I'm not a Slingerland expert by any means, but.......if it is a ply snare drum, it is NOT a Radio King. True Radio King snares were a 1ply solid maple steambent shell with reinforcement rings.

I was under the same impression until I read in some other posts that there are some ply Radio Kings out there.

It is from the mid fifties. Its probably a student model Radio King, which still sound great, even thought they don't command the big money like the single ply maple models. It is a three ply shell.

I had thought this might be the case, but from what I have read - student models did not have internal tone control or clamshell strainers.

I can't figure it out.

No matter how many times this gets repeated, it still comes up, so...

There were MANY TRUE Radio Kings sold with 3 ply shells.

Many of the models, the ones with the "clam shell" and the ones with the 3 pt. throw offs, in "true" radio king models, were sold with 3 ply shells, even though the catalog listed them as having solid shells. I doubt they were special orders. I just think that Slingerland sent them out that way, and most drummers back then didn't know the difference or even care. Back then, finish and strainers and things like that were of more concern than shell configuration.

So, it sounds like you have a Radio King that came with a 3 ply mahogany interior shell. I actually prefer these, soundwise, to the solid ones.

I have had 3 ply "radio kings" with the 3 pt. throw with bridges, and I've had a gene krupa super model (5 x 14, late '50s, clam shell) with a 3 ply shell. That drum had no tone control and was in a duco finish. Who knows what Slingerland had in mind that day...

The "student model" radio king is a different animal. Those were cataloged with 3 ply shells and clip type rims. The earlier ones had a 3 pt. throw offs withoug bridges, then they had rapid throw offs. Usually they don't have a tone control, but I just got one that did. And, occasionally they show up with solid shells!

ok, that's the last time I'm gonna make a post about this. Next time someone says a "true radio king" HAS to have a one ply shell, I'm gonna let it go. Really...

In Rob Cook's, "The Slingerland Book" in the section called "The Slingerland Shell Story"... sub-section "Radio King Shells", 1930's-1950's he indicates,"Plied snare drums have an outer ply of maple, a thick ply of poplar, and a third (very thin) inner ply of mahogany".

He later indicates that in 1950 Slingerland claimed to be the last/only drummaker still making solid snare drum shells... maybe it is that distinction that so often leads to the belief that RK's were all solid.... both mine are.

Thank you guys for the all the information. I did a closer inspection of my drum and found that it is 3 ply and it does measure a true 7" deep.

Once again - Thanks!