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Rogers Eagle Spotlight BDP 20/13/14

Posts: 404 Threads: 23

You may have seen this on the Bay; arrived last week, and I couldn't be more happy.

This kit is a relatively complete Spotlight three piece. Advertised as a '57, and it does show up in that catalog, although the one in the catalog shows with clip on spurs and center cymbal mount. So this kit must be a bit later than the picture. Note the early swivo hardware - no 'rogers' on the 4 bolt plates, and square nuts inside. Odd that every one of the 5 swivo's on the 20 are straight. Definitely factory.

Sequential Spotlight serials make it a real treat. Three calf heads to boot. Three ply Jasper shells, early unmolested rounded bearing edges, and it came with both cymbal arms!

I was able to contact the finder of this set, as he had inquired on the Rogers owner forum over a year ago. He said he found them from an attic estate sale in Piqua OH, right next to Covinton, so this set could have had a Rogers plant worker connection?

All the flat top lugs are cracked or completely toast; maybe 8 are salvageable with the 2 part putty fix or fiberglass. Not looking foward to that, as I still have to complete that on my rogers black/gold duco project. All 20 of these are exactly the same 2 1/8" center-to-center b&b. I'm wondering what to do - seems like it would be a long wait for 12 flat tops to purchase on the used market. There is absolutely no fade on this wrap. Thinking about using classic tubes 2 3/16", and filing down the outsides of the lug mounting bosses in order fit without ovaling the shells. You only need to shorten 1.5mm total. Anyone tried this before?

Here's a shot after a Meguires wipe down.

John/Levelpebble

Tama Superstar 81 Aqua bop
Rogers Cleveland BDP (x2), Silver bop, Champagne, Black/Gold Duco, WMP, Blue sparkle; Dayton Red Onyx;
Camco Oaklawn 12 14 20 5x14 Tuxedo WMP
LW 59 SC Blue Sparkle, WMP
WFL Gold Sparkle SC, WMP Compacto
Gretsch 49/50 Broadkaster WMP
Fibes Copper Forte
Remo MasterEdge Bop, Gold Crown, Mondo
Slingerland Conway Black Satin
70's MIJ Del Ray, my first and fav ok I'm lying here
Way Too Many Snares, She Says
Posted on 8 years ago
#1
Posts: 404 Threads: 23

Decided to try modding 2 3/16" center-to-center tube lugs for this kit. Just need to grind down a bit of the outer posts with a dremel so they fit in the 2 1/8" b&b hole distance.

Absolutely no mods to the shell to accommodate this solution.

Purists, don't hate on me, but these lugs were only $5.50 each. If good reasonably priced flat tops come along, maybe I'll bite. But this is the easy economical no-harm fix to a currently useless kit with nearly all completely unusable b&b's. Actually, I think it's going to look pretty classy, although admittedly, flat tops are about the sexiest lug ever.

What do you think?

John/Levelpebble

Tama Superstar 81 Aqua bop
Rogers Cleveland BDP (x2), Silver bop, Champagne, Black/Gold Duco, WMP, Blue sparkle; Dayton Red Onyx;
Camco Oaklawn 12 14 20 5x14 Tuxedo WMP
LW 59 SC Blue Sparkle, WMP
WFL Gold Sparkle SC, WMP Compacto
Gretsch 49/50 Broadkaster WMP
Fibes Copper Forte
Remo MasterEdge Bop, Gold Crown, Mondo
Slingerland Conway Black Satin
70's MIJ Del Ray, my first and fav ok I'm lying here
Way Too Many Snares, She Says
Posted on 8 years ago
#2
Posts: 2023 Threads: 47

Amazing little kit, surprised nobody else has chimed in yet. I don't think anyone can blame you for getting them up to playable condition - if the correct casings come along, all the better.

Mitch

Posted on 8 years ago
#3
Posts: 1955 Threads: 68

From DownTownFarmer

Amazing little kit, surprised nobody else has chimed in yet. I don't think anyone can blame you for getting them up to playable condition - if the correct casings come along, all the better.Mitch

I'm with Mitch. I also can't blame you for finding a viable solution to making these beauties playable again. I find nothing "sexy" about flat-tops or B&B's, but I agree the original lug holes shouldn't be re-drilled or filed out to accommodate a new lug.

Now this may sound crazy, but has anyone ever attempted to put a tube lug inside a cracked B&B? Or perhaps remount the cracked B&B over an installed tube lug?

Mike

-No Guru... still learning more every day-
Posted on 8 years ago
#4
Posts: 404 Threads: 23

Well, I finally finished rebuilding all those flat top B&B brass lugs, and only one of the twenty didn't hold, so I am very happy with that! I bought some more lugs on ebay, and now I have a few spares in case I need any more rebuilt. I'll save those tubes for another project.

