Ludwig-Musser-Kitching

Gary Burton, the renowned vibraphonist, provided wonderful and detailed insight into the Musser Company that he has been linked with for most of his life. He traced the company’s history through the Ludwig purchase and included his thoughts about the company’s percussive product line. He also spoke about PASIC and his memories of the NAMM Show. Luckily the interview also covered some of his many jazz career highlights.  

William F. Ludwig II was proud of the company his father started, largely based on the 1909 patented bass drum pedal, which allowed the drummer to sit down for the first time. Bill followed in his father’s footsteps by leading the company, overseeing the company’s reorganization following World War II, the Beatles boom of the 1960s, and supervising a noted innovative product line of the 1970s. Bill seemed most proud of the friends he has made along the way, for which there were many.

William F. Ludwig III, known within the industry as B3, sat next to his sister Brooke as the two reflected on the Ludwig Drum Company’s 100th anniversary for the NAMM Oral History program.  He spoke of his father and grandfather, the company founder, and the impact they had on the music products industry.  B3 also spoke of his own role within the company and his focus on marketing the product line.  In recent years he wrote and published historic articles on the drum business.

 Dick Richardson was working with the Lyons Band Instrument Company in Chicago in the early 1960s when he was given the chance to run the Musser vibraphone division of the company.  Dick become president and soon expanded the product line, bring on key endorsers such as Lionel Hampton and Gary Burton as well as building up the motivation of the employees.  His sharp insight into the industry soon resulted in a new and improved reputation for the vibraphone and marimba company.  In the 1980s he sold Musser to Ludwig Drums, then owned by Selmer and Dick went to work for Danny Henkin heading the Slingerland Drum Company.  Dick’s insightful NAMM Oral History interview was completed o

Dick Schory had a very successful career as a composer and arranger of percussive music. With over a dozen albums as a musician and arranger and another 400 as a producer, Dick has made a significant contribution to music. Dick also worked for the Ludwig Drum Company as a sales and marketing manager. For a time Dick worked side-by-side with the company’s founder, William F. Ludwig in the product development department. Dick worked for the company during the Beatles boom all the while composing and arranging for his own albums in the 1960s as well as for others such as the Disney Company and Julie Andrews, among others.