They seem very similar. All I can think of is that Slingerland shells were possibly all maple(?) plies with maple reinforcement hoops...? I don't recall if Slingerland used poplar-core shells or if they used mahogany and/or mixed plies, ether. I also don't know what (if any) evolution there was in regards to Slingerland shells.
Whenever 3-ply shells are referred to, it's almost always a reference to Ludwig. But, weren't vintage Slingerland shells also three-ply?
They were very similar. Poplar middle, Mahogany or Maple interior and Mahogany or Maple exterior. This was dependent on whether the outer ply was going to be painted, in which case it would be maple, just like Ludwig. In this case the inner would usually be Mahogany. There were also shells that had a varnished Mahogany outer so the inner would be Maple. There were probably periods where the inner and outer were Mahogany.
Ludwig made their shells out of plywood which was bent using heat and joined with a scarf joint. Slingerland did this early on but at some point switched to placing the individual plies in the mold and somewhat weaving the plies together at the seam.
Excellent information from thin shell! Another major difference were the bearing edges! Slingerland edges tended to be more "round", while Ludwig edges were a bit sharper. Looking at the "big three", Rogers had more "modern" edges, followed by Ludwig and then Slingerland.
-Mark
They were very similar. Poplar middle, Mahogany or Maple interior and Mahogany or Maple exterior. This was dependent on whether the outer ply was going to be painted, in which case it would be maple, just like Ludwig. In this case the inner would usually be Mahogany. There were also shells that had a varnished Mahogany outer so the inner would be Maple. There were probably periods where the inner and outer were Mahogany.
Good info with a few clarifications regarding Slingerland 3-ply shells: Slingerland did not choose an inner ply based on the outer ply that was being used. There were 'inner ply' eras. Mahogany inner plies were used to early/mid '63 regardless of the outer ply (mahogany or maple). From early/mid '63 onward the inner ply was maple, again regardless of the outer ply used (mahogany or maple).
There is a complete history of Slingerland shells right here on VDG. A must read. All your questions will be answered. http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/drcjw/article_3_shells1.html
Nice! Well, it's really difficult to find a new topic for discussion!
Maybe I should start a discussion about why Premier's chrome is always better than anyone else's....I dunno...j/k ;)
Good info, though. I actually wasn't sure what the differences are (if any) and so knowing there were a few distinctions between Ludwig and Sligerland's shells is helpful.
