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Knob Tension Drums
In the early 1950s, post-war Americans were hungry for new inventions and gadgets to make life easier and more exciting. Soon everything from cars to telephones to household appliances was equipped with an array of futuristic push buttons, knobs, and dials. Hoping to cash in on this modernistic craze, the newly formed Leedy & Ludwig Drum Company introduced an innovative line of drums called Knob Tension.
WAY'S WAY
The man behind this launch into the future was George Way, a veteran design engineer for Leedy & Ludwig. Way hoped to revolutionize the drumset and make a name for the company by offering a completely new concept in design and construction. For the first time in history, tuning a drumset could be accomplished simply by turning a few knobs. A special internal tensioning system allowed the drummer to tighten and loosen the heads without the aid of a drum key. Or, as the company's promotional advertising stated, tuning the new Knob Tension drums was "as easy as dialing your own radio" and guaranteed "no more clanking drum keys to fumble with."
LIKE NOTHING YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE
Knob Tension drums had a unique appearance. Sporting huge chrome-plated hoops and large round knobs and having no tension rods or lug casings, they looked more like flying saucers than percussion instruments. While these were very unconventional in appearance, they were actually quite beautiful. Most Knob Tension drumsets left the factory dressed in...