B-Stock

[blueingreen]

I have bought some B stock items and they’ve all been just as good as A stock.

 

[K.O.]

I bought a B-stock Gretsch Bell Brass, and it was ok cosmetically, but the strainer had a broken plastic strap. Lesson learned? Caveat emptor.

Dan

Sign me up for a Gretsch Bell Brass B stock if the only issue is a broken plastic snare strap. I wouldn't consider that to even be an issue anyway since I'd almost certainly replace any straps with snare cord.

I'm sure every manufacturer has their own definition of what constitutes a B-stock drum but in Ludwig's case it has always seemed to be a minor cosmetic flaw which is why I still suspect the drums with actual mechanical damage mentioned earlier in the thread were more likely damaged in shipment somehow. The fact that Ludwig even has B-stock drums demonstrates that they do have a concern about how their product is perceived. Many state that it was hard, sometimes impossible, to detect the flaw(s) that made their drum B-stock. Consider that the buyers of B-stock drums undoubtably hunt for the flaw upon receiving the drum. How many would never have noticed the flaw if they hadn't been looking? Yet Ludwig finds it for you and has apparently decided it's better to be up front and sell at a lower price with full disclosure rather than selling it at full price with the risk that they may have to go through an exchange process if a particularly fussy buyer gets the drum and finds a tiny flaw. This is why I find it questionable that they'd ship out obviously damaged stuff.

Now...where can I find one of those Gretsch Bell Brass drums at a B stock price?

 

[Drums]

Got my B-Stock BB yesterday—not a smudge or scratch on the inside of the shell, and only a hairline scratch on the exterior of one panel. That’s all I can find that would make it a B. Go figure.

 

[Matched Gripper]

Sounds like they should charge extra for that.

So I'm maybe working a deal for an aluminum 6.5x14 Supra B with a couple of vendors and might give it a go. I lost my GAS a while back and sold off a few snares I tried and wasn't crazy about. I have an Oriollo aluminum "frankenstein" snare that I absolutely love and I'd like to give the Supra a try. We'll see.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Why not ask the seller to specify what the blemish/ defect is?

 

[WLVN]

I've never been too proud to buy B stock, factory seconds, even scratch and dent stuff... unless the scratch is right through the serial number and the police are looking for it. Saves money!

 

[bpaluzzi]

Why not ask the seller to specify what the blemish/ defect is?

If it's a dealer you have a relationship with, you can usually get them to let you in on it, but (weirdly), a lot of places won't reveal that information.

Which is odd, because it seems like that'd be saving them a possible return.

 

[TheDrummerFromAmsterdam]

I have bought B-stock.

If it isn't on par with my expectations, it's going back. If it does, it stays.

 

[Heartbeat]

I ordered a B-stock Supra many years ago, figuring the flaw was probably something minor or barely noticeable. When I got it, the throwoff and butt plate were drilled in the wrong panels and it was just awkward to use, so I returned it.

 

[T-Dub]

Never bought a B-stock item and I've read what the "imperfections" could be but it could be anything from how I understand it.

I keep looking at Supras and see a lot of new B-stocks reasonably priced but it seems like it could be spin-the-wheel maybe and is it worth it to save a Benj or two?

Who's bought B-stock items and what did you find with them?

I have a 2020 B-stock LM402... took a good while to find any blemish... turned out to be a small discolored area on the inside of the shell. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase Ludwig B-stock again.

 

[Matched Gripper]

If it's a dealer you have a relationship with, you can usually get them to let you in on it, but (weirdly), a lot of places won't reveal that information.

Which is odd, because it seems like that'd be saving them a possible return.

That is odd! In another thread I wrote that there was a B-Stock CM snare drum for sale on Ludwig’s Reverb Shop that I was considering buying. After two requests to specify what the defect was I got a generic non-specific response from Ludwig. I passed.

 

[K.O.]

I ordered a B-stock Supra many years ago, figuring the flaw was probably something minor or barely noticeable. When I got it, the throwoff and butt plate were drilled in the wrong panels and it was just awkward to use, so I returned it.

That seems to be an exception to what people normally get when buying B-stock but if flaws like that do get sold under that heading it would be cause for concern when buying such a drum. Does sound like something I wouldn't accept either.

 

[notINtheband]

I picked up this B-Stock Black Beauty this past Fall and I have gone over it with all but a magnifying glass. I can’t find any flaw of any kind.
So my only experience with B stocks so far has been fantastic.
Think I paid $549 from Columbus Percussion for it.

 

[Buffalo_drummer]

I'd venture a guess that in some cases manufacturers label "A" stock as "B" stock as a way to move product at a lower cost without having to put them on sale.

 

[Squirrel Man]

Question for the experts.

The Supra B came in and I'm looking it over as thoroughly as I can, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. I decided to swap out the heads and wires because I have good ones and I notice after putting the rims on the snare rocks on a flat surface. Moreso on the snare side with a definite tilt toward the strainer. On a flat surface (marble counter top and others) you can see gaps between the rim on both the strainer and butt side. The batter rim has a slight less rock.

Seems like a problem to me but I wanted to ask, thanks for your responses.

 

[Steech]

I just did a reverb search for B stock and then filtered on drums. A bunch of Ludwig snares and a ton of Zildjians, all looking like pretty good deals. Interesting….

 

[Houndog]

Question for the experts.

The Supra B came in and I'm looking it over as thoroughly as I can, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. I decided to swap out the heads and wires because I have good ones and I notice after putting the rims on the snare rocks on a flat surface. Moreso on the snare side with a definite tilt toward the strainer. On a flat surface (marble counter top and others) you can see gaps between the rim on both the strainer and butt side. The batter rim has a slight less rock.

Seems like a problem to me but I wanted to ask, thanks for your responses.

The shell without rims rocks ??

 

[Squirrel Man]

The shell without rims rocks ??

Yes, both sides and always toward the throw-off.

On a marble and other surfaces.

 

[Squirrel Man]

It's not an out of control wobble though, kind of subtle but consistent no matter where I spin it.

 

[Houndog]

It's not an out of control wobble though, kind of subtle but consistent no matter where I spin it.

Hmmmm , I dunno .

 

[Squirrel Man]

So here's where I'm at. Haven't played it, not sure if it's going back yet or not.

Bottom wobble is a slight bearing edge, got that. Top wobble I'm writing off to very slight and within QC standards but the only other issue is the inside of the snare bearing edge - there's a rough spot about 6 inches, almost corroded looking, unfinished where the rest of both inside bearing edges are relatively smooth.