Ludwig Acrolite Restoration 

I heard he responds to spaghetti

I'm really glad you didn't drill any holes in that shell. The Ludwig acrolite is a very collectible drum. I work in a drum shop that specializes in vintage restoration and repair. You may have heard of us. Klash drums in Nordeast Minneapolis MN. Hit us up if you ever have any questions or need parts.

i think everything that involves drums is worth it

Best part of the day is when David post

Instead of a snare strap, I highly recommend grosgrain ribbon, it's so much more flexible and very slip resistant.

I love the Gibraltar drum keys. I finally bought several of them from Amazon, and those things are heavy duty!

I love your snare drum videos

this is my favorite video from this channel.

Worth it or not the Acrolite sounds so fucking good, that high resonance with that mad quick drop off is so nice to listen to.

The trick to the Ludwig snare switches is to unscrew the tightener all the way off. It will let the one piece separate from the bottom. Then you can reach the screw with a screw driver. Sorta sucks. But I found that out while restoring my own acro.

Rdavidr: soapy water Chrisfix: soapy wooder

sick double drum key action at the start there.

Great video bro! I just did the same restoration with my first snare drum, an awesome Acrolite. I had a similar issue with the throw-off...nice fix on the throw-off hole alignment. Mine was in very good condition, so I did not have to do to much to it either. However, I did replace the hoops with die-cast hoops. Due to it being an 8 lug snare this made a noticeable difference to me with it holding better tune and sounding and feeling more solid. Really enjoy your channel and videos! Happy drumming! Little Drummer Channel ;)

Great stuff, as always. Have you ever though of using a sonicleaner for small parts? Harbor Freight sells one for like $50, and it is great for small parts. I use it for gun parts, but it would work really well for screws, lugs, bolts etc... Just a thought.

hehe,I don't care if you say that this job was waste of time,I think it was great thing to take care of vintage snare:)) cool stuff,Loved it:)

How is this channel not huge this guys videos keep me alive

Any 2020 viewers

I love my ('79 to '81) Acrolite. Mine was in excellent condition when I bought it, polished to a gleam, so I didn't bother using my Turtle Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover on lugs/hoops. (NevR Dull works on Aluminum, as does Flitz No Scent Metal Polish ). I did put new Ludwig 18-strand Vintage Snare Wires (L1963) on it (which comes with grosgrain ribbon), along with a new INDe strainer & butt plate, & it sounds vintage in a *"brand new"* kinda way. It is now my favorite out of 7 snares.

rdavidr best known for "Hairiest Arms On The Interwebz" award.

Hey some help over here, by destiny I end up wtih a Ludwig supraphonic from the 65's, it has some of the traditional pitting of this snare. How would you restore it? Would you use brasso? Would you replace some original parts with new ones? And if someone have another tip to restore a very old and beatiful snare without damagin it I'll apreciate it.

Sandblast some old cymbals. I did today. Some sound fucking horrible but my old b8 hihat is awesome and jazzy now ^^

What do you think about using paraffin wax instead of grease on tension rods? I'm a firefighter and we use wax to lubricate our metal ladders, aluminum specifically. Works like a charm. Your thoughts? I feel like you could eliminate the sticky gooey, Dusty thing that happens to grease over time?

How much did that big ass drum key cost? Nah but for real you are actually pretty creative,saving things you know you will use. And of course amusing editing you are pretty darn talented. Been here since I don't even know but certain a long time . Road to 100k

5:27 that dart sound tho...dead😂😂😂

Hey dood. Great video as always, just sayin tho, imo I don't like the sound of the sm7b you've been using on the snare even though you have the two most classic snare mics on ur toms. Not a big deal tho

What happened to your ride cymbal? Or is that just a different one?

i was on craigslist the other day and i found a kit with an acrolite snare, the kit was from the 60's and it looked in really good condition i shouldve hopped on it

That's a lot of work, can't believe I watched the whole thing... Want to say it was 'worth it', but it sounded better in the other video haha! Just kidding, definitely worth it.

I use car wax on everything. And it stays cleaner longer. Keeps moisture off it. It don't rust or corrode so soon.

I got one of these from my high school for free. I looked again and there are four more I could snag. School just doesn’t know what they have!

Ludwig P-85 on Amazon $22.99 Prime free delivery. This drum is worth every penny of an OEM part!

I'm surprised at how good this drum sounds. Nice job on the "resto" Dave *thumbs up*

So yesterday i found a acrolite at my middle school in storage the snare i had as a main was a 13 in superstar and its head was husted we only had 14 inch heads so i used this snare and found how good it was and my teachers were shocked and it was like mint so i now have a great snare

I have a snare drum that I want to restore but it has a mark left on it from a sticker. Any suggestions on how to remove it??

You forgot an R in the word "restoration" in the thumbnail. Love your videos, anyways!

rope is hard to get even tension amonst all 4. but dont like plastic either. i like the stretchy material like what they make pedal straps outta. i swear they call that nylon and plastic nylon🤔

Yo what is the deal with bottom hi hats? How different do they make the pair sound? Can you put up a video talking about your opinions on this, and other hi hat stuff?

