The history of Ludwig-Musser Percussion weaves together the stories of two pioneering companies and their visionary namesakes. From the beginning, music education has informed the mission and designs of this powerhouse manufacturer.
The Advocates
Ludwig may have cemented its place as “The Most Famous Name on Drums” in 1964, when Ringo Starr’s Ludwig bass drum was broadcast to a rabid television audience. But the company, founded in 1909 as Ludwig & Ludwig, had already enjoyed more than a half century of innovation by the time the Beatles made their culture-changing American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.
A former percussionist at circuses, skating rinks and vaudeville stages, William F. Ludwig started the company with his brother Theobald and later ran it with his son, William Jr. Their patented bass-drum pedal helped to define the modern drum kit, leading to revolutionary changes in popular music, but the Ludwigs were equally committed to designing instruments with the educational field in mind.
“In 1909, percussion as we think of it today was still newborn,” says Adam Schweitzer, Product Manager of Percussion for Ludwig-Musser. “Bill Ludwig and his crew were big advocates of music education and really focused on producing instruments that were accessible for school musicians. That dedication defined some of the key decisions in the design of Ludwig drums.”
The Mad Scientist
Clair Omar Musser was a virtuoso orchestral percussionist and composer as well as a brilliant engineer whose work outside of the musical realm included designs for Hughes Aircraft Company and NASA. He headed the mallet instrument division of the J.C. Deagan Company beginning in the 1930s, before leaving to found his own company, Musser Marimbas, after the Second World War.
Musser was also a showman who assembled and conducted large marimba orchestras: a 25-piece, all-women ensemble for Paramount Pictures; a 100-piece marimba orchestra for the Century of Progress International Exhibition, a.k.a. the Chicago World’s Fair, in 1933; and a 300-strong student orchestra assembled for the Chicago Fair of 1950.
Musser had not only a genius for engineering but a flair for design, his instruments evolving in parallel with the car-crazy Space Age. “I like to think of Clair Musser as a mad scientist,” Schweitzer says. “There was always a uniqueness to his instruments that remains the legacy of the Musser brand. He not only had inventive ideas, but the aesthetic of the instruments was very important to him. Some of those vintage instruments looked like the sleek, streamlined classic cars of the 1950s and ’60s.”
The two companies, both founded in the Chicago area, ultimately joined forces in the mid-’60s when Musser was sold to the Ludwig company. In 1981 both became part of Selmer, which merged with C.G. Conn to become Conn Selmer in 2002. Since 2022, both share a home and a factory in Monroe, North Carolina, and a commitment to Total Percussion—the idea that a consummate percussionist should pursue as many percussion instruments as possible. Ludwig-Musser features a full line of educational percussion instruments including concert and marching drums, mallet instruments and timpani.
Craftsmanship & Innovation
Ludwig-Musser continues to draw inspiration from its visionary founders. On the Ludwig side, Schweitzer explains, craftsmanship has always been paramount. The focus on durable instruments for schools and marching bands that was so important to William Sr. and Jr. persists today, as Schweitzer and his colleagues seek out feedback at industry and educational conferences as well as from award-winning bands like California’s Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps.
“I go on tour with the Blue Devils and work with their staff,” Schweitzer says. “If members received brand-new instruments in May, I’ll talk with them in July to find out what issues they may be having. What’s holding up well or what’s been problematic? Connecting with our end users has been a huge priority for me. I make sure I’m dialed in to what’s happening in the school and university percussion market, and what composers are calling for from modern instruments.”
The Blue Devils’ Brian Dinkel, an esteemed veteran music educator based in Southern California, praises Ludwig-Musser’s longevity, the dependability of their instruments, and the way those instruments complement one another in ensembles. “A lot of the time when you’re purchasing an instrument for a school,” he says, “there’s not an infinite budget to purchase every instrument every year. You have to be really strategic about it. … One of the things I love about Musser instruments is, one, you know that there’s a quality and there’s a consistency that’s going to last through that cycle.”
Musser’s legacy of innovation has also been a guiding light. Schweitzer admits that at one point in its history, the brand’s industry dominance led to a degree of complacency. “The company knew what it had was great, and was confident in continuing to offer that great product with minor tweaks,” he says.
Today, however, Musser’s passion for invention burns brightly. “In more recent years, there’s been a reinvigoration of those earlier, more experimental principles,” Schweitzer says. “I’m constantly referencing Clair Musser and thinking, ‘If I was going to start over, what would be the absolute, game-changing fixes that would make this instrument great in 2025?’”
Under One Roof
Having Ludwig-Musser’s offices and factory all in one location has been vital to that renewed dedication to innovation. Schweitzer says that it’s invaluable to be able to stroll from his office to the factory floor, instantly determining how concepts can translate to reality. “I understand things from a big-picture viewpoint, but I’m surrounded by people who have the practical expertise to solve any problems,” he says. “And I don’t even have to get up out of my chair to have those discussions.”