Could it possibly have been an orchestra model? I mean, with that much choice....let's see, some sort of steel wires on one side, gut on the other, that gets 3 different tones, no?

I agree that this was designed to switch from wire to gut, to both & off. There were some early Ludwig & Ludwig, & WFL snares that accomplished this w/ 2 throw offs.

Strange.

If the hoops are genuine, you wouldn't need the lugs (although obviously some had been there on before), 'cause you just need long tension rods to make it a 'free floating' shell. But if there have been originally lugs on, it wouldn't make sense to weld the rings to the hoops.

The parallel strainer tells me: here was someone working who had good ideas ...

If it's really of European origin, Fritz should be able to help out of this miracle:

http://www.drummermagazin.de/0209_re/mysterium.php

His email:

steger (at) drummermagazin (dot) de

Ralf

(Pic) Sonor snare from early 20th century. The red painted shell, in the original post , may be from a different era, decades more recent than the hoops, which are similar to the early Sonor.

To me Ralf, Is right on this one the drum has been re=worked lugs have been re-moved from the shell..Iam also going to say some European made drum But not Sonor the inside of the shell to me does not look like abt Sonor i have seen...Also looks Premiur to me....Mikey

Agreed, not Sonor. I have a 1957 Sonor set with snare, and i've seen pics of alot of early Sonors and Ive never seen a strainer like that.

So I'd say, German made, yes, Sonor made, no.

Strange and very interesting - I've never seen such drop system. :eek:

Agree with Ralf, Mikey and Retro - it looks as german conceptually.

I'm almost sure that is a "gear-rack" mechamism --- have you opened it?.

Den, you have to send an ID question to brothers Steger.

George.

" I've tentatively identified this snare by the type of hoop used on very old Sonors. "

This hoop design was pretty common , in Germany and is still used today.

and there are probably 8 or 10 companies that have used it.---- it was also used elsewhere on the continent, as well as in England.

Measure the drum----If it is 360mm, that meaans something, if it is 380mm, that means something, if it is 14" , that means something. Also, measure the interspace of the lug mount holes.

I've been around a lot of German drums and I must say, I haven't quite seen anything quite like this, before.

The shell looks to be European Beech to me, which doesn't say anything per se, exc. ---continent.

I'd like to see the seam on the shell and a closeup of the seam of the rering.

The muffler is completely unique, except in it's basic design which incorporates adjustment and engagement, in one unit. The only German drums that, I have seen that had that style of muffler were Deri and Trowa, then Tacton. This mechanism doesn't resemble either of those.

I agree with Jonnistix , probably an orchestra snare drum.

TD,

I`ll not use the hoops,...Sonor made a lug with that similar shape,..it was pre teardrop prolly early 50`s late 40`s. I have seen that throw on a Sonor drum before, I just can`t place it, and I think it rotates the other way, but....Go to sonormuseum.com and in the old Sonor forum,..ask about it to hemoslet (henk),...he`ll know something about it or even have one maybe !!

Say the word and/or I`ll do it for ya !!