Cangany’s Catalog Corner Cangany’s Catalog Corner
Duplex 1968 Duplex 1968
I n the early 1950s, Grossman Music had a dilemma. They were a huge music jobber-a company that sold musical
instruments to little music stores that were not able to buy
these products directly from manufacturers. Grossman had a
drum line available, Ludwig & Ludwig, and they were a huge
distributor for them. When Conn merged Ludwig with Leedy,
Grossman was out of the drum business. Management went
looking for another drum company to satisfy the demand
from their customers, and the one they found was Joseph Rog-
ers & Son, in New Jersey. The problem was that Ludwig was a
top tier company with well made products, name recognition,
and demand. Rogers, on the other hand, was way down the
line in quality control. Grandson Cleveland Rogers was not in
great health, and within two years sold the little company that
Grossman would grow into a world class competitor. But not
without a lot of money spent to improve everything with the
Rogers name on it.
However, shoot forward to April 1966, and Grossman found
itself in almost the same postition. This time, though, they
sold a company. They sold Rogers to CBS (remembered with
the same kind of enthusiasm that Europe feels when the Black
Plague is discussed).
Grossman wanted another drum manufacturer for customers
of it’s wholesale division. So, they made one. Owning the great
