Where and how do I begin this review for my column this month? That’s the question I’ve been going over in my head for quite some time. It’s kind of funny, I’ve been contemplating this moment for so very long as I was preparing for months, weeks, then days to write my column. I had a hundred different ideas on how to start this, and I’m still trying to pair it down to convey how absolutely excited I am, and I think most people of the Slingerland community are about this remarkable event finally coming to fruition. So, I’ll start at the beginning of my own story with Slingerland, and the Slingerland company history. I’m also going to review these drums on their own merit for the most part and not do comparisons.
I know there will be some naysayers and others that will pick these drums apart. My answer to that is simply put with the old adage of; you can please some of the people some of the time, all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time.
My very first real drum set at thirteen years old consisted of several pieces of different drum companies, Slingerland included among them. They were all different colors of red, red sparkle and two Slingerland Red Tiger pieces that I foolishly, as a kid, stripped all the wrap off, sanded them down and clear coated them to make them all match. One of those pieces was a Slingerland wood snare drum. You can read that whole story in one of my columns from years ago.
The Slingerland company started many years before they began producing drums in 1928 as their first catalog highlights, it was started by H. H. Slingerland. They made some very nice drums in the start-up years. I have a few first year 1928 Slingerland snare drums, but they really hit their stride and the pinnacle of the company brand when they started producing Radio King snare drums.
As many of you know Slingerland made world class drums from the start all the way up into the 1970s. As with many companies the standards started to decline and they sold the business off extricating it from the last of the original Slingerland family descendants. It was not good news for a long time aside from a very brief resurgence during the Gibson/Nashville years when they put out some very fine instruments that are still coveted by players and collectors alike today. After that it pretty much ceased to exist until an amazing turn of events in 2019, that is the year Slingerland was purchased by the Lombardi family of DW Drum Workshop fame as a spectacular gift from son to father. If you can find the video watch it, it’s very touching.
After the acquisition, during Covid, working on the DW 50th Anniversary drums and five years of meticulous research and development, trial and error, setbacks and triumphs the Radio King snare drum was reborn. This is and was not something they were ever going to rush.
From the time I heard the news and saw the video and understood it really happened, I was inexplicably excited for what could happen in the near future. I thought to myself, if anybody can revive Slingerland and do this correctly and exceptionally it would be DW Drums. Believe me when I tell you, they did exactly that with this line!
Many, many months ago after hearing the rumors in the year 2024, I took it upon myself to contact DW as a NSMD columnist to garner a few snare drums when they came out for a review. After contacting, meeting and getting to know some absolutely wonderful folks at DW and the newly revived Slingerland brand they were beyond gracious, forthcoming and 100% on board with this idea. As a sidenote here, I have to say that the folks that I met at Slingerland these past many months are some of the nicest people I’ve ever had the privilege to know and consider them long term friends going forward (I hope they feel the same way after my uncountable emails, calls and texts for information).
Let’s discuss the drums that were shipped to me. I was privileged enough to receive two very special Limited Edition Radio King first serial number 1s of 50 of the 5“ x 14“ vintage black and gold lacquer and the 7” x 14” black diamond pearl wrap snare drums.
Let me begin with the wood, THE most important part for the shells, the wood is North American White Hard Maple sourced from upstate New York. The shells are solid steam bent and the re-rings that are on both size snares are maple as well. The solid shells are steam bent at the Craviotto factory then sent to Slingerland for cutting, bearing edges, re-rings…etc.
The hoops/rims are nickel over brass double flange stick choppers with a gorgeous deep relief of the original Radio King Slingerland logo on the top hoop. The process to achieve this was time consuming and not without headaches to attain perfection and was hard won from my understanding.
The lugs are nickel plate solid zinc with single tension modernistic lugs on the 7” model and double tension streamline lugs on the 5” model. Both style lugs have an elongated hole for the swivel nut to come through to assist in perfect seating of the head and aid in tuning.
The tension rods are steel with the original 12-24 thread and stubby head so they are compatible with the original Radio Kings. They tighten to a nylon washer for isolation and to preserve the brass hoops from damage. Inside, the lugs are secured with beautiful large washers all stamped “Slingerland-California” held with a steel phillips head screw. These scripted inner lug washers are one of the above-and-beyond small details that make these drums what they are in my opinion, exceptional.
Ahh, the timeless Slingerland Radio King 3-point strainer! Both models come with this iconic piece of the drum world gone by. The strainer lever is embossed with the Slingerland U.S.A. logo as well as both bridge/brackets, butt and strainer side. Both bridge/brackets are also dual thumb-wheel adjustable up and down. The 7” model comes with both a long and a short embossed strainer lever, one rising above the batter hoop, the other below.
Both models are equipped with the nickel plate dual felt tone control (mufflers) and with the small style knurled adjustment knob. Happily, the tone controls are super tight and do not allow rattling.
The extended snare wires on both are 20-strand steel with clear straps.
