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There is no brand more legendary in the drum world than Ludwig. The kits are proudly made in the United States, and they’re well-known to have incredible tonal and build quality.
Many of the original revolutionary drum kit designs were from Ludwig, and the brand has continued to be on top ever since.
In this guide, I’ve given you my top Ludwig drum set recommendations. I’ve compared them according to sound, build quality, features, and value.
What are the Best Ludwig Drum Sets?
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Best professional kit
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Best gigging kit
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Best compact kit
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Best studio kit
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Best beginner kit
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Best acrylic kit
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In Depth Ludwig Drum Kit Reviews
Ludwig Classic Maple Fab
Ludwig Classic Maple Fab Review
The Ludwig Classic Maple is one of the best drum kits in Ludwig’s product range. I’ve recommended the Fab version of the kit here, as it has the most standard shell sizes, making it the perfect option for drummers that need a good professional drum set.
The kit has 7-ply maple shells that are both warm and highly musical. The toms sing beautifully when you strike them, and the kick drum has a good amount of body and presence.
All these shells go through Ludwig’s RFST shell molding process. It strengthens them, causing them to hold their tuning for a lot longer. It also makes them easy to tune, along with the hand-sanded 45-degree bearing edges.
I love the build quality of this kit. While it doesn’t offer any fancy features, it just feels incredibly solid to play. I’d happily call it one of the simplest but most reliable professional drum sets on the market.
If you’re looking for a new pro kit, you’ll likely be very happy with a Ludwig Classic Maple, especially if you want a proudly US-made drum set that costs a bit less than all the other US-made options.
Features:
- 7-ply maple shells
- RFST shell molding
- 45-degree bearing edges
Pros
- Warm and powerful tones from the 7-ply maple shells
- Great drum kit option for professional drummers
- Drums hold their tuning well due to the RFST shell molding process
- Plenty of high-quality finish options
Cons
- Pro drummers would love the kit more if the bass drum came with a porthole
Ludwig NeuSonic
Ludwig NeuSonic Review
Next up on our list is the Ludwig NeuSonic. This is a popular drum set from Ludwig due to it having professional features but coming with a relatively affordable price tag compared to the other high-end Ludwig sets.
It’s the most affordable Ludwig set that gets made in the US, giving more people the opportunity to own a proudly US-built drum set.
The big feature for this kit is that it has hybrid shells that mix cherry and maple wood. Maple is the wood we all know about that gives the drums warm and balanced tones, but the cherry plies are what make this kit unique. They add a bit of projection to the kit, meaning it’s a bit louder than a standard maple set.
With this kit being more affordable than the other pro ones, I think it makes an excellent gigging drum set. Most drummers won’t be afraid to take it out on the road with them, and the high-quality shells will sound great on a stage.
The only downside is that most of the finish options look a bit bland, in my opinion.
But besides that, this truly is a wonderful drum set that sounds phenomenal on stage and in the studio, serving as a great workhorse kit.
Features:
- 6-ply maple/cherry shells
- RFST molding process
- Mini Elite lugs
Pros
- The most affordable professional drum kit that Ludwig offers
- Unique tones from the hybrid cherry/maple drum shells
- Very well-priced for a drum kit made in the US
- Classic Ludwig aesthetic
Cons
- Most of the finishes look a bit bland
Ludwig Breakbeats
Ludwig Breakbeats Review
Out of all the compact drum sets on the market, the Ludwig Breakbeats has remained one of the most popular, and it’s mostly due to its low price tag.
The Ludwig Breakbeats kit was designed by famous drummer Questlove. The design inspiration comes from him needing to carry a drum kit around with him in the busy streets of New York City, so the drums are small enough to carry over your shoulder.
The shells are made from hardwood and they feel quite light and thin. While they don’t produce the richest tonal quality, they certainly hold their own on a stage.
So, this kit is a great option to own as a secondary setup that you can use whenever you don’t have space for a full-sized drum setup.
It comes with carry bags included, which most other compact drum sets don’t. That’s another key feature that makes it such a valuable option.
A final word about this set is that it’s small enough to work incredibly well as a kids’ drum set.
