I've always felt Leedy to be far superior in quality to Slingerland or Ludwig.

I think too, there is some consideration to be made about the level of restoration that's appropriate for each project....as in, will a freshly painted shell look appropriate with "aged" hardware and vice versa ?

Just my two cents.....:)

It's really good to read about other people's views on restoration and I realise that it's a very subjective matter. Dan - your view is probably about where I sit with it from a philosophical perspective and I am erring on the side of re-finishing the shell - simply because I'd really like to see it looking pristine again - and also so that it has the chance of surviving another 80+ years.

Thanks again guys for your collective input and I'll be sure to check back in once the project is complete.

Hey Gerald, I had that drum on my watch list too. The strainer, or lack of, was holding me back. I was also wondering how I'd deal with the obvious wear to the finish. In the end I think that I'd be inclined to try and preserve what's there by applying a clear finish. I like old stuff and I clean a lot of old drums to get them looking really nice but sometimes the wear is appealing. I have an old 60s Vespa that still has most of it's original paint plus years of wear, dents, stickers etc. Everyone loves the way it looks and it would be a mistake to wipe all that away with a nice panel and paint job. However, I accept that this drum is a line call though. Either way it'll look great.

With greatest respect to all opinions, I would refinish if it weren't one of the last best. Clearcoating over that old paint doesn't appeal to me on aesthetics, originality or durability. If it were one of the very few, all bets are off.

Hi Andrew,

I'm really glad I managed to get the drum. I'd been looking out for a Duco Broadway for ages, although perhaps in better shape than this one. It was a bit of a strange auction because it also had the option to make an offer which I did of $25 less than the buy now, but then the vendor came back with a counter offer of only $1 less than the buy now price which I thought was little odd. I figured if they were open to offers then why not be a little more flexible. Anyway, I'm more than happy with the outcome.

Interestingly there's another, almost identical 1938 Duco Broadway on ebay at present (I think it's a 14") but in really stunning condtion and with engraved hoops. If I could get mine into that shape I'd die a happy man!

That was a bit odd. I probably would've gone back at $176. It's not like the listing had only just gone up. It was there for a couple of weeks from memory.

I'm sure you'll get it looking good. Can't wait to see how it ends up.