I found this curious little 12" x 3.5" snare in an antique shop. Shell and rims are maple, 1 ply, steamed.
It has the archaic wing-nut style tension rods, skin heads in excellent condition, and an interesting strainer. The snares are very fine springs. The curious thing is that it has 7 tension rods.
The strainer has a patent date of Jan 25, 1927. No badge.
It is similar to vintage snares I've owned from the 20s and 30s, but it is small and its construction is a bit too light to hold up for a working drummer.
My initial thought is that a well-constructed toy from early-mid 20th century, or perhaps it is an accessory off of an old theater organ. Has anyone seen anything like this before?
