action frame (after the keyslip is removed), or stamped on Serial number is often hidden and stamped on the other side, facing the keys).
keyslip (long wooden ledge, runs along the front/bottom of the keys. On a metal plate underneath the piano's top lid, near the strings and soundboard.On the piano's soundboard (see link above for a diagram).On the piano’s cast iron plate, near the tuning pins, as you face the keys.Located on the right, this acts as a 'bridge' to the 'beams' of the cast iron plate. Note: You may have to remove the (1) music desk first and then (2) gently clean out any dust from your piano's plate before these numbers can be found. The Blue & Olive badge replaced the Keystone in 1969, so there’s some natural overlap.Here are the TOP FIVE places to locate the serial number of your BABY GRAND or GRAND piano: The general rule of thumb is a “Keystone” badge indicates a drum from the '60s and a “Blue & Olive” badge indicates a drum from the '70s or early '80s. These are the gold standards for identifying a vintage Ludwig drum. From 1964 to 1969, both red and black inks were used with black as the predominant color. From the inception of date-stamping in 1960 through 1963, Ludwig solely used red ink. However, if you’re lucky enough to come across a particularly clean specimen with the date stamp intact, you’ll know the exact day that drum came to be.Īside from the exact date printed on the shell, the color of ink used will assist in identifying the era of the drum and indicate the possibility of forgery. The difficulty in date stamps is, more often than not, that the stamp has been rendered illegible or removed completely due to the wear and tear of the years. A drum was stamped when the shell was finished, providing the most accurate depiction of the age of wood due to the fact final assembly came later.
1970 with the introduction of the “Blue & Olive” badge). For this reason and the aforementioned trend of updating vintage drums, hardware will not be covered in this guide.ĭate stamps are simultaneously the best and worst means to properly date a Ludwig drum from the '60s (use of the date stamp was discontinued ca. The evolution of Ludwig hardware is a detailed and multi-faceted story. Throughout a drum’s life, it may be refinished, re-edged, and re-housed in hardware not from the drum’s era, but the date stamp and serial number will serve as a northern star to correct identification. Looking at the three best ways to identify a Ludwig: date stamp, serial number/badge style and shell construction.įorenote: The first two means of indication, date stamp and serial number/badge style, are the two most accurate for identifying the correct year of production. Unlike the many components and changing particulars which make dating a guitar difficult, a few key,Ĭonsistent elements make identifying a drum’s year of manufacture much easier. The fifty years from Ludwig’s inception in 1909 to the early 1960s deserves its own article, so in order to give you the most pertinent information for dating, we’ll be looking at drums from the early '60s onwards. The lion’s share of vintage Ludwig drums available on the market hail from the company’s golden years of the '60s, '70s, and early '80s.
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