Drummer community & drum marketplace
The first vintage & Custom Drum Magazine, since 1988
Here is a rare Slingerland snare that has a very interesting story of metamorphosis.
It first appears in the 1959 catalog as a “New Brass Shell Snare Drum” showing in either clear lacquered brass or chrome plating.
Before these drums the interiors and bearing edges of most drums were not what you would call to the highest standards. The interior of these drums, the bearing edges and the outer shell are pure perfection, they feel like glass everywhere you run your finger, there is not a single rough spot, gap, glue, bump, separation or ripple anywhere.
Read moreEdward Tucker revives the "Catalog Corner" column which Harry Cangany for so many years. Catalogs are so important the vintage drum collectors. Thank you, Edward, for sharing your large catalog collection and your knowledge of vintage drums!
Read more To say I am beyond thrilled to be the new caretaker of this incredible piece of snare drum history from one of the greatest drummers of all time, my friend, the incomparable Peter Erskine, is an understatement.
This is what Peter calls “…my legacy snare drum…” and I am fully aware that this is/was one of his most prized and personal snares of all time, and I am so grateful that he has entrusted me to watch over it.
You are looking at a one owner 1968 4-piece Slingerland Brass & Black Badge, w COB Rims, Milk Chocolate Interior “Modern Jazz Outfit” No. N9 in Light Blue Pearl in absolutely remarkable condition! 12” tom, 14” floor, 20” bass, 5” x 14” 8-Lug “Buddy Rich Artist Model” snare. All ordered and born together with all the original period Zildjian Cymbals including a 20” ride, 18” crash and 14” hi-hats.
Read moreWhen I acquired this drum a few weeks back it arrived in its original hard case but it was missing the brass flange, ring and bearing edge screws. A friend suggested I ask Mike Curotto.
Read moreI started to conceptualize this many years ago following a glimpse of a SS Ludwig Timp-Tom trio set.
After making a trade with a fellow drummer and friend for a beautiful original set of Timps recently in 14”, 16” & 18” I got to work
“Cymbal Tryout Stand” for POS (point of sale) Leedy Drum Dealer countertop use and display.
Read moreI would like to introduce you to my stunning vintage 1960s Rogers little Jazz Bop Set!
18” Bass Drum, 14” Floor Tom and 12” Tom. I added another 14” floor and the matching snare in some of the photos from two of my other sets just for a WOW-factor.
I stumbled upon this set only two weeks ago and I am so thrilled I did, it has been a search many years in the making.
I’m calling this my “Cab Calloway” Set. In my opinion, this set is the epitome of vintage Jazz sophistication and elegance. I have been working on it for a year +.
Read moreThis total restoration took me an awful long time and hours of countless elbow grease. I purchased this from the original owners brother, he had passed away decades ago and he couldn’t bring himself to part with the set. But he finally realized that they were just wasting away and that they should be brought back to life and played again. I’m glad he did. He is a very nice guy and he was thrilled to know that I was not only going to restore them, but play them as well and keep his brothers legacy alive. As promised I will be sending him the “after” photos.
You don’t find “Speed Sticks” advertised in Slingerland catalogs after the early 1930s.
I believe that this is one of two still in existence today, and also one of the very first if not the first dealer display items ever made by the Slingerland company.
This set is EIGHTY years old this Christmas morning!
Ludwig & Ludwig “Swing Sensation Outfit” No. 1145PV, identical in every aspect of the famous “Top Hat” set without the cane, glove and hat design.
It is in stunning like new condition being it’s been in its cases for the past seventy years, he never played it after the 1950’s.
Trying to acquire all chrome Roto Tom’s especially the largest of 18 inches proved to be quite challenging. After a couple years of searching, bidding and buying all necessary parts and drums including entire collections to sometimes get just one piece I was finally ready to build the set.
This pair is unused and quite extraordinary. What you are looking at is a pair of 1920s Slingerland Banjo & Drum Co. Gold Sticks Purple End with original water decal in their original box with inner sleeve. These are the Slingerland “Fancher Model”. They are stamped Slingerland 1-H on one stick only.
Read moreThe story of the snare was vague, but from the extended family members of the original owner from whom I purchased it, it goes something like this; he bought it and never played it for whatever reason, and the later generations always respected the drum and never touched it. Not a lot of details but a very graceful unembellished straight-to-the-point explanation. They didn’t mince words or get into an epic narrative.
I am so grateful that it was left unscathed.
So now, here, is my unplayed, unused, 100% original MINT 1950 Slingerland Krupa Model Radio King No. 143 WMP 5.5” x 14” Solid One Piece Shell “Radio King” Engraved Nickel over Brass Rim 3-Point Strainer Tin Straps Snare Drum in it’s original Canvas Bag.
Allow me to introduce you to my 1948-1953 Slingerland Radio King 5-Piece Drum Set in Original Black Diamond Pearl. The set consists of: 9” x 13” Tom, 12” x 14” Tom/Floor, 16” x 16” Floor, 14” x 24” Bass, 7” x 14” Snare, Hi-Hat Stand, Pedal, Snare Stand, Cowbells & Woodblock. This set is 100% original and near flawless.
All NOB rims, original paint and inlay on the hoops. The exterior wrap and interiors are mint. The set arrived with ALL the original unblemished heads in place and intact. I kept the original calfskin resonant heads on, archiving the batters (see pic of the original batters and you will see why this set is so nice). A friend contacted me about this set in 2019 showing me a few photos and asking what I thought. After much back and forth discussion and consultation I mentioned that if he sells now or in the future that I am most definitely Interested.
The back story on this set is that the original owner had passed away and the children and grandchildren were sorting out his estate. When they went up to the attic of his home they discovered this set. Apparently they never heard or knew anything about it, or that at one time he may have been a drummer. From the near immaculate condition of this set and the original Radio King calfskin heads one can only come to the conclusion that he purchased this set and never really played it at all or very little. We will never know.
This set was in another part of the country so my friend had a friend pick it from the original owners family and ship it to him. When it arrived at my friends house he called me and said that he thought I should handle the cleaning of this set and that he wanted me to be the new temporary custodian (we are all only interim owners in the end). I was extremely excited to welcome this set into Studio 3T as one of the Crown Jewels of my collection for not only myself but for my clients.
After arriving at the studio I was astounded at the incredible condition that can only be appreciated in person. It was very dusty and the nickel hardware needed to be polished, but that was it. Zero fade, zero modifications, wrap is mint, interiors mint, the set and hardware are flawless. This is the finest example of this era Radio King set I have ever encountered in my lifetime.
As with all our sets and snares at Studio 3T, these drums will be put to work, I am not a fan of shelf queens or placing instruments under glass like an amusement attraction. They should be, and are, played, recorded and toured with as intended and allowed to sing, and please believe me when I tell you, these beauties SING!
You can see a few photos right after the initial disassembly and clean and how they look now set up in the studio. I added a few Radio King cymbal stands and cymbals.
Thank you for reading my column, I very much appreciate all the comments and interaction with everyone.
Stay tuned...🥁
Edward Tucker
Fate Up
Studio 3T
Let’s talk about buying vintage cymbals and caring for them.
That weekend an old friend of mine Pat, that has since passed on, (RIP Brother, and thank you for this) stayed up with me for three days straight listening to Pink Floyd as we cleaned, polished and assembled this pile into a usable drum set. It was mismatched colors of red. Some were sparkle and some were swirl pearl, and it was also different brands, Ludwig, Pearl and Slingerland etc...., I didn't care, I finally had my first real drum set that was all mine!
Read morethe original owner, custom ordered this set in late 1969 and received it in 1970 from Chanute, Kansas.
Read more
