After the Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, Ludwig's production triples in an instant. Everyone wants Ringo’s drum kit.
In the early months of 1963, wanting to replace Ringo’s old Premier kit with a more visually appealing set, the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein visited Drum City in London. The owner, Ivor Arbiter, had recently secured exclusive rights to import Ludwig drums from the USA but was struggling to sell them due to the high price. At the shop, Ringo fell in love with the new Black Oyster Pearl finish and, upon discovering it was a Ludwig colour, it was immediately a “done deal!”. Before closing the deal, Epstein said: “Wait, the drumhead says ‘Ludwig’, but the band isn’t called Ludwig, it’s called ‘Beatles’!”. So Arbiter, being a savvy businessman, to not lose the sale and to promote the brand, grabbed a piece of paper and sketched a bass drum featuring both the “Beatles” and “Ludwig” logos. He came up with the famous long “T” in the BeaTles logo and had the design completed by an artist for just £5. On May 12, 1963, Ringo finally received his first Ludwig kit.
Throughout his years as a Beatle, Ringo used five different Ludwig sets, experimenting with various setups but always remaining loyal to his Ludwig Jazz Festival snare — dated April 18, 1963, measuring 5.5x14 inches and, of course, finished in Black Oyster Pearl — which came with his first kit.
Ringo's Ludwig kits:The one in our photo is a Ludwig Fab 4 Classic Maple Vintage in Black Oyster Pearl finish. You can also spot a 1963 Ludwig Club Date White Marine Pearl kit in the Get Back, Help!, We Can Work It Out, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something, Rain, Dear Prudence videos, as well as the more recent Now and Then.
