Ludwig Maple Snares?

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Croatian Man said:
As a general Newbie and Hobbyist Drummer at home, I often wonder is there a major difference in sound from comparably priced (say $300-500) Maple Snares form the different Makers?
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Yes, there is a difference in both sound and feel. The species of maple used, the number of plies and thickness of the shell, the number of lugs on the shell and weight of the hardware used, the profile of the bearing edge, and the level of quality control all combine to determine the final result. Most of us drummers have a preference for "our sound" and find the snare drum(s) that achieve the desired effect.

@Josh Vibert One more thing I should have said...
I own a Ludwig Neusonic cherry/maple snare 6.5x14 and it's a fantastic sounding drum. Maybe there's one of those out there for less than the more popular Classic Maple series.
 
lossforgain said:
Yes, there is a difference in both sound and feel. The species of maple used, the number of plies and thickness of the shell, the number of lugs on the shell and weight of the hardware used, the profile of the bearing edge, and the level of quality control all combine to determine the final result. Most of us drummers have a preference for "our sound" and find the snare drum(s) that achieve the desired effect.

@Josh Vibert One more thing I should have said...
I own a Ludwig Neusonic cherry/maple snare 6.5x14 and it's a fantastic sounding drum. Maybe there's one of those out there for less than the more popular Classic Maple series.
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Fantastic answer , thx for the succinct dissertation. You may have wet my appetite for LUDWIG! FWIW, I resurrected playing drums in 2019, after 50 Years (1969). Now approaching 73 in October, I play for pleasure as a hobby so to speak at home, 1 hour a day. My health issues centered around spinal arthritis and the related problems of chronic pains, stiff limited movements, and chronic fatigue ( many days is the worst part of Spondylosis) limit my playing, but it still hasn't Stopped Me. Love It! Love learning about the entire spectrum of Drums and the sounds they produce.
 
The Ludwig Standard in 14x8 maple is a great value. 300 to 400$. US made and it sounds great. Not my only Ludwig snare, but a really great value for a great sounding drum. Ludwig makes really great sounding instruments imo.
 
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Croatian Man said:
Fantastic answer , thx for the succinct dissertation. You may have wet my appetite for LUDWIG! FWIW, I resurrected playing drums in 2019, after 50 Years (1969). Now approaching 73 in October, I play for pleasure as a hobby so to speak at home, 1 hour a day. My health issues centered around spinal arthritis and the related problems of chronic pains, stiff limited movements, and chronic fatigue ( many days is the worst part of Spondylosis) limit my playing, but it still hasn't Stopped Me. Love It! Love learning about the entire spectrum of Drums and the sounds they produce.
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Cro Man,I do the same,play at home but did 40+ yrs gigging til my back went bad, sciatica, spondylosis,verts shifting left to right, crushing and pinching my spinal cord, until I needed 3 Carbonite discs,a titanium tower over L4,L5,S1,8 screws. 2 of them are floaters.
The thing I battle now is neuropathy.
I played about 4yrs after that,but had to stop gigging. I'm satisfied playing daily for fun,I move slower walking but not when im on a kit!
Hang in,bro! You keep spankin em!
BTW,Jeremy is right and a Ludwig wood snare can and will do it all!
 
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I own a Ludwig Classic Maple in green sparkle in 6.5 x 14 with a P-86 throw off. It is an amazing snare drum that gives a lot of versatility. We have done many recordings with it. I have also used it for gigs when we would be playing at restaurants and I needed a snare with less volume.
 
Spoonman said:
Back in 1994 I bought a used 14x6.5 Ludwig maple snare. Keystone NC badge, muffler, natural finish, 8ply maybe? I loved playing that drum in the studio and live. Big tuning range. It has been my go to for years since.
Get one…
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Just catching up w/ thread.
I'm a guitar player that loves learning about classic drums ( and drumming in general)

- can you, or anyone that reads, post photos of you Classic Maple snares ?
Thanks!
( maple is a fave wood in guitar construction, and it is interesting for me to see how, maple, mahogany, rosewood, Spruce, are used in drums)
 
shuffle said:
Cro Man,I do the same,play at home but did 40+ yrs gigging til my back went bad, sciatica, spondylosis,verts shifting left to right, crushing and pinching my spinal cord, until I needed 3 Carbonite discs,a titanium tower over L4,L5,S1,8 screws. 2 of them are floaters.
The thing I battle now is neuropathy.
I played about 4yrs after that,but had to stop gigging. I'm satisfied playing daily for fun,I move slower walking but not when im on a kit!
Hang in,bro! You keep spankin em!
BTW,Jeremy is right and a Ludwig wood snare can and will do it all!
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Warning: long and a bit off topic!!
Responding to both Croatian Man and you, I feel you! I turn 60 in 2 weeks. Been playing for two years. In 2020 I had an accident that severed my wrist along with all the tendons ligaments, arteries and the main nerve. Almost bled to death. So I'm lucky. But I have had three surgeries and still have zero feeling in my thumb and first two fingers. Major weakness, and due to relocation of one of my tendons on my ring finger to my thumb, a real serious issue with finger manipulation and fine motor skills. Limited to say the least. Add in severe neuropathy in my feet (almost can't feel them) and hands. So my remaining 7 fingers also have limited feeling. I also suffer from spinal arthritis, in addition to hips and knees both in need of replacement. Muscle waste has reduced my strength and stamina. Lastly? I suffer from severe aFib.
I was totally disabled in 2020. I started playing drums, thinking I could hold the stick enough to hit the snare on 2 & 4. Which I can. So I started playing to occupy my time. What a rabbit hole. I absolutely love it. I try and play daily. I have so many limitations and frustration from hitting walls. But I keep playing. If 10 years from now all I can play is a money beat below 110 BPM, I will find songs to play and keep going. I love this hobby. I play alone and am just fine with that, although I wish I knew what it's like to play with others (well I did once, 2 songs on open mic). Keep it going guys! It's inspiring.

