so, i bought this Premier 5 1/2"X14'' snare drum at a local music shop for a really good price. it sounds great. after researching the drum i believe it to be a Super Ace Snare from the mid to late 60's. i am not much into Premier drums so i am unfamiliar with knowing anything about them. can anyone tell me some more information on this drum?????? what type of wood is it made with? are these a desired drum? what is the value on a drum like this?
thanks for watching.
cheers.
I believe that is actually a (mid 60s) Royal Ace snare. It doesn't have the big lever thowoff mechanism that the Super Aces have. I'm not able to give you an exact year, but maybe one of the experts can chime in.
This is the snare Ringo would have played with Rory Storm & The Hurricane & early Beatles before switching to Luddys & probably the most collectable of all Premier snares, though undervalued in the current marketplace.
The forum at http://www.mikedolbear.com/ is a good place to research anything Premier. Beautiful drum BTW! My birthday is coming up...
Royal Ace, pre 1965, 3 ply birch shell with beech re-rings. Die cast hoops and lugs with Rolls Royce chrome plating. Lugs would have had slot head tension rods. Flo-Beam Parallel (wrong wires pictured) throw. You can get replacement wires at Baskey Vintage: http://www.baskey.moonfruit.com/#/snare-wires/4566171381
The wrap is Acetate, this particular color, originally Aqua was prone to fading, staining and cracking, yours has all 3.
What's it worth? I've paid $150 for one in pristine condition with all original parts. You might get a few dollars more.
Wow thanks for the information gents. I love posting questions on this site. I can always count on the forum for help.
When I bought the drum the tension rods were slotted. I thought they were off a Sonar kit. So I replaced them with aftermarket rods. Im really glad I kept the rods haha.
