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Were you around for the Ludwig Blue/Olive logo change?
- Thread starter "poppies"
- Start date
Bri6366
DFO Veteran
I started drumming during the B/O badge era and my first kit was a set of '71 Ludwigs purchased in 1980. I thought it was weird when Ludwig switched back to the Keystone badge in '84. Now I like both. I like the fact you can get a new Ludwig kit with curved spurs and B/O badges. I don't think I would go that direction, but it's a cool option. Ludwig is making some coin by offering that option.
I liked the look of the B/O badge as a young teen, it looked modern. Over the years I've owned Ludwig snare drums of all eras, old Keystone, B/O, large Keystone and the latest version of the Keystone. It never bothered me. As for drum kits, I'm the only fifty-nine year old drummer I know that has owned a bunch of kits without ever owning a set of Ludwigs.
David Hunter
DFO Master
Still love the B/O.
If I were to get a Ludwig kit it would need all of this .
Blue-Olive Badge
CurvedSpurs
Block Logo
Silver Sparkle
Blue-Olive Badge
CurvedSpurs
Block Logo
Silver Sparkle
cochlea
DFO Veteran
I recently noticed that the B/O badge has gotten shorter in the vertical plane on the new 10-lug 5x14 Acrolites. They look like the cut badges used on Ludwig's B-stock drums. I'm not sure why they went to this since it doesn't seem like the vent hole has been lowered compared to the 8-lug Acros.
Those shades of blue and olive seem very "current" from what I know of the late 60s and early 70s, based on photos and TV/movies showing home decor, clothing, and car colors. Wouldn't you agree?
Possibly, it was kind of an ugly era.
In that case it's not "olive" it's "avocado"...
David Hunter
DFO Master
I don't know the decisions behind the various color schemes, but as was mentioned earlier in this thread, it likely had to do with diversifying the identities of the various divisions when they became Ludwig Industries. I got this from a 1972 Ludwig Drums catalog scan. I just grouped the 2 pages together. They had quite the
'70s rainbow going on.
'70s rainbow going on.
KevinD
Very well Known Member
Well just to add a bit of "color" to the conversation.. Long before I was aware of what a "Ludwig" was when I was in 1st-4th grade or so (early -mid 70s) each year we had a set of reading textbooks and workbooks and related posters for the walls etc.. and all the theme of all those books had the "groovy" colors and font styles & layouts just like the Ludwig brochure above. I thought of that as soon as I saw David Hunter's post.
So I guess the B&O badge and associated ephemera were just part of the times in the graphic design world and culture
Later, in school we had a 60s Keystone Badge Ludwig Club Date (complete with Ludwig "db" heads) and then we had B&O badged snares. I remember thinking, "OK, well these snare drums are newer, this badge must be the newer Ludwig logo."... I don't think I gave it much thought either way after that...
So I guess the B&O badge and associated ephemera were just part of the times in the graphic design world and culture
Later, in school we had a 60s Keystone Badge Ludwig Club Date (complete with Ludwig "db" heads) and then we had B&O badged snares. I remember thinking, "OK, well these snare drums are newer, this badge must be the newer Ludwig logo."... I don't think I gave it much thought either way after that...
You mentioned the Ludwig "db" heads. That made me chuckle. I worked with a bass player back in the 80s that was always talking about how his former drummer used those "1000 DB" heads like they were super loud (decibels). Pretty sure DB stood for "drum batter" but where's the fun in that?
wflkurt
Deafus Maximus
I am of the same feeling. I started playing in 1982 when I was 11 and all my heros, including my teacher played B/O Ludwig drums. I loved the way it looked and I so lusted after a set. In a twist of fate, my first set (which I still own) is a Gretsch SSB set from 1975 that I got used in 1983. It came with a supra but the drum is from 1966 so it has the keystone badge. At 12 years of age, I had never heard of a keystone badge but loved the drum nonetheless as it was at least a Ludwig. Obviously as I got older, I learned about the history of Ludwig drums and these day, I love both badges equally. If I had to choose I would probably pick keystone as it is more classy but I do love a B/O badge set.