Sorry for being so off topic.
 
Croatian Man said:
Fantastic answer , thx for the succinct dissertation. You may have wet my appetite for LUDWIG! FWIW, I resurrected playing drums in 2019, after 50 Years (1969). Now approaching 73 in October, I play for pleasure as a hobby so to speak at home, 1 hour a day. My health issues centered around spinal arthritis and the related problems of chronic pains, stiff limited movements, and chronic fatigue ( many days is the worst part of Spondylosis) limit my playing, but it still hasn't Stopped Me. Love It! Love learning about the entire spectrum of Drums and the sounds they produce.
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Keep doing it as long as you can. I’m right there with you. I’m about to turn 69. I need a right total shoulder replacement. I’m still able to play, but it’s sometimes painful and I had to change things around a little bit to make things closer. Mostly the ride is rough. I haven’t decided yet to have the shoulder replacement, but I do need it. I’ve been plotting on for months dealing with it. We will both hang in there and be victorious!
 
Ensnared said:
Just catching up w/ thread.
I'm a guitar player that loves learning about classic drums ( and drumming in general)

- can you, or anyone that reads, post photos of you Classic Maple snares ?
Thanks!
( maple is a fave wood in guitar construction, and it is interesting for me to see how, maple, mahogany, rosewood, Spruce, are used in drums)
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Here's a 6.5"x14" with B.E.M outter veneer, and a 8"x14" Coliseum.

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Ensnared said:
- can you, or anyone that reads, post photos of you Classic Maple snares ?
Thanks!
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Sure. These are the Classic Maples that are currently in my arsenal.

1) Classic Maple Exotic 14x5 - Bubinga Gloss inner and outer

20210818_164030 1.jpg


2) Classic Maple 14x6.5 - Blue Sparkle

Image1.jpg


3) Classic Maple Aged Exotic 14x7 - Avidore

IMG_5623_20210428_160940 2.jpg


And this one is a 14x6.5 Twisted Salesman Classic Maple that I sold a few years back (probably should have kept it).

CIMG2305 1.JPG
 
Also a bit off topic but I just bought this late 1960s - early 1970s marching snare I found on Reverb. The strainer is a replacement. It's 3 ply maple/poplar/maple with reinforcement rings. I'm thinking of installing floor tom legs on it or a bracket so it can hang from a tom stand. I believe it's too deep for a traditional snare stand. Any suggestions? I think it will be perfect for one of my steady gigs where a really deep, warm snare is perfect for the music. This one matches the construction, color and relative date of my Ludwig drum kit. It's kind of crazy but I'm excited to try it!
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Stephen.DeBoard said:
Also a bit off topic but I just bought this late 1960s - early 1970s marching snare I found on Reverb. The strainer is a replacement. It's 3 ply maple/poplar/maple with reinforcement rings. I'm thinking of installing floor tom legs on it or a bracket so it can hang from a tom stand. I believe it's too deep for a traditional snare stand. Any suggestions? I think it will be perfect for one of my steady gigs where a really deep, warm snare is perfect for the music. This one matches the construction, color and relative date of my Ludwig drum kit. It's kind of crazy but I'm excited to try it!
View attachment 686711 View attachment 686712
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Would you still keep it functioning as a snare, when you want it ?
(leave strainer on)
 
Josh Vibert said:
A couple years back I went down to just one snare: my LB417 (6.5x14 Black Beauty). It’s a beautiful and versatile drum and can do pretty much everything I need. Coming of age in the 90’s I do have a soft spot for the cranked maple snare sound. I’ve had a couple of DW 10&6 maple snares over the years and they very much do what I want. They’re just so dang expensive! I could justify something in the $300-$350 range, but that’s about it. I don’t play out but about once or twice a year right now. There are some Ludwig Maple snares available in this price range on Reverb. Will they do what I want? Brady is obviously out due to price/availability. Anything else I should consider?
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Recently I picked a chrome wrapped Ludwig Rocker 4-ply. I'd owned one at one point (& cranked it in the 90's) & figured I couldn't go wrong. I'm just as enamoured with it than I was back then. This one is going to get wrapped in blue sparkle and adorned with flat imperial lugs & an INDE strainer

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IMG_5660 copy.jpg
 
Jus
DustyDave said:
Keep doing it as long as you can. I’m right there with you. I’m about to turn 69. I need a right total shoulder replacement. I’m still able to play, but it’s sometimes painful and I had to change things around a little bit to make things closer. Mostly the ride is rough. I haven’t decided yet to have the shoulder replacement, but I do need it. I’ve been plotting on for months dealing with it. We will both hang in there and be victorious!
Click to expand...
t keep drumming. Just keep drumming.
 
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