To the OP,...One of the differences would be the length, the rods should pass through the incerts, too long or too short can make rattles and movement.

I`m sure there are more differences but the one I just discribed is Sonor tollerences !! They are big on tollerences. Also, Sonor T-Rods are heat tempered !!

I have known people who won't buy a vintage drum if it has wrong t-rods!

My three prized vintage kits... 1967 Rogers Headliner, 1967 Slingerland 4N and 1970-71 Ludwig Super Classic all have correct tension rods and washers. And, yes, I can tell the difference! When I'm refurbishing many of my nice vintage USA snare drums, I go out of my way to get period correct tension rods and washers. Many of my vintage MIJ snare drums were obtained with original tension rods. But, when they are missing, I'll just use new tension rods. The exception being those MIJ drums that came with metric rods. If some are missing, it may take me a long time until I can track down vintage replacements!

Yes idrum4fun, that is so true but then again i have 1,000's on these old M.I.J metric T-rods for bass drums,toms,snares....Mikey

Hey Mikey! Why am I not surprised you have these?!!! I should have known this all along! DOH

OK _ I guess that perhaps I was a bit unclear when I started this thread.

Having obviously mismatched rods on a drum bugs me too.

Or rods that are the wrong length _ either way _ too long or too short presents problems.

My point was that I am hard pressed when looking through my misc parts stock _ to identify any significant difference between rods that are the same length and thread pitch.

For instance I've bought numerous drum parts lots on eBay _ some with many many vintage tension rods of various lengths _ with most being unidentified.

So when I am rehabbing a drum and having a problem with any particular lug _ I look at both the swivel nut and rod _ and if needed I replace them with something that is the proper thread pitch and length and 'looks about the same' _ but I am never absolutely certain that I'm putting a Slingerland rod on a Slingerland drum _ or a Ludwig rod on a Ludwig drum _ or etc.

And without having a known rod in hand to compare it to, I would say that most drummer folk would be hard pressed to identify an odd assorted handful of rods by their manufacturer.

Then _ {begin rant} _ you will need to excuse me _ its a pet peeve of mine _ but I really wish that drum folk would stop using the abreviated 't-rod' for a standard tension rod.

T-Rods are rods with a T- Head _ generally used on bass drums _ not your standard keyed tension rod used mostly on toms and snares.

There are exceptions both ways of course, but you know what I mean.

See, even in the above statement _ one should not have to say _ 'your standard keyed tension rod used mostly on toms and snares' _ to clarify the distincion _ 'tension rod'_ should be quite enough.

Anyways, it just lends to a general confusion, yet I see it all the time.

{end rant}

Now perhaps there ARE some subtle and identifying charateristics of the various rods between manufacturers _ that I am just NOT seeing_ and that is really what I was asking for _ if folks might describe the subtle differences THEY see _ and perhaps give some hints to help pinpoint identification.

For instance, when I see a brass washer on a rod _ I think it is most likely vintage Slingerland. Ludwig rods seem to have bit heftier bottom washer.

But thats a backassward approach because its more of a washer identification _ nothing really specific to the actual rod architecture _ and besides the washer could have been switched out at some point.

Now then _ Any comments?

Ohm

To save time......

How about this?

BD t-rod

tom or snare t-rod?

Gets the point across

So to start off...

snare/tom t-rods: Ludwig's are heavier and have the little 'blips' on the head (learned that from Blair); Rogers are blipless.

Bass rods are obvious, though mfr's offer different styles over time. . .

Myself, on my high end more valuable "collector" drums, the rods are important. On the player drums, I could care less though length can be crucial.

Correction:

Early-mid 60's Rogers rods are "blipless".....later ones have them..

Dayton onwards?

I'm not confused, but then I'm not general either..............Violin