Features:
- 7-ply select hardwood shells
- Remo Pinstripe drumheads
- Included nylon travel bag set
Pros
- One of Ludwig’s most affordable drum sets
- Works brilliantly as a compact gigging kit
- Also works well as a kids’ drum set
- Included travel bags add to the value of the purchase
Cons
- Snare drum doesn’t sound that great
- Not a versatile drum kit option
Ludwig Legacy Maple
Ludwig Legacy Maple Review
Our final kit on the list is Ludwig’s flagship drum kit. The Ludwig Legacy drum kit has been the go-to drum set for professional Ludwig artists for as long as I can remember.
This set does an amazing job of mixing modern design technology with a few vintage features. The shells are a mixture of poplar and maple. The maple gives the drums your typical balanced tones, while the poplar dries them out a bit to add that vintage touch.
Each shell also has a 1” maple reinforcement ring to strengthen it and maintain tuning stability.
On top of that, the shells have shallow 30-degree bearing edges, which is a staple for drum kits that have a vintage sound.
If you want one of the best options that Ludwig offers, this is the kit for you. It sounds so good and it has the most amazing array of finishes to choose from.
With all that being said, I don’t think this kit is too far ahead of the Ludwig Classic Maple, and the latter kit costs about $1000 less.
Features:
- Maple/poplar drum shells
- 1” maple reinforcement rings
- 30-degree bearing edges
Pros
- Ludwig’s highest-end drum set with the best tones and build features
- Modern sounds with plenty of vintage inspiration
- Reinforcement rings on the shells lower overtones and maintain tuning stability
- An incredible array of finish options to choose from
Cons
- Expensive
- Many drummers don’t see too much of a difference between this kit and the much more affordable Ludwig Classic Maple
Ludwig Accent
Ludwig Accent Review
Up next on our list is a Ludwig kit specifically catered to beginner drummers. This is Ludwig’s entry-level set, meaning it’s a good option for newer drummers looking to buy their first-ever drum kit.
The tones are decent, especially when you add a bit of muffling to the toms and bass drum. They sound a bit better when tuned low instead of high, though.
The key aspect here is that the Ludwig Accent kit comes with everything you need. That means that a beginner drummer only needs to buy this kit to start learning. They’ll just need to get a pair of sticks on the side.
With other drum sets, you always need to buy extra parts to go with it, such as a bass drum pedal or stands.
This kit provides a good starting platform to learn how to play the drums. You may just need to replace the cymbals after a few months of playing, as the cheap brass material tends to break a lot quicker than expected.
Features:
- Hardwood shells
- Brass cymbals
- Full set of hardware
Pros
- Excellent drum set option for new drummers
- Surprisingly decent tonal quality from the toms and bass drum
- Included cymbal stands are very sturdy
- Great finish options
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a pair of sticks like some other entry-level drum sets
- Brass cymbals don’t sound good and they tend to break quickly
Ludwig Vistalite Zep
Ludwig Vistalite Zep Review
The Vistalite Zep is one of Ludwig’s most unique drum sets. Vistalite kits have been very popular for decades, and this particular kit is a recreation of the setup that John Bonham played with Led Zeppelin in the 70s.
The orange acrylic shells look incredible, and they sound seriously loud and punchy. In fact, this is the loudest drum set on this entire list, making it one of the best options for heavy music settings.
The volume comes from the fact that the shells are acrylic as well as the fact that all the drums are larger than usual. You get a 24” kick drum, 14” rack tom, and a second 18” floor tom. Those sizes are perfect for getting low and forceful tones.
You also get a Ludwig Supralite snare drum with this kit, which is one of the most recorded snare drums in music history.
If you’re a Led Zeppelin fan, you’ll likely prize this kit more than any other.
Features:
- Acrylic shells
- Recreation of John Bonham’s drum set
- Ludwig Supraphonic snare drum
Pros
- Excellent collector’s drum kit for Led Zeppelin fans
- Incredibly loud and powerful
- Comes with a Ludwig Supraphonic snare, which is one of the best snare drums on the market
- Looks fantastic on a stage
Cons
- Far too big for many drummers’ tastes
- Too loud and aggressive for a few lighter styles of music
- One of Ludwig’s most expensive drum sets
Ludwig Drum Set Buying Guide
Choosing a drum set to buy is a delicate process, as the kit you end up with will likely be one that you use for many years. With so many drum brands out there that offer amazing products, sticking to a Ludwig drum set may seem a bit limiting.
