mlucas123
Very well Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2013
- Messages
- 1,154
- Reaction score
- 242
Where is the scratch?
Phil,Not sure if this is a lacquer clear coat or bare metal plating its a 1mm bronze black beauty not brass
Phil
Yes but there also some hairline scratches on several of the panels but very hard to outline in a photoPhil,
From one of your images I can see some flaws...
The area in the blue highlight is where the dealer installed the muffler, and it looks to me as though the hardware caused the plating to be removed. I'm thinking most likely that it rotated during tensioning and abraded/eroded the plating due to the pattern uniformity. If a plastic washer was used this is far less likely to occur, but if a metal washer was used it almost a certainty I'd say.
The area in the green highlight looks like a lighter surface scratch that didn't penetrate to the plating level.
Lastly the red highlight is of a factory lug hole that also shows some sign of some plating abrasion/erosion.
Is the green or the blue highlighted area the one of concern to you?
View attachment 489731
I disagree with your assessment it didn't devalue it there are a lot of drummers out there who prefer the old school tone control + John Aldridge will soon be getting his hands on it for a classic engraving which will then only increase the value.The minute you drilled for a tone control, it was devalued.
I used to take the mufflers out of my drums, but I left the one in my 552KY... a couple of months ago, I used the drum again and for 'giggles' adjusted the muffler and was like, "Oh, that's what it for!" Covered the gamut from a small moon gel, piece of looped duct tape, to a wallet sitting on the batter head, all with the simple twist of a shiny chrome knob.I disagree with your assessment it didn't devalue it there are a lot of drummers out there who prefer the old school tone control + John Aldridge will soon be getting his hands on it for a classic engraving which will then only increase the value.
Well thanks so much I am very excited and In John's opinion he felt the 20's Floral Flower design would suit the bronze black beauty drum the best over the Scrolls pattern that I wanted. I was thinking about looking for some vintage brass colored hoops to match the shell and A P86 millennial throw off but IDK might just leave the 80s hoops chrome an the throw off p85I used to take the mufflers out of my drums, but I left the one in my 552KY... a couple of months ago, I used the drum again and for 'giggles' adjusted the muffler and was like, "Oh, that's what it for!" Covered the gamut from a small moon gel, piece of looped duct tape, to a wallet sitting on the batter head, all with the simple twist of a shiny chrome knob.
Ohhhh! You're going love the drum even more after John gets his hands on it, and it will probably take care of most of the flaws that you may see on those other panels.
I emailed John earlier today asking if the shells still get a clear coat. I figured he may have some 'insider' info, especially since he did the 100th Anniversary run of BB's.
Also, are you going for a traditional Ludwig pattern, your own design or going to let John be free to do own his thing?
Thats good to know because I am proceeding with stripping the clear coat on my black beauty.I did get a reply back from John Aldridge asking if whether Ludwig applied a clear coat after he engraved the 100th Anniversary snares, and this was his answer,
"Yes, Ludwig lacquered the shells after I engraved them."
Well this is what I bought to take the lacquer offLet us know how you do it.....
So a sad sad update to those who been following this post. I used lacquer stripper on my Ludwig Black beauty and well lets just say it's no longer a black beauty.. The remover stripped the black finish right off the drum an now it's just a nickel plated beauty.. DOH!
Apparently Ludwig only dips the drums in a nickel bath an then sprays the lacquer black finish on then clear coats
So now I have to have my drum sent off to DrumSupplyHouse to have the shell Electro plated in a black nickel finish that will be better than the factory spray on... Gonna cost bout $250-280 FML I regret what I did an should've just left the finish alone and scratched up
OH well it is what it is
Hmmm, the black coating should be electroplated chromium and therefore hard as any other chrome (it's just a chemical that makes it 'black'), as long as the chroming process was done properly.
Do you have a photo of the stripped shell? I would be interested in seeing it.
Man, I kinda like that more than the black nickel.View attachment 492823
View attachment 492824
Its definitely no longer a black beauty. Nickel/bronze is what I got nowSo ill have it replated the proper way and then it'll be a true black beauty again
I can't lie it is kinda growing on me too but I was gonna get it engraved by John Aldridge at some point an he can't do nickel engraving it won't work so idkMan, I kinda like that more than the black nickel.