Put it all back together and took the three-piece Eagle out for some beauty shots this weekend. Original calf on the kick reso. I'm showing it with my Cleveland era 14x16, which is a darker BDP, but it shows how the wrap colors changed over the decade. None of these drums show any hint of fade or damage.

This kit must have been built at the very start of the swivo-matic era - note the straight-out angle of the kick's tom mount. Ditto for the spurs - a very wide stance.

What do you think?

John/Levelpebble

Tama Superstar 81 Aqua bop
Rogers Cleveland BDP (x2), Silver bop, Champagne, Black/Gold Duco, WMP, Blue sparkle; Dayton Red Onyx;
Camco Oaklawn 12 14 20 5x14 Tuxedo WMP
LW 59 SC Blue Sparkle, WMP
WFL Gold Sparkle SC, WMP Compacto
Gretsch 49/50 Broadkaster WMP
Fibes Copper Forte
Remo MasterEdge Bop, Gold Crown, Mondo
Slingerland Conway Black Satin
70's MIJ Del Ray, my first and fav ok I'm lying here
Way Too Many Snares, She Says
Posted on 8 years ago
#5
Posts: 6170 Threads: 255

That's a beautiful kit. What a find. Nice job on everything. My fave Rogers badges!

Mike

Posted on 8 years ago
#6
Posts: 2023 Threads: 47

Yeah that's a really neat kit, and I'm glad you don't have to keep fixing casings.

If they'd fit, I'd be super tempted to get angled swivos for the BD spurs. I think Rogers ended the search for perfect BD support design with those. Everything else was just mucking about...or y'know, not infringing Rogers' patent. I guess Ludwig's curved spurs would come in a distant second. I'm not a fan of the new telescoping poles.

Anyway the ones on there probably work fine and it's a beautiful kit.

Mitch

Posted on 8 years ago
#7
Posts: 404 Threads: 23

Mitch

I've attached a couple of close-ups that show it's not possible to use angled swivos for the spurs, or for the tom mount either. There is no clearance tolerance in the factory drilled wood for any angle. Just have to put up with the early versions I suppose. The spurs certainly reach the ground, but you have to use all the spur to get there.

John

From DownTownFarmer

Yeah that's a really neat kit, and I'm glad you don't have to keep fixing casings. If they'd fit, I'd be super tempted to get angled swivos for the BD spurs. I think Rogers ended the search for perfect BD support design with those. Everything else was just mucking about...or y'know, not infringing Rogers' patent. I guess Ludwig's curved spurs would come in a distant second. I'm not a fan of the new telescoping poles. Anyway the ones on there probably work fine and it's a beautiful kit.Mitch

John/Levelpebble

Tama Superstar 81 Aqua bop
Rogers Cleveland BDP (x2), Silver bop, Champagne, Black/Gold Duco, WMP, Blue sparkle; Dayton Red Onyx;
Camco Oaklawn 12 14 20 5x14 Tuxedo WMP
LW 59 SC Blue Sparkle, WMP
WFL Gold Sparkle SC, WMP Compacto
Gretsch 49/50 Broadkaster WMP
Fibes Copper Forte
Remo MasterEdge Bop, Gold Crown, Mondo
Slingerland Conway Black Satin
70's MIJ Del Ray, my first and fav ok I'm lying here
Way Too Many Snares, She Says
Posted on 7 years ago
#8
Posts: 2023 Threads: 47

From levelpebble

MitchI've attached a couple of close-ups that show it's not possible to use angled swivos for the spurs, or for the tom mount either. There is no clearance tolerance in the factory drilled wood for any angle.

True and I should have noticed, this is apparent in the 3rd pic you originally posted. Just did a quick google image search for straight swivos and didn't see those long sleeves that go so far into the shell. Early design?

From levelpebble

Just have to put up with the early versions I suppose. The spurs certainly reach the ground, but you have to use all the spur to get there. John

Yep. I couldn't deal, and put fold-out spurs on my Club Dates, but that kick was already compromised with a center-pole double tom mount. That's a big hole and whoever drilled it only had a hole saw that was even bigger, so....not what you're dealing with.

It's a terrible spur angle, even potentially threatening to the integrity of the shell, and they all used it. But the outer plate and inner guide sleeve on the swivos of your wicked Rogers kit probably make them safer than most. More robust, as usual...

Mitch

Posted on 7 years ago
#9
Posts: 87 Threads: 41

Great job, what a find!!!!

Posted on 7 years ago
#10
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