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Ludwig Commando Video #14: Jim Riley's Keystone ludwigdrumtv 1,779 views Live from the 2011 Modern Drummer Festival, Jim Riley gives us a tour of the Ludwig Keystone Workhorse kit he played for his morning Master Class.
Ludwig Commando Video #15: Jim Riley at the Modern Drummer Festival ludwigdrumtv 2,340 views A portion of Jim's Master Class at MD Fest 2011, played on a Keystone Workhorse kit and 6.5x14" Keystone snare drum. The instrumental piece Jim is playing here was written...
Ludwig Commando Video #12: Epic Series Drums in ProBeat Configuration ludwigdrumtv 3,605 views Ludwig Epic Series Pro Beat kit in Celestial Blue finish with Smoky Chrome hardware. 16x24" kick, 10x13" tom, 16x16 and 16x18" floor toms, and a 7x14" snare. All drums fe...
Ludwig Commando Lucky 13: Carl Palmer Interview ludwigdrumtv 1,308 views An extensive chat with Carl Palmer about drumming in Birmingham, growing up with Bonham, and why 3.7" is the ideal snare drum depth. Great confab with one of modern drummi...
Ludwig Commando Video #11: The Snare Wall at the Messe ludwigdrumtv 634 views An assorted collection of snare drums on display at Musikmesse. Oh, the majesty of it all!
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Ludwig Commando Video #10: Centennial Drums, Joey Kramer Snare ludwigdrumtv 4,879 views Centennial Series Drums feature a North American Maple Shell (6-ply toms, 8-ply kick,) in a choice of three shell packs, six finishes, and a myriad of component options. L...
Ludwig Commando Video #9: The Carl Palmer "Venus" Signature Snare ludwigdrumtv 2,198 views Carl Palmer's "Venus" Signature Snare features a 3.7"x14" green-lacquered 1.3mm beaded Brass shell with Brass-plated Die-Cast hoops and separate tube lugs. Here, from the ...
Ludwig Commando Video #8: Adrian Kirchler ludwigdrumtv 244 views Goldsmith and Snare Drum Artisan Adrian Kirchler stops by the Ludwig Booth to survey his handy-work: the 1930 two-piece Standard Model snare drum Reissue, a truly rare snar...
The Ludwigs, The Dunnetts, The Palmers, and Beef. ludwigdrumtv 263 views The Ludwig Team share a meal with Carl Palmer and Ronn Dunnett at a truly unique Bavarian eating experience: The Steinernesshaus in Frankfurt, home of the infamous Steak on...

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To learn more about the Most Famous Name on Drums, please visit http://www.ludwig-drums.com.

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Feb 3, 2009

Date Joined

Feb 3, 2009

About this user

William F. Ludwig, Senior, born 1879 in Germany, emigrated to the United States with his family at the age of eight. Jobs in Chicago for his father, a professional valve trombone player, were scarce. Young Ludwig, upon seeing in parade the proud drummers of the First Regiment of the Illinois National Guard, was convinced he wanted to become one of them. However, his father insisted that the drums were not a serious musical instrument. After several unproductive years of lessons on the violin and the piano, his father relented in purchasing a second-hand drum. Progress on the drums led to dates with small amateur groups and eventual paying jobs.

The seeds for the Ludwig Drum Company were planted during a 1908 vaudeville job at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago.

Ludwig's clumsy old wood pedal, accustomed to circus marches, could not meet the rigorous demands of the new syncopated jazz and ragtime rhythms. Visits to local music stores did not yield a satisfactory pedal. As a last result Ludwig built his own wooden foot pedal, capable of faster tempos without any loss of force or volume. Samples built for Ludwig by a local cabinet maker became the envy of local drummers. Robert C. Danly, Ludwig's brother-in-law in charge of the tool room at International Harvester Company, believed that the pedal could be mass produced from more durable metal materials. William and his brother Theo formed Ludwig & Ludwig in 1910, with the unique pedal being made in a rented barn on the northwest side of Chicago.

In 1909-1910 William accepted the timpani position with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The exorbitant price of $2,800 for a pair of foreign timpani prompted Ludwig to consult with Danly on a less-expensive, higher-quality design. After three years of experimentation the first set of hydraulic action timpani were sold to the St. Paul Symphony Orchestra. After two months of use the rubber expansion tube inside the kettle burst during a performance and the fluid drained into the stage footlights. After several more experiments the two settled on a spring mechanism in 1916--the basis for the current Balanced Action Pedal Timpani.

The Ludwig & Ludwig Drum Company grew, acquiring new machinery (such as the first automatic stick turning lathe) and moving several times. The advent of moving pictures and silent films created a new need for sound effects instruments and trap drum sets.

The drum business suffered during the Great Depression. The C.G. Conn Company (located in Elkhart, Indiana) had already purchased the Leedy Manufacturing Company (another drum company located in Indianapolis). Saving Ludwig drums resulted in a merger with Conn. William was asked to manage both divisions and moved his family to Elkhart. Eventually his office was transferred back to Chicago. William, missing the opportunity to work with the actual design and manufacture of percussion instruments which Conn retained in Elkhart, tendered his resignation in 1936 to strike out on his own.

From a purchased building at 1728 North Damen Avenue in Chicago and some of his original workers the new W.F.L. Drum Company was organized in 1937. Their first product was the famous Speed King Pedal. His son Bill, Junior and daughter Betty joined the business. In 1955, William successfully bid for the Ludwig portion of the Ludwig-Leedy division still owned by Conn. With his old machinery, tooling, designs, and name back, the company was changed to Ludwig Drum Company.

The British rock and roll invasion of the 1960s brought massive growth to the drum industry. Ringo Starr of the Beatles used Ludwig drums, an opportunity William seized.

The purchase of the Musser Marimba Company, manufacturers of vibes, marimbas, bells, chimes and xylophones, transpired in 1966. Ludwig had now become a total percussion company.

In 1973 William F. Ludwig, Sr. died, to be succeeded by his son William F. Ludwig, Jr. Ludwig Industries was acquired by The Selmer Company in 1981 to create a synergy in school music markets. Today, Ludwig drums and timpani are manufactured in Monroe, North Carolina, with timpani and mallet instruments produced in LaGrange, Illinois.

Hometown

Elkhart

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