TommyP!

Even with a cataract in one eye, I felt confident it wasn't your factory 5x14! Thanks for confirming this...AND...posting pictures for your snares. Always a pleasure to see what you have!

-Mark

I always loved that photo of Gene on the Rogers kit, but never saw the video. I also never noticed the 4x14 dyna! Just think, it is out there somewhere. Thanks Tommy!

Tommy..... glad you are still enjoying your 4x14! Your wish is my command! Complete with Rogers LB model sticks/brushes.

And here is a photo from a LB drum instruction book showing an interesting setup LB used (for clinics?). It shows Rogers drums in some unusual sizes. I read somewhere that Joe Thompson liked Louie and built him drums in unique sizes.

The 4x14 is in front of Louie. Check out the 3x14 on the left. The bass drums appear to go down to a 16” and the rack toms appear to be in various depths.

I recall hearing that Gene had a "stealth" Dyna made up for himself using Slingerland lugs but that once Bud Slingerland found out about it he made Gene stop using it. Similar to Buddy using his Fibes snare a decade later, but Buddy was less inclined to give in to Slingerland's demands.

K.O. / Powertone / Jeff!

Always liked that snare drum Jeff! ... you have the REAL DEAL, mine is a mere copy, but ... EXACT in every detail of course. It's a pleasure to play! I'll also add to what you put up with a pic I have in my collection from 1966 that shows LB setting up for one of his many Rogers drums clinics back then. You can see the 4X14 right to the left of Louis! It's a great pic!

K.O.!

You are correct with regard to the snare drum disguised as a Slingerland that Gene Krupa played for quite a while actually, but it wasn't a Dynasonic, rather a Fibes! He was indeed caught and stopped playing the drum for the very reasons you mentioned. Class guy he was! .. but .. they ALL seemed to really dig the fiberglass snare drums back then! Gene and BR weren't the only two! That all said, I have pics of Gene's drum in my collection. A friend of mine came into possession of it many years ago and has since sold it to a collector. Gene played it so much that the EARLY fiberglass shell made by Bob Grauso himself started to collapse up at the bearing edges/beds. The WMP had also shrunk/split too, which was also par for the course! If you look close at the 1st pic, you can see some of that deterioration near the snare bed. ENJOY!

Tommyp

After posting I was second guessing myself that Gene may have had a disguised Fibes rather than a Dyna but upon double checking there are at least two websites dedicated to Gene that confirm the Dyna story. Could he have had both?

You know what's funny about this? ... after I wrote my post I said to myself .. wait .. wasn't there talk about Gene ALSO playing a Rogers Dynasonic in disguise as a Slingerland model??!! I do believe you are correct! I don't think I have ever seen pics though. Have you? I wonder if there are any out there? I know two of the BIGGEST authorities on Gene Krupa, so it might be time to delve a little deeper!

Tommyp

I had also read about this and have spent almost 30 minutes searching through The Rogers Book and The Slingerland Book by Rob Cook and came up with nothing. I just looked through my copy of The Great American Drums and the Companies That Made Them, and found what I was looking for! On page 38, which is in the Rogers section. I won't type if verbatim, but it generally says that Ben Straus received a call from one of his dealers, asking if Rogers could build a Dynasonic, wrapped in WMP, but not put any hardware on it. The shell was built and shipped to this dealer, who installed all the Slingerland hardware. The telltale frame below the snare head was a dead give away. Bud Slingerland found out about it and Gene went back to using his Radio King.

I wonder what happened to that Slingerland-Dyna!!!

-Mark

AWESOME Mark! ... and I have that book too! That's gotta be where I saw it many moons ago. GREAT that you had the tenacity to stay on it, and locate! Thumbs up!!!

Tommyp

Thanks TP!

It was driving me crazy that I remembered reading about this, but couldn't find it. It then becomes a "mission" to figure out. At least it didn't take days! LoLoLoLo

-Mark