Now lets show some pictures of supra-phonics!:D

Except for that one B stamp I saw from the late 60's, every single 60's COB I've seen had a weld seam. WFL, Transition Badge, and Preserial Keystone Badge COB shells are all welded vertically. Some of the seams can be harder to find than others, but they're there.

i just purchased one not to long ago...it has the pre serial badge, round muffler, crimped snare beds, inward flange on the inside of the shell (after the bearing edge)... i even did the scratch test. it all seems to indicate a cob...but no seam from which i could see.

Then that would mean its an early Supraphonic....aluminum shell. No seam, not brass for the Keystone badge era.

but the scratch test shows it to be brass under neath the chrome. it would still be aluminum?

You are probably seeing the copper plating under the chrome and nickel plating. If there is no seam and it is a 60's drum it is aluminum. The spun brass shells didn't come out until the late 70's.

so the seam is that visible? i may do another scratch test. it's got the weight 8.5lb.

That's the exact weight of my preserial COB. I've never heard of a pre-serial drum with a dial muffler being aluminum, but there's a first for everything. I have a Transition badge COB, and the weld is very hard to find...it looks like they sanded or filed it somehow, and you can see horizontal lines running up and down the very slight vertical seam. Can you post pics of the interior?

hey bill...just found 2 of the tinniest weld marks above and below the center bead (in line with the lug holes). also found those horizontal lines running down into the bearing edge and on the flanged inward part of the shell.

cob???

Sounds like it could be!