Ludwig Drums

Founded in 1909 by William & Theobald Ludwig, the Ludwig Drum Company has become one of the most influential drum brands in the industry.

From the introduction of their first Speed King bass drum pedal in the 1930s to their extensive range of modern hardware, Ludwig Drums have developed a superb variety of options to make sure you always have a reliable drum kit set up.

From the legendary Black Beauty Snare and the affordability and portability of the BreakBeats kit to the robust reliability of the Atlas Pro series, Ludwig has a superb range of products to meet the needs of all drummers.

Whether you’re a bedroom hobbyist or a touring professional, there’s a something within the Ludwig drums range to help you sound your best.

Or, head to your local PMT store and speak to our friendly in-store experts about the best deals on Ludwig Drums, Ludwig Snares and Ludwig Hardware!

Though they began in the early 1900s, it wasn’t until Ringo Starr played his Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl Drum Kit on The Ed Sullivan Show that things went crazy for Ludwig.

Performing with The Beatles in 1964, Ringo’s appearance suddenly saw demand for Ludwig Drums soar as drummers of the day wanted that Beatles sound.

The 1970s saw the Led Zeppelin sticks man John Bonham join the Ludwig family when he famously started to play the Vistalite and 402 snare.

You can still grab that exact Bonham sound today in the form of the Zep Amber Vistalite Limited Edition Drum Kit.

First introduced in 1972, Ludwig Vistalite Drums were constructed from see-through coloured Plexiglas to deliver high volume, attacking tone and fierce presence ideal for live performances.

In 1998, Ludwig introduced their Classic Maple Series Drums.

Described as a custom solution for the discerning player, these all-maple drumkits feature a range of configurations and stylish finishes to deliver a vintage-style aesthetic with modern robust tone.

In 2013 Ludwig released what was to become a massively popular, extremely portable option for the modern drummer.

Designed in conjunction with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots, The BreakBeats Kit offers brilliant big tone in a super-compact set up.

Available in 4 stylish finishes, the Questlove Breakbeats drum kit is the ideal set up for the gigging, urban percussionist. The kit even comes with convenient velvet storage bags for quick and easy transportation.

It’s the perfect practice kit or the ideal option for those small venue gigs.

2011 to 2014 saw the introduction of the superb entry-level Element and Element Birch Drum Kit series.

Providing a cost-effective and convenient package, the Ludwig Elements Kits come complete with a full drumkit shell pack, a set of hardware and all the cymbals you need to get up and drumming immediately.

The Ludwig Legacy Mahogany Drum Kit was added to the USA Made series in 2015 and then 2016 saw the follow up to the BreakBeats kit in the form of the Pocket Kit.

Specifically designed for 4 – 10-year olds, The Pocket Kit by Questlove provides pro-level drums to younger players and even features video lesson by Questlove himself.

Ludwig also extended their drum range to meet the needs of intermediate drummers by releasing the Ludwig Evolution range in 2016.

From the top end professional Legacy Mahogany Drums to the Ludwig Accent series, Ludwig offers a wide range of drum kits to cover the needs of all players.

LUDWIG CLUB DATE

The Ludwig Club Date Kits offer beautiful vintage vibes combined with modern manufacturing to produce a super versatile tone that’s ideal for studio and stage.

Updating the classic kits of the 1970s, Ludwig has taken the stylish aesthetic of vintage kits and seamlessly blended it with a modern tone.

These kits are lightweight but full-bodied and have been optimised to suit both recording and live performance settings, making them ideal for the diverse, modern drummer.

LUDWIG NEUSONIC

Designed to offer reliability and performance, the NeuSonic series was built to meet the needs of the working professional.

Consisting of a compact 1 up 1 down jazz configuration, the Neusonic kits are available in 4 stylish finishes to deliver sleek looks and top-quality tone.

LUDWIG KEYSTONE X

The Ludwig Keystone X series of drum kits offer brilliantly bold tone for a twist on the classic Ludwig sound.

These kits feature top-quality craftsmanship and deliver lots of volume, attack and power making them ideal for live performance.

LUDWIG SIGNET 105

If you’re looking to get a little more hands-on when it comes to creating your ideal drum kit, the Ludwig Signet 105 provides you with that option.

Featuring a design that allows you to assemble the kit yourself, you actually complete the drum kit build yourself at home.

Simply snap the Insta-Lite Lugs into the maple shells, pop the heads and hoops on and you’re good to go.

A great way to learn more about how your kit has been put together!

LUDWIG SNARES

It’s safe to say the Ludwig Black Beauty is the most famous snare drum of all time.

Introduced in the 1920s, the Black Beauty Snare has become one of the most sought-after snare sounds in the recording industry.

The Ludwig Black Beauty is so popular it is still produced today and is unlikely to ever go out of production.

Another superbly popular snare choice from Ludwig is the Ludwig Acrolite.

First introduced in 1963 as a practice drum for students, the Ludwig Acrolite snare quickly became the choice of pro players.

It is still widely loved and used today by those who can’t get enough of its lush dry sound.

Following on from the Acrolite, Ludwig released the Ludwig 400 Supraphonic Snare in 1964.

This was later followed up by the deeper shelled Ludwig 402, deemed to be the most recorded snare in history.

Other snares in the Ludwig arsenal include the Ludwig Copperphonic, Ludwig Chrome Over Brass, Ludwig Hammered Brass, Ludwig Bronze Phonic and Ludwig Black Magic.

These metal snares are also accompanied by a range of wooden snares including the Ludwig Classic Maple, Ludwig Standard Maple, and Ludwig Legacy series.