Ludwig Drums
Ludwig has been making drums in America since 1909 — the Supraphonic, the Black Beauty and the kits behind Ringo and Bonham are all theirs.
Founded in Chicago in 1909 by William F. Ludwig, Ludwig is about as close as drum-making gets to living history. The company built its name on the snare drum — the Supraphonic LM402 is probably the most recorded snare of all time, and the Black Beauty has been the brass benchmark for over a century — before a certain appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 put a Ludwig kit behind Ringo Starr and the logo in every living room in America.
John Bonham's amber Vistalite and maple Ludwigs did the rest, defining the big, open rock drum sound that players still chase today. Modern Ludwig runs from the affordable Accent and Element kits up to the Classic Maple and Legacy ranges, all still carrying that fat, musical character. Below you'll find our Ludwig coverage plus every Ludwig item documented in the Rig Vault — and the drummers who play it.
Ludwig in the Rig Vault
🥁 14 items documented👤 played by 5 drummers
Real setups documented piece by piece in the Rig Vault — every item links to who plays it, reader reviews and where to buy.
Drummers who play Ludwig
Most played Ludwig gear
Every Ludwig item in the vault
Classic Maple× 3read the Classic Maple guide →
Supraphonic× 1
Speed King× 1
Black Beauty× 1
Vistalite× 1
Ludwig and related marks are trademarks of their respective owners. Drum Faster is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Ludwig.
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