Ludwig Classic Maple
The maple kits behind Ringo and Bonham — Ludwig's flagship shell, still built to the same recipe.
Classic Maple is Ludwig's flagship, and the shell recipe has barely changed since the 1960s: thin maple plies with a maple reinforcement ring, which is where the fat low end and that unmistakable Ludwig punch come from. The names have shifted over the decades — Downbeat, Super Classic, Hollywood, Classic Maple — but the drum underneath is the same idea.
It is also the sound of two of the most influential rigs ever documented. Ringo Starr's Classic Maple and Hollywood kits and John Bonham's Super Classic are all in the Rig Vault below, piece by piece, with links to the full rigs and to where you can buy the modern equivalent.
Ludwig Classic Maple in the Rig Vault
🥁 3 items documented👤 played by 2 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 Classic Maple
Most played Ludwig Classic Maple gear
Every Ludwig Classic Maple item in the vault
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