Hope you can save it, those are great sounding snare drums.

Here is the damage to the bearing edge:

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/Buddy%20Rich%20Snare/FAA44F91-9863-4D9F-B1DF-AEBFC9AA4CDD-652-000000F84308E8E9.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/potsy24/Buddy%20Rich%20Snare/C517D1CC-DF0A-48D3-B1A8-1EA718BD5600-652-000000F84792AD0B.jpg[/IMG]

wow what a mess, sure hope you can save her.

but what i am confused bout is: that looks like a ludwig snare and i thought Buddy only had his name on slingerlands? cors i really don't know much history on drums. anyway good luck with your project and am looking forward to seeing the outcome of it.

Robyn64!

It's not that you don't know "much history on drums"... it's also that you don't know that much about Buddy either! Course, this is how you do find out! Here's a quick rundown for you:

Buddy played/endorsed FIVE different drum companies between 1919 and 1987 when he passed. They were, and in order:

Ludwig

Slingerland Radio Kings

WFL/Ludwig ( this is the period for the drum in question )

Rogers

Trixon/Vox

Fibes

Slingerland

Ludwig

Slingerland ( restored set of Slingerland Radio King's presented to Buddy by Joe MacSweeney of the Eames Drum Company. Buddy played this set 'till his passing in April of 1987 )

There you have it! I'll attach a pic of my 1955 WFL Buddy Rich Super Classic. This is what the drum is supposed to look like, and in Buddy's wrap of course... WMP! ENJOY!!

Tommyp

Does anyone know of a less expensive option for snare wires on this drum? All I've found so far is this: http://www.vintagedrum.com/item/Puresound-Vintage-Series-Ludwig-WFL-Classic-w-string-mounting-UP-PSPLS1416, but they're like $40 for a set. I usually spend closer to $8 for a set of snare wires.

Well, I've got some citrus paint stripper on the shell now. So far it doesn't look like it will touch the paint. I think anything that's going to strip the auto paint is going to eat the wrap too. So I'll probably end up having to rewrap this drum. At least the extra holes will be covered. Otherwise, I may just finish the wood shell itself. I've done that before with good results. This would be a mahogany shell, right?

The good news is that the hardware is coming out well. It took some extra elbow grease, but a once over on the buffing wheel followed by Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish is doing a pretty good job.

you are right tommy, sad to admitt but no i don't know and the saddest thing of it is when people ask me who my favorite drummer is i reply " next to my uncl alan...Buddy Rich. pithetic huh.lol

thank you for that BR history lesson, i knew that Buddy played a few different names at different times but didn't know he endorsed them too. i guess i just thought he was playing what was there for him at the time. Slingerlands were his most favorite ones tho, right?

please nobody beat me up on this either or my grandson will have a talk with you. lol.

robyn64!

No worries at all! This is part of the neat thing about this place... the HISTORY!!! That said, no one will beat up on you and have to suffer the wrath of your grandson! Anyway...

... to answer your question: Buddy would RARELY praise any of the drums/drum companies that he was endorsing at the time. He said it didn't matter and they were all lousy! Fact is though... it DID matter, and privately he had a different take on it. First and foremost, he really liked Rogers!, and that was an excellent endorsement period for him too, not too mention the fact that he was extremely fond of Joe Thompson, the guy behind most ALL of Rogers drums innovations through the 60's. If you have a look top side at my avatar, well... those are my 1965 Rogers Buddy Rich Celebrity's, and in the EXACT configuration that he played as well as the proper era too. Those are my MAIN gigging drums and they play/sound incredible... they really do. Buddy knew! That all said:

When CBS/Fender bought the Rogers Drum Co. in 1967, Buddy split as there were BIG differences of opinion on how/what his endorsement would continue to be, as well as a NO GO on a recording contract. He literally told CBS/Fender to stuff it... ( and in much more colorful language ) ... and split. When he finally landed for the 2nd longest endorsement of his career, it was with Slingerland, starting in 1968 and going 'till the Fall of 1976. Truthfully, most everyone that is the casual observer of BR asscociates him with his Slingerland's, and the main reason for that was timing. He REALLY ramped up his concert schedule during the Slingerland years, and that happened to coincide with the GREAT success of his newly formed big band, although that all started while he was still playing Rogers in 1966. So!...

There you have the thumbnail sketch of it! Hopefully you enjoyed.. and .. apologies to potsy24 on the "slight" hi-jack of the thread.

Tommyp

thanks tommyp for the info, very interesting.

and to potsy24, i do appoligize for stepping on your post, was not my attentions, but also say thank you for alowing us to do so. interesting info tommyp provided me with.