Nice job with the Premier and UK drums timeline !

Well done for something long over due here on this side o' the pond.

Now I'm wondering if you might be willing or able to supplement the timeline with a timeline on Premier/Zyn cymbals...?

They're such an integral and important piece of Premier history.

Like the story of how the British government offered a home and wages to any of their WWII Italian POWs when Premier wanted to hire those Italians who were skilled cymbal smiths from UFIP. Apparently, most of them stayed, and they set up a new cymbal shop for Premier, and made cymbals for a very long time there...

I know Premier made their own cheap spun brass cymbals, just Like Ludwig and Leedy did in the U.S., up until the war. I'm guessing they just stamped their brand name, Premier, onto them.

Then, after the war, when the Italians went to work in Premier's newly rebuilt cymbal shop, they put out some rather nice hand-made (B20 bell bronze) cymbals under the Premier brand. Soon after came the Zyn brand, starting in 1950. Most of them were made of nickel-silver (NS12 alloy) I believe...

But in which year did the Super Zyn brand begin...? They were B20, I think.

Then came the Standard Zyn (stamped that way to distinguish them from the Super Zyns?) as a mid-level NS12 cymbal...? What year did they start stamping them Standard Zyn...?

In 1968, Premier launched the 5 Star Super Zyn B20 bell bronze hand-hammered line, which even today are considered comparable to Avedis Zildjians.

Then came the Krut brand (1960s?), which were then renamed as 2 Star Zyn in the 1970s...?

It can seem a little tricky trying to figure out which cymbals appeared in which years, and what their alloys were.... Even more confusing when you try to figure in the stencil brands for Beverly, Ajax, and probably a few others.

Hell of a challenge, a Zyn timeline, but one I believe would be well worth the effort.

Food for thought, my good brothers !

Dig it !

-- Beatnikjazz --

That's cool, Mike. Thank you for sharing that with the forum.

I think Hayman is about to be relaunched in the UK site is under construction go to haymandrums.co.uk.

By looking at the displayed drums on the web page, I think they're coming back as cheap "China" brand drums, what a pity. I always wanted to own a Hayman drum kit.

Can someone help me?? I am looking at the badges for Premier drums, but I don't see anything that goes beyond the 1980 Oylmpic Badge. There is one additional badge, but no information.

What does the premier badge look like today on new sets?

I have a set I might like to buy, but I can't identify it.

Randy

hello

i have made a timeline for uk vintage drums, except premier.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerkelly/sets/72157622849683391/

it is rounded to 5 year increments.

kind regards

roger

These two 9X12" toms were being played w/ an old Gretsch 6X23" Bass. The toms have a large stamping inside. L. W. Hunt Drum Mfg. Co. London LWH. Could you help me date these instruments, & place them in the English Time Line? Regards, T Dennis

I acquired a 12X14 Brass shell rope tension snare made by Premier, dated 1941. All books, catalogs & websites state that wartime production was redirected to other manufacturing. I wouldn't be surprised that Premier made some instruments for the Military, but it strikes me as odd that this drum has such a large brass shell, as well as many heavy brass parts (during wartime restrictions). Is this drum evidence of a larger government contract? Regards, T Dennis

L W Hunt or Doc Hunt had a workshop in Archer Street, Soho, London until the 1970s and they sold, rented, repaired and built just about anything percussion wise. Big barn of a place stuffed with drums. There is a reference here http://www.eddieryancustomdrums.co.uk/ to Eddie Ryan renting space there in 1971. These drums are probably 40s or 1950s made to special order.