Officially Licensed Ringo Starr’s Lugwig Oyster Black Pearl 3-piece drum kit.  This 1963 Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl Downbeat drum kit, the first Ludwig kit ever owned by Ringo Starr, was used on more than 200 live performances and over 180 studio recordings from May 12, 1963 through February 4, 1964, while becoming a visual trademark as important to The Beatles’ stage show as their hair, suits, boots, guitars and amplifiers.  Ringo’s ultimate decision to purchase this very kit lit the fuse for the Ludwig Drum Company, while the actual explosion would take place on Monday, February 10, 1964, the day after The Beatles’ legendary first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.  This historic drum kit has not been seen in public since.