Heartbeat
Advanced Heart Guru
I'm a 70s girl. The B/O badge is my favorite. And all of my Ludwig kits have curved spurs and T-rods, by choice.
dsop
DFO Veteran
I much prefer the blue olive badge as well as the accompanying logo.
JimmyM
DFO Veteran
I was and I couldn’t have cared less.
I've come full circle on the B/O badge. I had a reissue Mod Orange kit... Elite spurs, B/O badges. After not liking those badges for so many years, the nostalgia finally got me, and now I like them.
But my favorite Ludwig badge will always be the stamped Keystone, followed closely by the white oval badge.
But my favorite Ludwig badge will always be the stamped Keystone, followed closely by the white oval badge.
I bought my Keystone Ludwigs in 1966 age 13. When the logo and badge changed I was 16 or so, and it seemed everything was being "updated." See: "New Coke" I sort of liked the new logo, and was not buying at that point so was OK slapping it on my bass drum with the keystone badge intact.
But I see the entire 70s as "leisure-suit" decade - there was 'leisure suit' food, music, movies, TV shows, all cheesy....even Buddy in his groovy Nehru suit with love beads. Cringe-worthy. It was the era of purple, orange and and green cars. Voluntarily.
Don't like the current Ludwig script + "USA" though.
Agree the worse change was Rogers going to the Big R badge.
And...spent summer 1969 painting our kitchen avocado green and the appliances mustard yellow. What were we thinking?
That all said, on the re-issue blue Vistalite snare I got this year, the B/O badge looks right.
But I see the entire 70s as "leisure-suit" decade - there was 'leisure suit' food, music, movies, TV shows, all cheesy....even Buddy in his groovy Nehru suit with love beads. Cringe-worthy. It was the era of purple, orange and and green cars. Voluntarily.
Don't like the current Ludwig script + "USA" though.
Agree the worse change was Rogers going to the Big R badge.
And...spent summer 1969 painting our kitchen avocado green and the appliances mustard yellow. What were we thinking?
That all said, on the re-issue blue Vistalite snare I got this year, the B/O badge looks right.
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I was 18 in 1970, 6 years into drum ownership and I hated Ludwig's logo change and the blue/olive badge. I thought it looked like the company was turning its back on its rich heritage and that it made the company look like it was trying way too hard to be hip and groovy — myself and most of the drummers I knew saw through that. I mean, all you had to do was open up Ludwig's 1971 catalog and take a look at the people running the company to see that they were anything but "hip and groovy" — they were just a bunch of middle-aged businessmen; nothing that an 18-year old musician could relate to.
When I ordered my Legacy Maple drums in 2013 I made sure to specify that they all wore the small Keystone badge; not that thick brass keystone thing and definitely not the blue/olive badge. I also specified the Elite (Pearl-style) spurs (my previous two Ludwig kits had their curved spurs and I knew the Elites worked WAY better at holding the drum in position). And when I changed drumheads I bought Ludwig script-logo decals for them. After all, hip (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder.
When I ordered my Legacy Maple drums in 2013 I made sure to specify that they all wore the small Keystone badge; not that thick brass keystone thing and definitely not the blue/olive badge. I also specified the Elite (Pearl-style) spurs (my previous two Ludwig kits had their curved spurs and I knew the Elites worked WAY better at holding the drum in position). And when I changed drumheads I bought Ludwig script-logo decals for them. After all, hip (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder.
Gives real meaning to "Hollywood Squares"
I remember seeing those photos back then and thinking, these guys could just as easily have been selling refrigerators. And the only women you ever saw in any of the old company catalogs were the bookkeeper or those on the factory floor.
Credit to B3 for his efforts to make the face of Ludwig the players in those Ludwig-roster posters he created.
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