p.m. sent regarding parts.

Here are some pix of the snare drum tension rods, the snare and the bass drum muffler.

Picture of the top of the bass drum showing the muffler knob.

Hey guys,

Apologies for posting in an old thread, but after extensive research on Autocrat snares I have ended up here!

I am going to buy this snare tomorrow night, however the gentleman I am purchasing it from knows nothing about it.

These are the pictures I have, and I will of course upload better ones when I can. I am really after any info anyone as on it.

He is asking £40 for it with a really old leblond case. I think in the worst case scenario it would be a cool project to tamper with/upgrade should the drum be a disaster. But I love a good project!

Never came across an Autocrat in this finish, also the throw-off seems to baffle me somewhat from these pictures.

Any info welcome, thanks in advance.

BUY IT! Most were wrapped, this looks like the outer wood of the shell, stained and lacquered. Shell with re-rings looks legit. All hardware (from what I can see) looks legit as well.

Excellent! Thanks for the quick reply :)

This might seem like an amateur question, but what is the purpose of the metal member inside the snare? The one that stretches the full inner diameter of the shell.

Keen to find out what kind of wood it is too, unfortunately my knowledge of wood is below average having only ever owned birch shells.

Should I post this in a new thread to see if I can gather any more info on it?

Kind regards

Doug

Hey Doug,

Saw that too, unfortunately I couldn't get up to Scotland to collect it.

It is a parallel action snare, hence the metal beam. My guess is it has been re finished in a natural veneer as the grain on the shell should be vertical not horizontal like the exterior, a real mix of parts ranging from pre war, wartime and postwar. If you end up not liking it, let me know as I'll take it.

Shell is 3ply vertical grain ash

Best

Doug

Douglas,

Thanks for the info, I am not familiar with this style throw-off. I think it's before my time, not a valid excuse I know!

Luckily I live in Aberdeen so it's very handy, I've arranged for a friend to pick the snare up this evening.

Wow I was on your website last night! It's a cracker, spent a long time on it already. Yeah I mean, I play a modern Sonor Birch kit but its a brute. Need a snare upgrade and I'm looking for a smaller set up.

If I don't like the snare I would be happy to pass it on. Any tips on setting up/cleaning/anything in general? wouldn't imagine it has been looked after recently as the guy knew nothing about it.

Doug

Well good luck with it Doug, judging by the pictures it looks to be in pretty good condition, have a look at the page "Autocrat tips" on the website:

http://ukdrums.weebly.com/autocrat-tips.html

If you have any more questions give us a shout anytime, also if you're after any drums give us a shout, if I don't have it I could more than likely source it. If you like Sonors I have a lovely vintage Sonor Signature Bubinga in small sizes: 10,12,14,20:

http://hindleandheely.co.uk/sonor-signature-bubinga-kit-in-jazz-sizes.html

Best regards,

Doug

Okay I have the drum apart to give it a good clean. Unfortunately there appear to be some issues that I am unsure about.

The top hoop is warped, and pretty badly too. I had a look at the 'Autocrat tips' link and am still a little unsure as how to straighten it. I do however have access to a mechanical workshop at university, and I'm pretty sure one of the technicians will be able to help me out as we are good friends. With this in mind any idea what I should ask him to do to it :S ?

Secondly, the bearing edge (where the snares are connected via cable to the throw off mechanism) is very worn down. This is the case on both sides where the snares meet the throw off.

The finish on the drum is much less appealing under closer inspection. It is a very thin veneer, I think its a veneer at least. My knowledge of drum finishes is limited at best. It is rippled in areas where it has been put under stress from the lugs being attached.

The heads that were on when I got it were pretty trashed. However the parallel action throw off is impressively smooth! It may also be worth noting that there are holes suggesting that the throw off is a retrofit, and as these holes are covered the drum appears to have been refinished (pretty badly) :(

To sum up, more work is needed to make this old snare as nice as it should be than I anticipated. This begs the question, What is the likelihood of the drum being playable? I have attached some pics to try and give an idea.

Advice very welcome!

Thanks

Doug