for sale on eBay. I am definitely a ludwig fan, but I'm not educated on their kits. Could some ludwig enthusiasts enlighten me on this one in particular? It's a 1958 WFL. Any good? Worth the price? Thanks in advance.

4pc. 1958 Ludwig WFL Drum Set - (eBay item 320196379553 end time Dec-20-07 18:37:52 PST)

Aaron Sternke

[CB_Photo]

Aaron,

I'd pass. The kit has been modified to be played, so it's not in vintage condition. The fact that it's been modified also means that the hardware has been tweaked to fit the drums -- it's not the best situation for heavy playing/touring/gigging. Whoever buys this kit will like it because it's a Ludwig '58 kit, not because it suits the needs of high quality sound and road worthy reliability.

Another thing: drum manufacturing technology has made huge gains in quality since 1958. Bearing edges are better, lamination is better, hardware is better.

The price is good, though, and the shipping is dirt cheap. I'm selling my Sonor kit and I'm looking at almost $300 UPS ground to California because of the sizes of drums and weight of the hardware.

[chrisso]

The drums no doubt sound phenomenal.
I mean it is about sound at the end of the day isn't it.
The price seems high, compared to other old Ludwig kits on Ebay, especially as it's not in original condition.
I'd simply say, VERY nice kit, but too expensive compared to other 60's Ludwig kits in better condition.

[Fleaman]

Yeah, just a players kit...not for investment, will not appreciate like a non-modified kit.

It's good the seller was being honest, he knows this is what values vintage kits.

OTOH, if you are looking for a vintage players kit, something like this can be appealing since you are not so worried about it's value and damage on the road. I myself have quite a few unmodified great condition vintage sets yet I play a beat up vintage DW set live (bought for $375).

I would value this WFL kit at $900 at the most, although ebay tends to bring some premium bids in. What's worse is you always get some surprises from vintage ebay kits. I've been lucky by bidding on ebay kits that were local or getting partial refunds from the ones that weren't (seller listing inconsistencies).

Don't forget craigslist....it's a great advantage to check out the kit in person, even if you have to wait a while for something to come along...

[Fleaman]

Here's one in Nashville, seems to be a good deal, yet it was a month ago...

60's Vintage Ludwig Gold Sparkle Kit - $700

60's Vintage Ludwig Gold Sparkle Kit