Stencils weren't really marketed through different companies, is my understanding. Lots of different badges, but sixty different companies weren't set up to market the sixty or so stencil "brands". In several cases, hardware was copied, or "stenciled" from hardware on established American made drums. There's the stigma factor, I believe.The actual company that made the drums doesn't appear on the badge. Most just say made in Japan, along with the "stencil brand" name.With a Private Label, like the two Slingerland ones in the Drum Guide, the manufacturer, Slingerland , is on the badge, and a model or store name appears on the label as well. Those drums were available for original purchase at that drum store only. Like the Lipskin Special Model, made for that drum store, or the Dorn @ Kirschner drum store name appearing on their Private Label.Now I think the PLMA Associations' definitions of what is a private label product would apply to stencil drums if the stencil era was currently going on, or perhaps even if the PLMA had been around when it was going on, but they didn't arrive until 1982 or so....But the drum community has already established what a stencil drum is to us.A blanket term referring to the wave of imported drums in the later sixties and seventies made from lower quality materials (not total crap, but definitely lower quality) than their sometimes copied (stenciled) American made counterparts.
kevins - OK, so a store label manufactured on the drum along side the manufacturer’s name is a “Private Label” and a store label and no manufacturers label is a “Stencil”. Sounds good to me.
This stuff though was here in the USA (and maybe other countries too) long before we started importing inexpensive drums from Japan. Think about Walberg & Auge and then certain stores like Sears and others here in America. I have a feeling that way back a company that had enough money could have “The Privilege” of having a quality American company produce a “stencil” for them to sell. Or if they were a store that sold a lot of product the best drum companies could produce a “Private Label” as a perc for that store’s good reputation.
I do think your distinction does work here in our drum world. No stigma necessary! Thank you for making this clear!
:)