1944 Ludwig & Ludwig Standard 'Butterscotch' Pearl Snare Drum : 6.5 x 15

1940s Ludwig & Ludwig Snare Drum

Size : 6.5 x 15

Finish : Butterscotch Pearl

There isn’t a surplus of information concerning these elusive Butterscotch drums. There are only a couple of compete kits and a hand full of snare drums known to exist as of this writing. This was never a catalogued finish offering, thus the finish was later named “Butterscotch” by drum enthusiasts. One of the unique features about this wrap is that wrap is about half as thick as the typical pearl wraps. In addition to this, the wrap is partially translucent at areas that are lighter in color, allowing for the colors of the wood to come through. This was a method used in the production of "Rainbow Pearl" wraps in the 1920s and 30s.

This particular drum started its life as a 12x15 tom. Considering the drum had two original wooden hoops, one of the previous owners decided to have the drum cut down on one end (the resonant side) to create a deep snare. The efforts were made to keep this drum as correct as possible, so the resonant side reinforcement ring was carefully removed and reinstalled after the drum was shortened. The interiors look nearly factory original. The thin pearl wrap had a few cracks across the shell, so these were carefully adhered back to the shell. Luckily, due to the translucent nature of the wrap and the diamond pattern, the wood coming through the wrap blends in well with the patterns and colors. You can see in the photos that there are areas where the wrap has folded slightly at the lugs. The drum is equipped with eight imperial lugs over a solid shell, the “New Design Strainer” (aka: Standard model three point), original hoops with White Marine Pearl inlay, and Pat. Pending WFL claws, this drum has sure got some serious mojo!