These drums enjoyed their golden age in the 1960s, when the brand won the backing of Ringo Starr, drummer for The Beatles. That started a long list of famous artists who endorsed the brand, such as John Bonham, as we'll see below with Spanish drummer Dani Martínez and his own Ludwig Pro Beat.
Dani Martínez was a precocious musician. He got started in music at the age of four, studying classical piano at the Conservatory… However, during his teens he discovered his passion for the drums and got hold of a Mapex that he still owns. Dani went on to study with some of the most prominent music teachers in Spain, eventually playing with artists such as Craig David and Alex Ubago. He has also toured the Iberian Peninsula for several years with different bands and currently works with musicians from the Madrid jazz scene and with rock bands such as “Piel y Hueso”, a project by Augusto Hernández (ex-Hamlet), and "Servant", another project by Dani Criado (ex-Skizoo, XXL). Now that we know the background of the man telling us about this beast, it's time to set off on a journey through the secrets of the Ludwig Pro Beat kit…
“This kit may have belonged to one of John Bonham's personal backliners and could have been used on one of Zeppelin's tours”
What kind of drum kit do you have?
It's a Ludwig Pro Beat in an Oyster Black Pearl finish, with blue/olive badges. A 5-piece set made between '75 and '78 (the exact year isn't known due to an inventory gap in the brand's own records) with "granitone" interior paint and a finish manufactured by Ludwig and Gretsch at the time. However, this paint is now banned because of the polluting process used to make it, which makes it something exclusive today and gives the kit much of its characteristic sound. The wood is American maple, and all the 6-ply shells have internal reinforcement rings. The sizes are a 14x24" bass drum, 9x13" and 10x14" rack toms, and 16x16 and 16x18 floor toms.
How did this Ludwig kit come into your hands?
Well, the story is a little bittersweet. I suppose that in economic situations like the one we're in, many people are forced to part with some of their possessions, no matter how treasured. That was the case with this kit's previous owner... I heard about the opportunity, and although I had to do a fair bit of “juggling” to get it, I fell in love at first sight and couldn't let it get away...
What's the story of this kit? What's the legend surrounding it?
Bear in mind that this instrument is more than 30 years old. That means it has passed through many hands and so, you could say, it has lived several lives… the ones each of its owners has given it. On the other hand, you also have to be aware of the history and legend that the American company Ludwig has forged in the history of music and of drums in particular: they've been making this instrument since the early 20th century. It's incredibly difficult to know the full history of this kit exactly; the only way to research it is through its previous owners or, with a lot of luck, by finding some lost photo or document where you can identify the serial numbers or something distinctive. So all you can do is piece together the stories you manage to collect.
It seems this kit may have a lot of history behind it and could have belonged to quite a few well-known bands and drummers, both in Spain and internationally. This particular model is one of the flagships of the '70s. The Oyster Black Pearl finish (a Ludwig classic) was popularized by the Beatles and Ringo Starr in the '60s and has survived to this day, with many manufacturers still endlessly imitating and "reinventing" it. What is certain is that this instrument holds within it all the legend, soul, presence and sound that a '70s Ludwig can have…
Which international and Spanish bands might it have belonged to?
Legend has it that this kit may have belonged to one of John Bonham's personal backliners, Jeff Ocheltree, and could even have been used as a spare on one of Zeppelin's tours, since it doesn't have the exact finish or sizes Bonham used. It was later sold in London in the late '60s and brought to Spain, where it belonged to bands such as Mermelada and Asfalto.
What stands out most about this kit? What are its quirks?
Above all I'd highlight its sound, and also its presence, its feel and even its smell. For me it's an instrument where everything fits together: the sizes with the type of wood, the cut of the shell edges, and the interior paint with the reinforcement rings and the heads chosen. It seems obvious, but all of this is what makes a Ludwig a Ludwig. I think the soul of an instrument is very important… For me it's something spiritual and emotional. It's a kit that leaves no one indifferent…
It also has some interesting details, such as the adjustable mufflers inside the shells. Also worth mentioning are the prehistoric and totally impractical tom mount… or the funny but very effective bass drum spur system, where the legs fold into the shell when not in use instead of staying attached to the outside.
Which Spanish and international drummers would you single out?
Internationally, I'd single out legendary drummers: from Gene Krupa through Philly Joe Jones, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, to John Bonham (whom I'll never stop learning from and to whom we owe everything). Also more current players such as Jeff Hamilton, Peter Erskine, Bill Stewart, Jeff Tain Watts, Brian Blade, or the super-famous Dennis Chambers, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd or Antonio Sánchez.
Meanwhile, here in Spain we have countless good players such as Juanma Barroso, Carlos Carli, Yayo Morales, Daniel García, Marc Miralta, Ángel Crespo, Angie Bao, Salvador Niebla and many others.
Above all, I'll say that I love musical drummers, that is, the ones who never forget that they're playing a musical instrument to create Music. I think it's essential to work on things like groove, sound, dynamics, ideas and vocabulary, besides the technique and independence our instrument demands.
What are the kit's construction materials, shells made of… ?
All the shells are 6-ply American maple, with 7 plies on the bass drum. Granitone interior paint and an Oyster Black finish on the outside.
What snare do you use? What's the original one made of?
I got the set without its own snare. It was originally sold with a Ludwig Supra Phonic 400, but I usually use a handmade 13x6.5 Custom in Canadian cherry with "segment" construction.
What heads do you have on it?
I normally use Evans G1 coated on top and Evans Hazy 300 or something similar on the bottom, but right now I have Remo Coated Ambassadors on top and Remo Weather King or Diplomat on the bottom.
As for cymbals, what do you pair it with?
I use a 22" hybrid ride, another 21" sizzle ride and several crashes ranging from 18" down to 14", 14" and 13" hi-hats and 10" and 8" splashes, all of them Istanbul or Zildjian.
What are the sizes of each piece in the set?
The sizes are a 14x24" bass drum, 9x13" and 10x14" rack toms, and 16x16 and 16x18 floor toms.
What would you highlight about its sound? (depth, clarity, feel, definition, other…)
I'd highlight its personality. If you tune both the batter and resonant heads low, you'll be surprised by its grandeur and sustain. If you tune it tighter you can get a great ping and overtones. If you play around with different tensions and the mufflers, you can get something much more muted and less resonant, but all without losing warmth.
Which piece of the set appeals to you most, and why?
The toms especially appeal to me: they sound completely full and round. Whether you're playing in a big band or a rock group, you can always make the most of them. They have the whole range of sounds you can hear on countless records: from Buddy Rich, through the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley, to almost every funk and disco band of the '70s.
As for hardware, have you “tweaked” anything: bass drum pedal, hi-hat pedal... anything else?
I've made several fixes to the hardware that don't affect the shells. We've all had somewhat "Frankenstein" hardware and so on, but the shells themselves are completely original, which requires a bit of extra maintenance due to the passage of time.
Here ends a journey through the history of music in general, and of the Ludwig drum kit in particular… We've traveled a long way through time with Dani Martínez, a dedicated drummer whose passion for music and for his instrument can be felt in every line of this interview. Because music knows no physical borders nor the passing of time… because instruments end up becoming witnesses to what once happened, and because legend shapes not only the personality of musicians but that of their instruments as well… From ISP Música, we leave in your hands a small piece of time
