top of page

1965 Ludwig Super Classic
Oyster Black Pearl 
Kit Number 5

1965 Ludwig Super Classic Ringo Shea Stadium
1965 Ludwig Super Classic
  • 5"x14" Jazz Festival Snare Drum (Keystone badge # 151480) 
  • 9”x13 - Tom (Keystone badge # 151493 / Black stamp date: JUL 16 1965)
  • 16”x16” - Floor Tom (Keystone badge # 155364 / Black stamp date: JUL 16 1965)
  • 14”x22” - Bass Drum (Keystone badge # 151485 / Black stamp date: JUL 16 1965)
  • 3-ply Shells w/ white painted interiors. Snare, tom, floor tom, bass: Mahogany/Poplar/Mahogany
1965 Ludwig Super Classic Ringo Shea Sta

This drum kit was used on the Beatles first Shea Stadium concert which took place August 15, 1965. Ringo is particularly fond of this kit, calling it the Shea kit.

Ringo Starr's Shea Stadium 1965 Ludwig oyster black pearl Super Classic model Beatles drum kit.. (top back view w seat). Historian lecturer Gary Astridge

Photo:
Scott Robert Ritchie

Can't Buy Me Love - Shea 1965
More Details
  • 3-ply mahogany/poplar/mahogany shells with white painted interiors
  • Baseball bat tone controllers with white felt tone control pads
  • Mount casing with eyebolt & wing nut (P-1216A)
  • 16.5” floor tom legs with knurled stems 
  • Fold out bass drum spurs with knurled stems (P-1305)
  • Rogers Swiv-o-matic tom mount assembly
  • Chrome over Brass (COB) tom  and floor tom rims  
Ringo Starr's Shea Stadium 1965 Ludwig oyster black pearl Super Classic model Beatles drum kit. (Front view). Historian lecturer Gary Astridge

Photo:
Scott Robert Ritchie

Ringo Starr's Shea Stadium 1965 Ludwig oyster black pearl Super Classic model Beatles drum kit. (top back view). Historian lecturer Gary Astridge

Photo: Scott Robert Ritchie

Hardware     
  • Spurlock Direct Pull hi hat stand (Model 1123)
  • Buck Rogers snare stand (Model 1358)
  • Speed King bass drum pedal (Model 201)
  • Bass drum anchor (Model - 1304) Walberg & Auge)     
  • 2 -  cymbal stands (Model 1400)
  • Premier drum stool (Model 245) 
The number of Ludwig cymbal stands purchased for all four Ludwig kits isn’t really known. The stands appear to have been mixed between drum kits at various times. There is one slight difference between the model 1400 stands. One uses a wing-bolt that screws directly into the topside of the second post to adjust the height of the top post. The other variation uses a small angled tension bar with a hole at one end and a threaded hole at the other. It rests on top of the second post and the top post inserts through the tension bar into the second post. The wing-bolt screws into the threaded hole of the tension bar and draws the bar tight against the top bar holding it in position. Ringo had both.
Ringo Starr's Shea Stadium 1965 Ludwig oyster black pearl Super Classic model Beatles drum shell stamp date. Historian lecturer curator Gary Astridge

Of all of Ringo's Beatle kits, this one received the least amount of use. It was introduced at the start of the Beatles' 1965 US Tour.

Ringo Starr's Shea Stadium 1965 Ludwig oyster black pearl Super Classic model Beatles drum kit Rogers Swivomatic bass drum mounting bracket. Historian lecturer Gary Astridge

Here's a photo of the Rogers Swiv-o-matic tom mounting bracket on bass drum. Notice that none of the three holes from the original Ludwig mount were plugged.

Ringo Starr's Shea Stadium 1965 Ludwig oyster black pearl Super Classic model Beatles drum kit. Historian lecturer Gary Astridge

This kit remains in Ringo's possession.

​

When the Beatles performed at Shea Stadium on August 15, 1965, they set another milestone. John, Paul, George & Ringo became the first rock band to play to a massive outdoor crowd of 57,000 fans. 
The price of a ticket? $5.65. That's $46.57 in 2020 dollars. Not a bad deal.

The Beatles perform Shea Stadium 1965. Historian lecturer curator Gary Astridge
Beatles August 15, 1965 Shea Stadium concert ticket
bottom of page