Ludwig Classic Maple
Ludwig drums have been at the heart of modern music for a century and counting — a legacy that’s outlived its jazz and bebop roots and shot well into rock, funk, disco, country, and metal. It’s this very hitmaking heritage you’ll find in every offering from today’s Ludwig Classic Maple series. Each handcrafted Classic Maple drum set and snare is built by artisan craftsmen in Ludwig’s North Carolina plant using select plies of cross-laminated North American maple. Ludwig’s proprietary RFST shell bonding eliminates gaps between plies to create a shell that resonates and projects like a single piece of wood. On top of that, each shell’s precision 45-degree bearing edges are hand-sanded for ideal head seating. It’s the perfect recipe for great tone, no matter what your tuning preference. And thanks to Ludwig’s tone-enhancing ATLAS and TRIAD shell hardware, old-school lugs and badges, and wrapped and lacquered finishes to suit every player, the Ludwig Classic Maple Series engenders the same razzle-dazzle that has attracted greats like Bonham and Baker, Ringo and Mick, Keith and Quest for the past hundred-plus years.
6-ply maple shells
At the core of every Ludwig Classic Maple kit are thin 6mm shells of select North American maple. In a special process Ludwig calls Radio Frequency Shell Technology (RFST), plies are cross laminated using a proprietary glue that joins plies evenly for maximum strength, resonance, and output. Precise 45-degree bearing edges are hand-sanded to supply a perfect foundation for heads and hoops.
Deluxe shell hardware
Classic Maple shells get an added boost from Ludwig’s best tone-enhancing hardware, including its ATLAS tom mounts — incorporated in the lugs for simple mounting and vibration-free performance — and floor-decoupling TRIAD leg brackets. But one look at those Classic lugs and cast-brass Keystone badges and there’s no denying the old-school soul contained in each of the Ludwig Classic Maple drums.
Dozens of finishes and configurations
Whether it’s a Black Oyster Downbeat kit like Ringo donned on the ’64 Ed Sullivan Show or a Green Sparkle Pro Beat like Bonham played on Houses of the Holy, you’ll find just about every iconic Ludwig finish and configuration under the sun in the Ludwig Classic Maple Series.
Ludwig Classic Maple: Proudly made in the USA
The same traditions that have gone into Ludwig shells since the early 20th century continue to shape the Classic Maple series. Every Ludwig Classic Maple snare and kit begins life as a blank of hand-selected North American maple. Shells are formed by skilled hands at Ludwig's facility in North Carolina, USA, and tested to meet real-world gigging conditions.