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Lefima snare drum

Posts: 1570 Threads: 66

This is a Lefima snaredrum dating from sometime after Lefima set up in West Germany. Probably,the late '70's.I know much less about this company than I do about most other German drum companies. They followed a similar course of action as Sonor,leaving the GDR after an attempt at forced expropriation. For a while , when Lefima was still in the GDR , they shared parts with Trowa and they were almost indistinguishable but Lefima regained it's distinction after reestablishing at Cham in West Germany.

Seems to be a Birch shell(possibly Poplar),with Beech rerings,and ribbon stripe Mahogany(looks like Sapele to me) veneer on the outside.The shell is made in a typical Germanic style; wrapped and glued with a reinforcing patch. Has a really nice lateral action cam type throwoff. The drum is as received-----I haven't even polished the chrome. The drum has a very tight,controlled and penetrating sound with very projective rimshots. Lefima is the oldest German drum company( would it be the oldest in the western world?) predating Sonor's existence by 14 years. Since 1861 it has been family owned.

Posted on 12 years ago
#1
Posts: 596 Threads: 25

From calfskin

For a while Lefima and Trowa were almost indistinguishable

Not a TROWA - the Tacton name immediately became the direct heir of Lefima factory from 1961 to 66.

Nice and friendly warm snare, Phil.

This throwoff is really one of the most dependable type ---I like it.

George..

Posted on 12 years ago
#2
Posts: 1 Threads: 0

The lugs had been designed by Karl-Heinz Aehnelt. Drums with these casted and chromed fittings have been issued from 1964 onwards. The lugs are still in the Lefima Professional Marching Snare Drums.

The shell of the shown drum is birch which was stained and then lacquered.

In 1861 Lefima had moved to Cham (Western Germany), leaving all tooling, moulds etc. behind, the GDR took all these items to Weißenfels in order to produce drums under the brand VEB Trowa, including also parts from the old Sonor company. This is the explanation why Trowa instruments looked very similar to Lefima (or Sonor). The "restart" of Lefima in Western Germany brought new ideas and their realizations.

Posted on 10 years ago
#3
Posts: 1570 Threads: 66

You probably mean in 1961, they moved.

The kits from the early 60's( not sure what date) badged Lefima , are virtually identical to kits badged Trowa.

So, it seems that the Lefima kits are pre-1961 East German made kits and then shortly after 1961 after the Aehnelt family left, virtually identical kits with Trowa on them were made.

The shell is Birch but has not been stained and lacquered. I has a mahogany like exterior veneer, that has a natural colour , as you see it. It has been lacquered , however.

Posted on 10 years ago
#4
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