Ludwig 400 Supra-Phonic Snare drum (1964)

The go-to drum of every recording artist and engineer for the last 60 years. There are many of these floating about in the fertile waters of eBay, but I wanted to find one of an early age, and not spend loads of money on it. I was hoping for anything mid sixties but not older than the Acrolite I did up. I was thrilled to find this early 1964 shell and paid £43 for it.

Someone was responsible for etching their name into the drum after a horrible chrome job, right over the all important keystone badge. Nevertheless, I fell in love with the shell and decided to source all era-correct parts for the drum, dated Jan 29 1964 in red ink and with a serial number of #10692. This drum would be regarded as a good/rare find because it was one of the first for Ludwig to introduce their new Ludalloy shell after using brass between 1959 and 1962. The low serial number also makes it quite collectible.

My first port of call was to re-plate it in a cost effective way but also to do it in a way that Ludwig could not: Problems abound plating chrome onto aluminium (which was the base metal of Ludalloy). I found a chap who stripped the chrome, removed the badge, and re-plated in nickel first, and then chrome, at a very good price. I sourced an era-correct butt plate around this time as well.

I was then lucky enough to source another Supra from the same year with serial #27038 dated May 05 1964. I polished the hoops, P-38 strainer, dampener, original snares and Imperial lug casings from this snare to complete the original project.

Finished product below, which leaves me with a new project to refurbish the May 1964 drum!

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