The other peculiar thing is. All of the Trowas, I have seen had offset, single end lugs,except some made very late , when the brand morphed into Tacton. This drum does seem to have been fitted with double end lugs which appear to have the profile of the Super Extra lugs but the moulds for those lugs probably were left behind in East Germany, if they existed prior to 1950 and would have had to be remade in the West.

The throwoff appears to have not been chromed? This seems unusual for Sonor but it is within bounds for East Germany, where the cosmetics played a lesser role.

It's a standard constructive solution on 3-ply shells by Sonor /Trowa.

Agree with most of words, Phil.

But Trowa also have used a double lugs just after war - tube type, the same Sonor ones --- I suppose that double holes on shell could be for them too - it maybe more correctly to this kind snare.

George.

Yes, George but Sonor did not make 355mm shells until 1959, and by then the shells were dramatically different ?? Do you know when Trowa switched over to inch shells? All my early examples ----maybe up to 1954 are metric.

I agree about the tube lugs but this shell clearly has imprints of a double ended lug casing, in addition to the holes and of a similar shape to those on the Super Extra.

There`s other drilling that has been filled, I can`t see the entire inside.

I also don`t think that throw or lug ever saw East Germany !! Sonor was useing an imperial type lug before the war !!

The size thing needs the tape shown on the drum for me to be sure nothing is rounded. Sonor made a 37cm. I`ll ask henk some more !!

Sonor also made a 36cm that had wood hoops !!

Maybe Sonor made 360mm shells---that was the Dresdner standard , that's why older Trixon,Trowa and Tromsa drums need custom heads. That is a long way from a 355mm shell that this one has been measured at.If it is a 355mm shell(14") and it is a Sonor drum, then it is post 1959 but even by 1956 , Sonor was making very different shells than that, whereas Trowa continued with the basic design into the 1960's. As far as the Imperial style lugs. Yes, but for how long and on which model? If you look at the Sonor Museum site, there is a floor tom that supposedly predates, the move to the West and it has a single sided version of the lugs that are on the 1952 Super Extra, so those lugs were probably being made in East Germany.

As far as your Sonor expert and his knowledge. I know the guy and have bought drums from him. All he knows is Sonor. He sold me a Trowa kit that he thought were Tromsa, even after I corrected him.I knew they were Trowa and that is why I bought them. The drums are still in his picture file as Tromsa. If he doesn't even know a Trowa kit when he sees one , how would he know that this drum isn't Trowa? He muddles every other German drum company together in one pot. I don't think he even knew Trowa existed before I informed him, which is very funny because being the direct heir to the original Sonor factory and clearly some of their designs, one would think a Sonor enthusiast would be interested in the history of his revered drums. After all the early Trowas, were very Sonoresque.

I think, Phil, you're right on sizes - I haven't my own exact info about transition years, but facts saying us that indeed this date is approx' correct --- my 59' set have inch shells, but some of earlier Trowa (concert, marching, f-flo, tube-lug's & etc) on german ebay or forums really were metric. I'm planning a summer trip to Germany and take some time to visit a "German Drums Motherland" - Sachsen: Weißenfels ruines once more, Dresden, Markneuenkirchen, Aue (Eastern), small Berliner workshops --- I hope to get any new info until some of guys are still alive.

George.

Ah-hh-h... Phil... You've bought that extremely rarest set from Henk??????!!!!!!

But it's a unic transition III-generation's kit! When??

You've posted nothing in forum... Oh, my great warm congratulations, shake your hand, sir !!!

I've also wrote him about his some mistakes - on that Trowa and about FT.

He's a good guy but I've couldn't prove him wrong.

Congrats once more on TROWA-III,

George.

I can`t state anything about it`s size without seeing a tape held on the drum but I give TD the benniefit of the doubt. It`s easy to mistake 36cm for 14" depending on condition of the tape and where it`s held.

Henk`s material is actually Sonor data,..I can`t come up with as much as he has and use his to help me. He`s got lots of old Sonor goodies and if he thought something was Tromsa,..it didn`t say Trowa on it !! He doesn`t come off as a know it all, I`ve seen his resto. work and It`s excellent and he hasn`t called this Sonor yet, neither have I. We both love the mystery of gathering 50`s Sonor info cuz they kept little if any data !!

Before I came here I only reaserched Sonor,..I`ve owned the same Sonor kit all through my drumming. It`s never failed me and I don`t see how it could.

It`s looking to me like this drum was drilled for the lugs, throw and other interior parts but I can`t see the whole inside with pics. provided. Then someone after market changed it to single tension and changed the muffler out too. It still looks to me like it was born Sonor.

Say`n that it maybe if or prolly had isn`t good enough for me to think fact. I see Sonor but no Trowa !! I keep in mind that Sonor and Trowa are like Chevy and GMC !!

Now about that kit,...How bout some viewing food !!

Here's the kit. Not my photos. I have a matching 360mm x 108mm(strangely, exactly 4 1/4") parallel drop snare with brand new coil snares in orange sparkle. If you look at the shell pictures, there is enough to see the close similarity to the shell of the posted snare drum.http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd200/akaqua/?start=20#!cpZZ2QQtppZZ16