However, Ludwig is undoubtedly one of the best drum brands on the market, and every single Ludwig drum kit offers something very special.
What Makes a Ludwig Drum Set a Good Buying Option
- The Ludwig brand has a seriously rich history, and it feels great to own a kit that forms part of that.
- Many drum kits are proudly built in the US, and owning a US-built kit is something many drummers dream of.
- Every Ludwig drum set has immaculate sound and construction quality.
- Ludwig drum set finishes are very unique to the brand.
Features to Look Out for in Ludwig Drum Kits
Shell Type
One of the biggest differences you’ll find between different drum sets is the types of shells that they have. This refers to what wood material is used to create those shells, as various woods offer different sound qualities.
The most common shell material used for professional drum sets is maple, and then every other wood gets compared to that.
When it comes to Ludwig, all of the brand’s best drum sets have maple shells. However, they also offer the same drum kit lines with different woods like oak or mahogany.
It’s a good idea to understand how those woods sound so that you know what kind of tones you’re getting before purchasing the set.
Maple is quite a balanced shell material, so you get equal tones across low, medium, and high frequencies.
Mahogany has a lot of emphasis on lower frequencies, so mahogany drums tend to sound deeper than maple ones.
Birch has greater emphasis on high frequencies, and this makes the drums sound slightly more energetic and vibrant.
Cherry drums are similar to maple, but the tones are a bit more emphasized to make them sound brighter.
The Ludwig Vistalite drum sets don’t have wooden shells. These have acrylic shells, and acrylic drums are just very loud and punchy.
Drum Kit Size
There are two aspects that determine a drum kit’s size. The first one is how many drums the set comes with.
This determines how the setup is named. If the Ludwig shell pack you’re buying comes with a one rack tom, one floor tom, and one bass drum, it’s referred to as a 3-piece shell pack. A kit that comes with a second rack tom would be referred to as a 4-piece shell pack.
When you add a snare drum to the setup, the overall name of the kit would be a 5-piece setup. Speaking of snare drums, just note that most of the higher-end kits from Ludwig don’t come with one. So, you’ll need to buy a snare drum separately. Ludwig snare drums are incredible, by the way.
The next thing that determines size is the dimensions of all the shells. You need to look at both the diameters and the depths, especially when looking at bass drums.
One of the cool things about Ludwig is that the brand offers several drum kits that come with a 24” bass drum. That’s a massive kick drum size that leads to huge sounds, but it means your kit will take up far more space than one with a 20” kick drum.
Shell Hardware
The last feature to look at is all the hardware that gets used to hold the shells together. Shell hardware affects how the drums perform and how they look.
When it comes to Ludwig, the hardware used is fairly universal across all of the mid-tier and professional drum sets. That’s why it’s so easy to identify a Ludwig drum kit, as the keystone lugs are used on all the sets.
A brand like Tama uses different types of hardware features across different drum sets, but you don’t need to worry about that with Ludwig.
Another thing to check out is how the rack tom or toms are mounted. Some Ludwig kits have rack toms that mount to the bass drum. Others have rack toms that need to be mounted to cymbal stands.
You also get Ludwig kits that require you to place the rack tom on a snare drum stand, as the tom shell doesn’t have anywhere to put a mount. This is usually the case with Ludwig kits that have 24” bass drums.
Ludwig Drum Set FAQs
Where Are Ludwig Drum Sets Made?
All the high-end and professional Ludwig drum sets are made in the US, while the more affordable ones are made in China.
The Ludwig US headquarters is in Monroe, North Carolina. Most of the kits made here are handcrafted, which is what leads to the proud US quality.
Why are Ludwig Drum Kits Popular?
There are two main reasons for Ludwig drums being popular. Firstly, Ludwig is one of the longest-running drum kit brands, with many of the early drum kit innovations of the 20th century coming from Ludwig. The rich history makes drummers gravitate toward the brand.
Secondly, high-end Ludwig drum kits are made in the US, and drummers and musicians tend to love US-built drums.
Are Ludwig Drum Kits Expensive?
No, Ludwig drum kits aren’t any more expensive than options from other brands. The brand has several drum kits available that cater to budgets of all ranges.
However, Ludwig’s flagship drums tend to be more affordable than the flagship drums from brands like DW, Sonor, Pearl, and Tama.
