Welcome to the forum. Those badges and serials date your drums to approx. '75 (plus or minus a year). Yours are fairly well clustered and all numbers should be different. While badges and serials are important they should not be used alone to determine dates and/or models of drums. There are many other features of the drums used to verify dates/models. Please post some pictures of the entire set and some interior shots if possible and the members here will be able to answer most of your questions. There is also a wealth of information on the Vintage Drum Guide (VDG) if you would like to investigate yourself. Concentrate on the articles by Dr CJ Wenk as that is the most reliable Slingerland info. He has a very comprehensive article regarding shell construction. Enjoy.

Individual serial numbers is normal. Each drum is an instrument unto itself. A drum set (or set of drums) is just a combination of these various instruments.Certain combinations were cataloged but drummers were/are free to come up with their own combination of various instruments to suit their own needs.

Wow - you guys are really awesome. I 'll get more photos of the inside of the shells to post, and will also run down the articles you mentioned. I really appreciate the help - I'm clueless when it comes to this stuff!

Yes, Welcome to the forum! Post more pics of your set. I'll make a good guess that it looks like this....

[Attachment: 113784]

A 5-piece 50N set (12" 13" 16"FT with 22" bass and chrome snare), probably the most popular configuration sold in the mid 70's.

Mike

I like your guess but just for fun will go with the 20" bass.

Mike, you guys are terrific here. So glad I found this forum, and yeah, that picture is IT! And, it's the 22" kick (not the 20"). Would these be maple shells? And is there any value in them? I'm not planning on selling them, but I'm genuinely curious about them.

You're drums are either 3-ply with re-rings or 5-ply without rings. Both are quality shells. Interior ply for 70's drums is maple regardless. Wrapped drums like yours would typically have a mahogany outer ply. The thicker plies in the middle are poplar.

[QUOTE=kennywest;421864]Mike, you guys are terrific here. So glad I found this forum, and yeah, that picture is IT! And, it's the 22" kick (not the 20").

OK, looks like I owe mchair303 a beer next time I'm in town.

Kenny, I have a set from the same era, and I absolutely LOVE them. (I just posted a photo of my set on the "Display your monster set" thread. Same wrap as yours). I use that set just for rock, so I have pinstripes on them. You get that great descending decay. Put ambassadors on them for just about anything else. Slingerland drums are priced a little under competitor's drums of the day, but for my money, they sound as good or better. I just became active on this site recently and you won't find a more helpful bunch of guys (gals?) anywhere!

Josh