Somedays I wish I kept my Acrolite, it was always a great snare. But, I did manage to find a 1920's Ludwig and Ludwig Parade drum for 55 bucks and restoring it. Has all original parts except for heads of course.

I love your videos but you should have stuck with the string instead of the mylar strap. the string can Flex when is under tension the mylay straps don't . you get greater snare control with the strings because when you apply tension it starts light but gives you flex as the cord stretches.. it also evenly distributes the tension to the outside of the snare wires instead of just the center wires.mylar doesnt stratch so you get less snare adjustments. great video and trust me. get the orange ludwig snare cord. i use it on all of my snares

Looks like a Sabian Big and Ugly ride cymbal.

Good Job

My primary snare is a Ludwig acolyte in sparkle black. I think it's early 90's. anyway you mentioned you might sell the drum, but I'd pay a pretty decent price to trade with you because that's my preferred color, and I love that throwoff

hey dave! what do you think of josh dun? drummer to drummer

It always amazes me how insanely handy you are dude. Love your content, keep up the awesome work!

Hilarious honesty "This sounded fine before, and was not really worth the time." And the snare throwoff mount/bracket you made was seriously impressive. You're a real one.

What's funny is that when you started playing that groove, it made me think, "well he does this groove alllll the time" it's like your thing. (no offense if you hate it) but I really dig it.

I might just one day get my kit out and restore it, it has been like forever since I played them, I need a room to get my kit up. I miss playing so much you inspire me to do it Great Video and love all of your videos :)

I would have cleaned it the same way, David. Just needed that TLC, even if it's not noticeable. Sounds nice though! This one's a keeper! It has that classic sound great for recording. Funny how these old Luddies are as plain vanilla looking as anything, yet everyone owns one for the sound.

Hey Dave, I need some advice, I just bought a 1976 slingerland and I need to redo the wood. Can you help me out with some advice?

what size washers are you using, I have the same drum and doing the same restore.

That's actually the best sounding Acrolite I've ever heard, so whatever magic you did really made it sweet. You know how to hit that baby. Great vid.

On a drum like that, use synthetic car wax. They have metal cleaners in them. I use Mother's Syn car wax on drums, wood and metal... it's teriffic.

I found a Ludwig Acrolite in the garbage. The family was moving away and did not care I guess. Just an FYI: The Ludwig P-86 millenium strainer has the same bolt pattern/spacing as the P-85, and is a nice upgrade.

I just scored a black sparkle acrolite for $30. I have no idea how. Actually I paid $60 for 3 snare drums, the only one worth anything was the acrolite though.

Dude, your vids rock, I am hooked. And I'm a broadcast editor.

It's got a nice funk sound to it, like Clyde Stubblefield's snare would have sounded like.

If you care about aesthetics enough that you play better on nicer looking gear, then it was definitely worth it. I know I'm more motivated to play on instruments that look real nice.

Tienes algún vídeo de cómo quitar el óxido de los herrajes? O de cómo pintar de otro color los tambores y los aros?

Just a editing tip: Lower the volym of the music. It´s a bit to loud. When you talk that´s much lower in volym.

“Was it worth it? No” 😂 I mean you got over 100k views from it though

What a beautiful snare drum.. what color is that a sprightly light magenta? Oh no wait.. itts a nappy bluish grey.

Tip for cleaning lugs is Sink with warm soapy water and a brillo pad and scrub the lugs with the brillo pad

Psst hey Dave there is this awesome artist named Yellow's Animations if you want a new profile picture ask him!

It's not cheap, but Brownell's gunsmith supply sells a screwdriver kit for $300. It has over 70 hollow ground flat head screwdriver tips, so you SHOULD always find something really close to the screw you need to remove. Rather than skate a screwdriver across an expensive rare vintage guitar, drum, saxophone, or for that matter gun, use the right screwdrivers. This is 140 piece bit set, but if you do bugger one up, Brownells usually sends you a new one. I bought Wheeler sets for $70 but the metal is soft and cheap, and the grinding work is typical Chinese, we don't give a ______, it's flat enough, but not perfect. The Magnatip kit's machining is perfect.

shout out to the camera man amazing job lol jk

Gotta love the John Bonham drum sample from when the levee breaks on 10:02

My $64 Black Galaxy came with the same dent on the throw off

You do a heck of a job fixing up drums. I am curious.. do you ever buy new drums or cymbals?

It's always worth it. Your efforts were not in vain. Except your effort to buy a new strainer for a ludwig. Only ludwig strainers fit ludwig's (usually). Even with the fancy dunnet strainer's, you have to buy the special ludwig version. The really awesome 25 dollar ones, like the one you bought won't fit, and they won't fit over the bead in the middle of the shell. Now I did not build the adapter before I took mine back to buy a ludwig (because I made the exact same mistake, same strainer and all). Instead, I invested in the fancy vintage looking one (p-86)that costs a lot of money (though I got a deal from the sympathetic salesman at the local drum establishment.)

you put a generoc throw on it!!! ypu could have bought a 25 $ p85 on ebay! i hope u didnt drill it!!

