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Ludwig Black Beauty - 6.5 x 14-inch Snare Drum- Polished

14" Snare Drum with Seamless Beaded Brass Shell, Supraphonic Snares, and Triple-flanged Hoops - Black Nickel
4 Write review Item ID: LB417T
$949.00

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Ludwig Black Beauty - 6.5 x 14-inch Snare Drum- Polished
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The Legendary Black Beauty Snare

Ever wonder why Ludwig is considered The Most Famous Name In Drums? It's primarily because of the legendary Black Beauty snare drum. The legend starts with a single sheet of brass. It's machine drawn and spun into a seamless beaded shell, then nickel plated to an exquisite finish. An American classic, the Black Beauty delivers a warm, fat, metallic tone that cuts through a thick mix like nothing else. Fitted with Ludwig's P85 Supraphonic strainer, the Black Beauty is super responsive, no matter how hard or soft you hit it. Due to a complicated manufacturing process, they're not easy to make, so the Black Beauty is only available in limited quantities each year from Ludwig USA. Sweetwater's advice: grab this classic snare drum while you can!

Related Videos: Black Beauty - 6.5 x 14-inch Snare Drum- Polished

The Ludwig legacy

Since 1909, Ludwig drums have had one of the proudest legacies in percussion and are a favorite of Sweetwater drummers for their warm, punchy sound. The world has heard them under the sticks of Cream's Ginger Baker, keeping the pulse behind Queen at Live Aid, and laying down the monstrous beat of Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks." But their biggest break came when Ringo Starr proudly played them on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, making Ludwig a household name for aspiring and superstar drummers alike.

Ludwig Black Beauty Snare Drum Features:
  • 6.5" x 14"
  • Supraphonic snares
  • Black chrome finish over brass shell
  • Smooth shell with tube lugs
  • Triple-flanged hoops
Rock a legend: the Ludwig Black Beauty snare drum!

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Snare
  • Drum Depth: 6.5"
  • Drum Diameter: 14"
  • Shell Material: Brass with Nickel-plating
  • Shell Construction: 1.2mm
  • Hoops: Triple-flanged
  • Color: Black Nickel
  • Finish: Gloss
  • Heads: Weather Master Coated Batter
  • Manufacturer Part Number: LB417T

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Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5

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This classic is simply the best!

This snare has been a dream I've wanted for about 30 years. Finally pulled the trigger on it. It everything that I knew it would be. Crisp, full... just the right amount of resonance. Beautiful appearance. Well worth it.
by CARL from Illinois on
Music background: Drums, vocals, guitar in working bands for 36 years.

Original

I've been playing this snare, an early 60's model, since the day I played with William F. Ludwig II at Chuck Levine's in the late 70's. Do yourself a favor, buy it.
by Chris Underwood from Cincinnati on
Music background: hobby

Legendary for a reason

I don't think I can say enough good things about this snare. Firstly it came double boxed from Sweetwater. Thank you for that. Secondly it looks beautiful with the mirror finish and tube lugs. The throw off and butt are a little updated too. Thirdly and most importantly, the Black Beauty sounds amazing. The snare has wonderful sound, amazing volume and aggressive attack. I do a lot of rimshots in my style of music but I didn't have to rimshot to get a loud sound out of this snare. It's just great. It's not all volume though. I tune snares high. My ear naturally goes there. There is just enough ring to be pleasing but a great overall sound too. I have found my new main practice and recording snare, no doubt.

Thank you Patrick for keeping me up to date on all aspects of my order. I really appreciate it.
by Mohamed Shahenkari from Butler, NJ on
Music background: Death Metal, Metal, Hard Rock

The iconic Ludwig Black Beauty snare

When choosing my first high end snare, I read several articles on top snares every studio must have. The Black Beauty was mentioned in all the posts I read. The Black Beauty tuned up easily, and is holding that tuning. The details make this drum, all tuning lugs are mounted with isolation grommets on both sides of the shell. The black nickel finish on brass is visually pleasing. The snare throw off is classy and sturdy, with medium Weatherking heads. Now on to the sound... You purest out there will despise this, but the ringing overtones were a bit over the top for my taste, so I dampened with a thicker plastic strip from a shopping bag with cotton t shirt wrapped around it. Stretched it about 3" from the counter hoop. That did the trick. The rim shots and clicks are phenomenal! Center strikes produce that fat and deep crack that is essential in rock drumming. We've all heard this drum in countless recordings over several decades, and now I know why... Its one beautiful snare drum on all levels.
by Andrew on
See also: Snares, Ludwig, Ludwig Snare Drums
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