The Venerable Mr. King
So, are you feeling old sometimes? Well, the drum business
has a product that will celebrate 63 years of service in the year 2000. Some
players swear by it, some swear at it, but just about everyone has played one.
In
1937 the very small WFL Drum Company got its first great growth by introducing
today's product- the Speed King pedal. The ironic thing is that WFL was started
by the same man who had also started the Ludwig & Ludwig Company and its
first great product was a bass drum pedal. He was William F. Ludwig Sr.
The
Speed King was designed by a WFL employee who used compression springs springs
hidden in posts. All the competitors used external springs.
The first
Speed Kings were a little different from today's design but by the late 40s, the
final look was adopted. For years the metalwork was gray, now it's black.
I
got my first Speed King in 1964. It listed for $25.00. Today, the list price is
$180.00.
Rumor has it that the Speed King was completely designed by
that unnamed employee of William F. Ludwig. He signed away all rights in the
design, probably for a bonus.
If you have the pedal, you probably know
that some people call them "Squeak Kings". A little oil on the
heelplate hinges silences the noise. So there!
You can see the original
Speed King and drums from the 30s in my book for Modern Drummer. Email us for
details on how you can get an autographed copy of "The
Great American Drums". | |
