Hi all,

Here is a very unique snare drum that has just entered the collection. I was able to purchase this drum from a collector that I met at the May 2012 Chicago Vintage Drum Show. We talked and negotiated, talked and negotiated, talked more and negotiated more and finally, after almost 4 months of more talking and more negotiating we finally agreed to a cash/trade deal that the seller was happy with and that I can somewhat live with. Deals between sellers and buyers can be an interesting study in strategies and personalities. My clock speed regarding drum deals is very simple and to the point; contact the seller, work the deal, send the check, get the drum, clean it up and then share the drum and its story with my friends and fellow collectors...usually all within a few days, a week at the most. Not so with this transaction. This was not my favorite drum deal in that it took way too long to complete and at times was as frustrating as trying to nail Jell-O to a tree. The seller was always pleasant but in the end he was not totally straight forward with me in his communications during this 4 month sojourn as there were a few undisclosed flaws that I discovered after I received the drum. Given the money and trade that I put up for this drum these flaws should have been brought to my attention way in advance of completing this deal. I also felt that I was gouged a bit near the end and that the deal got a tad lop-sided at the end but hey, we are all big boys and girls here, right? The seller and I just had our own positions of altitude that we were sticking to, his in that he didn't need the money or need to sell the drum and mine that I really didn't have to buy the drum. I never have "buyer's remorse" and this deal was no different so whereas this deal was not fun, had a few unpleasant surprises upon delivery, I do feel that the final outcome was worth it, I think that you will agree also. So here we go, for your listening and dining pleasure, right out of the 1922 Leedy Catalog K...

1920-24 LEEDY 6 x 15 GOLD PLATED/FANCY-ENGRAVED MULTI-MODEL "CLASSIC" SNARE DRUM

(Engraved Gold Plated Shell, Gold Plated Trimming)

The Shell:

The fancy engraving is stunning, covers the entire 6 x 15 shell and has a one-off/special order vibe to it...and...the shell is gold plated! The first of the undisclosed flaws was the fact that there were 2 extra holes in the shell. This is never ok and actually ****es me off, especially when I find this out as I am unpacking the drum. The hole spacing of the 2 extra holes is 2 5/8", just like a Ludwig P-83/85. Can you actually imagine this drum with that type of strainer on it? The second undisclosed flaw was a pretty significant dent in the shell, not a deal killer but the analogy here is not unlike if I were to sell you a Honda with an undisclosed dent vs. selling you a Ferrari with an undisclosed dent, you get my point? Mark Hadnagy (the founder of Avenue Plating) was able to smooth out the dent and did a great job! The 1922 Leedy catalog K states: "Shells are of sheet brass with two angle steel hoops on the inside, making it the strongest shell on the market." I am sure that Ludwig & Ludwig would have something to say about this claim but I digress. The shell is in excellent condition (other than the 2 extra holes and the dent) so cleaning was a piece of cake and all that was needed was a light application of lemon oil. I really enjoy these 1920s fancy engraved shells as it represents a great era in American-made drums.

The Hardware:

The gold plated hardware is in good shape and is all there. The 8 self-aligning lugs are the 2-screw versions and are in very good shape (4-screw lugs came later, circa Oct. 1925) and I am happy to report that there are no cracks in any of the 2-screw lugs. The tension rods are the slotted fillister head rods but Leedy Catalog K (pg. 12) states that one can order square head tension rods instead of the slotted fillister head rods. This proves that there was a square head tension rod option (10-24) in the early 1920s vs. later on as I once thought. I have always heard of this but to see it in print obviously confirmed it for me. The rims (hoops) "are of cold rolled steel, built low to make playing less tiresome". The top rim has a nice clean "Multi-Model" stamp, the bottom rim shows some corrosion that is common on these steel rims. The third undisclosed flaw has to do with the Utility strainer and the after-market, make-shift grommet that does not allow the 12-hole gut piece to move or function correctly. Abe Abello, my machinist was able to remedy this with a new grommet. The Utility strainer now works fine, holds tight, is catalog correct but alas, it is still a Utility strainer. The butt plate on this shell is the normal butt plate that we see on Leedy, L & L and Slingerland snare drums of the same era. There is an original factory installed heater plate so I was able to add an original Leedy heating element that I had saved for this type of restoration. Leedy describes their snare beds as follows: "Snare Bed, an item that few manufacturers mention; one of the most important things on a drum, graded to fit the size of the shell, to insure perfect easy-working snares." Very hip for the 1920s!

Of-the-era calf heads and silk-wound snares (that are an immense pain in the butt to install) added the finishing touches to this historic snare drum of yesteryear.

I am currently negotiating an appropriate price adjustment so we'll see what happens but aside from the 4 month wait and the 3 last minute, undisclosed "surprises", I still feel that this snare drum was worth the wait and the extra restoration that was needed. Do you agree?

Enjoy!

Mike Curotto