FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: Slingerland Snare Drum

Question:
In late November of last year I bought a nice looking Slingerland 1966 wooden snare from a pawn shop for $70. The drum has (I guess) a blue sunburst finish (white in the middle then blue getting darker toward the rims). It's in very nice shape except for a few small chips in the finish, and theres a small splinter on the inside of the shell. The only thing replaced on it looks like the snare cord itself. I was wondering if anyone could tell me any more info about this thing (type of wood, appx. price, etc) and hopefully that I got a good deal! :) It even has the original Slingerland batter head on it but I'm not sure about the snare head because there's no logo on it. I was told that the older Slingerland drums (1960-7?) were made in the USA but now they're made in like Taiwan or something. I also have a 1964 Black-diamond finished 22 bass drum in decent shape but the vinyl part (on top of the wood) is cracked in a few places and some idiot painted over it with black paint. The wooden hoops on the BD are cool but the paint is chipping off. Oh yeah, I bought the bass drum along with a 14 tom (Slingerland) and another set of shells that have no name on them and are fairly thin. The bass drum shell has a tom mount on it (says ROGERS on it imprinted) and its one of those cheap hexagon things where you stick a pole in it and mount the toms to the pole. Sorry about going on and on but i just wanted some info.. Please help if ya can! :)

Answer:
It sounds like you have a drum that has what is called a Duco finish. Drum companies back then would put these painted finishes on their cheaper drums as a cost cutting measure. That is, it was cheaper to spray on some paint than it was to wrap some pearl around it. Kind of a switch from today's thinking. You did not mention the number of lugs on your drum. If it only has six lug casings, then it is probably more of a student model drum and I can almost guarantee it is a duco finish. If this is the case and the drum is in good shape, then pricewise you did ok. I sold a similar drum (a Slingerland early sixties six lug with black diamond wrapped finish) for fifty bucks, but I expect I could have gotten more with a little effort. Your bass drum is such a hodge-podge that sight unseen I can only guess the value to a collector would be for nothing more than a parts drum. And has had a factory in Nashville for the last three years or so. Prior to that, they had one in Ridgeland, S.C., when they were owned by Gretsch. Now that they're owned by Gibson, they're making wonderful instruments.