thanks MME for the fantastic feedback mate..yeah alligator wrap..a new one on me, and the strainer is pretty unusual too..a real eye catcher..can't wait to give it a run out next week !

Tromsa was on a never ending quest to compete with cheap oriental imports, so they got into some interesting wraps, and while generally maintaining the quality on the high end models, they sought to lower the price point on the mid-range models ,in the 1970's and later. Part of this was trying out plastics and they replaced the cast, lateral cam throwoff with this stamped steel---in out one. They also tried a standard back and forth lever type with a bell crank inside a round housing. Neither of these had the appeal or durability of the old cast cam type but the function and nice easy adjuster on the in/out one is pleasant.

thanks Phil for sharing your great knowledge..do you know what the wrap is called please and if you still think its a 70's snare??

You know. I have only ever seen that wrap once before. I haven't got any access to Tromsa catalogues after about 1965, so the odd wraps that they got into are pretty much a mystery to me too.

Here is what I do know. Tromsa , like all the other German companies was using the same really high quality wrap from Deutsch Celluloid, for all their drums until , a little into the 60's. After that, only the premium, 8 single sided lug , drums got that stuff and they went to a more brittle , thinner wrap for the lower end models. That same lower quality wrap ,showed up on Premier, some Sonor, some East German stuff, some Meazzi,Rimmel and presumably a few others----Lefima, Amati maybe. Trixon never used lower quality wrap. In fact , they went the other way , having a currently unknown company , make the Croco wraps for them as an exclusive. When Trixon went into hiatus, in 1972( the company continued to exist), Tromsa began using the Croco wrap as well.I don't know whether , they just bought the existing stock or whether they had it produced for them but both Tromsa and the Tromsa made Roxy drums showed up in the 70's with Croco wraps-----I have heard that there was green as well. Presumably , the supply of Croco ended or was too expensive and Tromsa replaced it with this similar, wrap but I have no idea what it was called. I have seen one Tromsa floor tom , with the previous lug style ( kind of like a Slingy lug ,that has had air pumped into it), with Red Croco, dating from the early 70's.

thanks again Phil..seen a 12" Junior with a similar wrap on the Tromsa site but no detial on the name of the wrap?...so will call it orange croc??...used it the other day and went really well..got a great rim shot too it as the rims are pretty close to the top skin so bounce off nicely and a great deal better than what i thought it would..Definately going to use it for rehearsal in the future..a great catch at such a low price..Yes Sir

I checked a few sources and came up dry. If you are contacting Gerd about anything, you might run it by him. He might know the name.

Tromsa have a generally open sound.That's why they always( almost always) come with a muffler, so if you want a closed sound.....

I really like the hoops-----very similar to Slingerland Sticksavers; yes they have really powerfull rimshots.

Interesting that you are finding these drums in the U.K., Dave ----I have been unable to determine, for sure ,whether they exported there----it seems not but I guess a few showed up anyway.