If it's a mahogany inner, it has to be 3-ply, and a found or reworked shell from '63 or earlier.

That would be way cool, and certainly one for the books!

Please let us know.

Will do. I might see if I can get some pics on Monday. Like I said eariler it's been awhile since I've had the heads off the bass.

OK, I got some pics taken. It is mahogany, 3 ply and there is no date stamp only the Slingerland stam[Attachment: 40107]

[Attachment: 40108]

[Attachment: 40109]p.

That is definitely a 3 ply shell with a beautiful mahogany interior. Hopefully kevins will jump in and enlighten us a little, but I believe that's most likely an early 60s shell. I believe that stamp first appeared on resonant bass drum heads in the late 50s. I haven't seen a shell with that stamp inside, but maybe someone else has.

I think, too, that shell is from the early sixties, before the switch to maple interiors.

My three outfits from the seventies have the Slingerland script stamp on their maple interiors. No script stamps on my sixties, fifties, and forties items.

More puzzlers for me now too are that the interior screws and washers look seventies to me, (smaller diameter washers and screws without slots) the interior looks varnished, and the placement of the set-o-matic bass mount is way, way close to the bearing edge.

Maybe they chose to try to use up a shell they had little chance of ever using now that the 5-ply shells had become the standard.

They used the seventies hardware, of course, (unless anyone's seen the keys to the DeLorean lately ;)) and even varnished and script-stamped the interior to try to achieve a more consistent look.

About the placement of the bass mount, I got no idea. I know they started placing them forward for certain set-ups like the Avante starting in '71 or so where they needed two mounts.... how that fits in I dunno.

I'll try to find my receipts and see if there are any notes on it. Maybe by that time, they knew that the metal wraps were going away and decided not wrap a "new" shell with it. Just a silly thought. Haven't seen many Blakrome drums so I don't know if maybe it occurred with certain expeirmental finishes.

Also, I thought the set-o-matic mounts moved forward in the late 70's, but after looking at some of the catalogs it looks like that placement was only on certain kits after '78.

Hmmmm Very interesting! Did I already say that? ;)

Yes..............:)

Still looking for the receipt. I just saw it not too long ago. Is there anybody on this forum that maybe worked for Slingerland?