Sounds great in the end. I have a couple and they are always reliable when I need them. Take care!

what happened to your ride cymbal?

Try to put Pearl SN-1420C wires it be will much better sound...

So organized. Efficient, careful!

Flatheads slip out Philips cams out and strips Why can't we just use Torx for everything I mean _everything,_ not just drums. Philips and flathead are awful.

Hello anyone who knows about old drums. I have played drums for a couple of years and think I know a lot about them, except old kits. I have this 1965 Ludwig in my basement that is really cool, and I have been thinking about it a lot lately and this video has inspired me clean it and restore it to its previous glory, but I don't know a lot about old drums, or fixing them up. I have a few questions. First I have been trying to identify the model or version it is. I don't know a lot about it but online I saw that most kits have bent or curved bass legs, but mine are straight. I also have hardware and pastie cymbals to go with the kit. Does anyone know what the model is and with everything how much it would be worth. I don't plan on selling it right now but maybe in a few years, and If I were I were to replace the rap would that increase or decrease the value. Lastly any tips on cleaning old kits or something to avoid. Some of these questions might be stupid to you but once again I do not know a lot about old drums, so even just the basics are helpful, thanks.

Its time to get right with Jesus. nobody is automatically gonna go to heaven at the end of it, we all have lied or stolen or had sex before marriage and the punishment is hell. Jesus died so you can get a clean slate and forgiveness of future sins if you repent of them if you commit them, so you receive the gift of forgiveness by following him. When you start you have to stop sinning, and follow his word and obey it. That’s following the Lord Jesus. Read the Bible!!

someone on my local Craigslist has a Ludwig acrolite snare for 150 and like I want it now but I don't really play drums or have a kit. lol basically I'm just excited about it because ive been watching your channel for weeks now tho

It is time to get right with Jesus. You aren’t going to automatically enter into heaven if you have lied or stolen or had premarital sex. Even one of those makes you worthy of hell fire. Don’t deceive yourself! The punishment of sin is hell fire. Jesus died so you can get a clean slate and forgiveness of a future sin when we confess it. When you start to follow him you have to strive to obey what he commands. No one will enter heaven without the blood of Jesus over you. No other way but through Jesus.

Man, I just got an acrolite for free from my high school. They were using it as a donation drum for concerts before we got a new percussion director, and he decided to throw it away. It's one from early 1972. I was wondering if you could contact me and help me source some parts for it for a decent price.

Still worth it to get a refresh and clean it up. This coming from a guitar player that changes strings only if one breaks... Sounds great to me, it's got a nice snap. But I'm not a drummer, how's it sound to you? Do you like it?

I bought the wrong strainer once too!!! I know your feeling

The P85 is one of the absolute worst throw offs ever created. Plagued with that whole "loosens snares while in the middle of a song" issue. Any replacement would be an upgrade!

Remove the badge and repaint it. I have a mint 60s era Keystone badge and the color of the shell is not that dull gray. It's silver instead of gray. Do sort of a "restomod".

With the screw driver problem. You can use some thin cloth or rag to put over the end of the tool. It will make a tighter fit and if you slip, it helps what your'e working on not get scratched..

Dude I have these tube lugs on my mapex black panther snare I bought it second hand and it’s great and all but the some of the lugs have an issue where I cannot tighten some rods with my fingers I did the same thing as you did in the vid but nothing changed do you know why ?

David. You should try Dream Bliss cymbals. You'd love em and they are CHEAP

Man it sounds good. GREAT vid.Cheers

Time and money well spent, IMO. I've bought and sold half a dozen Acrolite snares over the years, none cost me more than $30. Sold them all on eBay after a little work and new heads for between $125-$200. In retrospect, I should have kept one. It would have filled the void I currently have between my other snares. I really do love the sound of them and they require minimal dampening.

I don't remember which one but you have a video where you are actually showing something else and play this killer stack between hihat and rack tom

I have an old starclassic, same silver sparkle wrap you have I believe .. did you have to cover the bass shell and make it look like its a virgin bass drum .. just curious

Hi, there is a steel ludwig snare shell at my highschool that has deformed into an oval shape & heads/rims won't fit anymore. Is there anything I can do for it or is it a lost cause?

Where can I get replacement lugs? I picked up an Acrolite and found that some of the lugs don’t match! Please help!

Lance Camp, The Stevens, and David could start a drumming company with those skills!

Well, at the very least, you got a really cool video out of it! :D

you could take this drum to the UK and sell it for triple what you paid easily, every one I've seen over here is about £200

I actually prefer snare cords to straps. I feel like the cords stretch some which makes the snares easier to adjust . I like my snares to be a little on the loose side and it seems like the cords help me get that sound.

but the way ... THE STAVE DRUM BUILD ...WHEN.... COME ON DAVE???????

Do some bebop comping when trying out your next product

Hey I saw on one of your other vids you mentioned the benefits of using straps instead of rope on the snare wire. I have a slingerland snare with badly dented bearing edges. Is there any way back? Or is it over? Great vids. Tools & drums are my 2 favourite things!