Help Identifying Ludwig Supraphonic Year

[brock786]

Hi all,

New to this forum but as the title suggests, I was hoping for help identifying a Ludwig Supraphonic I'm looking to purchase. Please see image attached. It looks to be a newer one but from what I could find out online, I don't believe the newer ones actually come with serial numbers? Or at least the stock images do not include serial numbers. Also if anyone knows what a fair price for this one might be + what I should look out for when inspecting it, that would be hugely helpful as well.

Greatly appreciative of any insights or tips!

 

[Tama CW]

Monroe, NC badges date from the mid-1980's and on. The value of the Supra's from that time period through today is basically on drum size and condition....not so much which decade.
Original heads, wires, tension rods all make it worth more.

If you go to Reverb.com and search for Ludwig Supraphonic (snare drums) you will see dozens of them to compare yours against.
Then you can go to the "sold" listings and see what comparable ones to yours have typically brought. Yours looks really clean.
The one photo you provided is not enough to provide accurate data on your drum.

What other drums do you own?

 

[K.O.]

The rubber gaskets under the lugs and the style of snare butt would suggest this drum is not super old. That badge originated in 1985 and continued until relatively recently but the above mentioned details date to later. I'm not sure when those things were changed but I'd guess this is a 21st century example.

Not that it matters much as far as sound.

 

[brock786]

Monroe, NC badges date from the mid-1980's and on. The value of the Supra's from that time period through today is basically on drum size and condition....not so much which decade.
Original heads, wires, tension rods all make it worth more.

If you go to Reverb.com and search for Ludwig Supraphonic (snare drums) you will see dozens of them to compare yours against.
Then you can go to the "sold" listings and see what comparable ones to yours have typically brought. Yours looks really clean.
The one photo you provided is not enough to provide accurate data on your drum.

What other drums do you own?

Appreciate the response. Here's the listing for the snare. Do you think $450 is a fair price for this one? Looks to be in great shape but I'm not 100% sure if it's all original parts (not that it matters so much to me but it's certainly a plus).

I'm currently playing a DW Design Frequent Flyer kit but am looking to move up to a Ludwig Classic Maple or Sonor Vintage Series.

 

[brock786]

The rubber gaskets under the lugs and the style of snare butt would suggest this drum is not super old. That badge originated in 1985 and continued until relatively recently but the above mentioned details date to later. I'm not sure when those things were changed but I'd guess this is a 21st century example.

Not that it matters much as far as sound.

Awesome, thank you for the insights.

 

[1988fxlr]

I’m not sure exactly when they started using the gaskets under the lugs, but it was after mine was produced in 2002

 

[lossforgain]

Do you think $450 is a fair price for this one?

It's a middle of the road price for a 6.5" Supraphonic. Not a bad deal if the drum is nice.

 

[hefty]

I’m not sure exactly when they started using the gaskets under the lugs, but it was after mine was produced in 2002

I bought my Black Beauty in 2013 and that was right after they had switched the badge style from the one on the drum in the OP's question to the new style that's still used now and looks more like the 60's keystone badge. So given that plus the gasket data point I think we've narrowed the year of this drum to being roughly from 2003 - 2012.

 

[brock786]

Appreciate the responses. Not sure if you guys caught my above message but do you guys think $450 is fair for this drum? Here's the listing for the snare.

 

[K.O.]

I wouldn't call it a bargain but that's probably fair. I'm not sure what the new ones go for but I'd check that. If a brand new B-stock wasn't much more I'd probably go that route. They would essentially be the same drum.

I'd think you could find an older one for around that same price...if that were a goal. Not sure that makes much difference if you're buying one made after 1984 when they moved out of Chicago. The older ones will have thinner hoops and won't have the gaskets under the lugs. Some might have internal mufflers which were deleted at some point in the 90s. Of course an older one could also have chrome flaking off the aluminum in sheets. It's a trade off.

So after all that it remains...inconclusive.

 

[brock786]

Appreciate it, thank you. New ones go for $650.

I'm not so picky about date, just looking to find out as much as I can about this particular one since it seems to be an average price. Hopefully will have time to go check it out in the next week or so if it doesn't sell before then.

 

[lossforgain]

Appreciate it, thank you. New ones go for $650.

Brand new B-stock drum (usually a small plating flaw) for $495 and free shipping:

Ludwig Supraphonic 6.5'' x 14'' Snare Drum B-Stock | Reverb

This is a B-Stock snare and may have minor cosmetic defects. There is no serial number present on B Stock snares. As always, we back these snares with our full return policy. B-Stock Ludwig Snares still have Ludwig's factory warranty, minus any cosmetic issues. Available while supplies last. Perf...

reverb.com

 

[mlayton]

I bought a B stamp full blue olive badge 6.5 Black Beauty on Ebay for 500. It had one simple extra hole behind the strainer. The deals are out there.

Mike

 

[K.O.]

Brand new B-stock drum (usually a small plating flaw) for $495 and free shipping:

Ludwig Supraphonic 6.5'' x 14'' Snare Drum B-Stock | Reverb

This is a B-Stock snare and may have minor cosmetic defects. There is no serial number present on B Stock snares. As always, we back these snares with our full return policy. B-Stock Ludwig Snares still have Ludwig's factory warranty, minus any cosmetic issues. Available while supplies last. Perf...

reverb.com

Nice find!
I'd rather have one of those anyway just to have the B/O badge....makes it more "Bonham".