You can see the craftsmanship and tiny advancements all over these snares. If Slingerland drums were continuously in business from 1928 till now, I believe these are exactly the snare drums they would be making to honor the originals with some very small but necessary changes and upgrades. The wood is so clean and precise with immaculate bearing edges that feel like glass. The new steel lugs aren’t going to disintegrate and fall apart like some of the originals. The strainer and butt plates are just a little heavier gauge and are not crooked, bent or uneven (vintage owners know what I’m referring too), and the slotted lugs give you a little more freedom in setup, seating and tuning.
The wraps were specially made to achieve that old world large chunk pattern, and it is fully glued down with the dropped cutback at the seam so not to interfere with the true roundness of the drum and the head seats perfectly. The vintage lacquer is precise and uniform and the lacquered drums also have a very thin rubber gasket under the lugs to protect the shell. You may remove these if you choose, I personally would not.
The vintage style cloud badges are anodized aluminum that are laser etched with “Slingerland Quality Drums U.S.A.”, secured with stainless steel grommets.
All models come with a paper tag inside giving you a brief description with a hand written serial number personally signed by Don Lombardi.
Only 50 of each model in the four available finishes of this Special Edition Radio Kings will ever be made, 400 total: White Marine Pearl, Black Marine Pearl, Blue and Silver Lacquer and Black and Gold Lacquer
The 5” snare weighs in at 17.6 lbs.The 7” snare weighs in at 19.4 lbs.
Both Radio King models come with a Remo Ambassador hazy snare-side and Remo Ambassador coated batter-side heads. As a bonus, they also come with a real calfskin Radio King head from Bovid Drum Heads for that vintage sound, if you so choose.
Speaking of extras, all snares come with a tuning key and one of the nicest bag/cases I’ve seen come with a drum. The heavy duty bag/cases are not only custom fit inside to fit the strainer and butt ends with some serious thick padding to boot, but they are stitch embossed with the Radio King Slingerland old school lightening logo. Class all the way. They are equipped with a carry handle and a removable metal clip shoulder strap. They also come with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
The snares arrive in a heavy duty box with the vintage Slingerland and Radio King graphics printed on all sides. Yes, I will be saving the boxes.
Now for the best part, playing these gorgeous instruments. I set them up at Studio 3T pairing the 5” BDP with my late 1940s early 1950s Radio King BDP set and the 7” Black and Gold lacquer on my 2014 DW Collector Series Aztec Gold set. They fit right in with both sets seamlessly.
I personally prefer my snare tuned high and tight. I do a lot of ghost notes, single stroke rolls and cross sticking. These snares arrived with a medium to high tuning and as I cranked down on the head a little more they did not choke or become distorted. I also prefer my wires fairly loose and just a slight turn of the throw once they make contact with the head. I have to say, outstanding sensitivity was achieved with both snares.
I started playing on the 5” Radio King. It gave me a wonderful high crack with the rim shots and a great cut over the cymbals all while keeping its sensitivity. A great work horse all around snare for countless genres of music.
I moved on to playing the 7”, my typical preference for performing live and recording in the right situations. I cannot say enough about this beast, big booming bottom end with incredible cut on a rim shot! The stick chopper hoops get the job done for that. This will be my go-to wood snare for many applications and large live indoor performances.
I will be doing a video on these snares and a complete Radio King set in the near future (Yes, full sets are coming!).
I went into this telling Slingerland that I had full intentions of picking these snares apart from top to bottom, inside and out, and I did exactly that. I was going to honestly report on ANY shortcomings or flaws, I can tell you I have not found either. However, there are a few things I would like to see going forward. Slotted screws on the strainer and butt plate that attaches the snare wires strap so it does not require much pressure to tighten or loosen. Turn the custom fitted padding inside the carry bag so the butt end is not hitting the floor every time you sit it down during transport. I understand this is pure vanity, but I would like to see the Radio King logo stamped into the tuning key. None of these items I suggest have any impact on the sound or playability of the snares obviously, but would be nice.
The lengths Slingerland aspired to, to procure as close to “snare perfection” as possible has been accomplished.
Everyone will be pleased to know that Slingerland will be producing all parts for these snares and they will be available for purchase separately! All new parts will be interchangeable with their original Radio King counterparts, you will finally be able to either upgrade, complete or restore your new and vintage Radio King snares going forward. I am particularly excited about this revelation.
I understand many will be purchasing these Radio Kings as an heirloom collector snare, they are certainly worthy of that designation and that is great if that’s what makes you happy, in fact I encourage it! As for myself, I will be playing, performing and recording with mine as they were meant to be, no shelf queens gathering dust here.
In closing, I would like to thank all the folks at Slingerland and DW for their transparency and entrusting me with this review. I thoroughly enjoyed it even if I was a pain with all my questions, calls and messages.
Special mention to: Angel Chavez, Jose Medeles, and Andrew Meskin. Thank you!
This has, by far, been my longest column to date and if you read it to this point, I really appreciate you and all your feedback. Thank you!!!
Stay tuned…
Edward Tucker
Studio 3T