Only Admins can see this message.
Data Transition still in progress. Some functionality may be limited until the process is complete.
Processing Attachment, Gallery - 137.28601%

Need help with european vintage drum ID

Loading...

Hey everyone,

I`ve been lurking around for some time, bet never decided to register. Now, that i have a problem you guys might help me with, I decided i should.

First of all, i`m a young drummer from Romania, been playing for almost 3 years, mainly rock/metal stuff but now i`m heading towards funky and jazz stuff. My set can be fould on the Drummerworld forum HERE (no advertising intended).

I found those drums by chance, in a pile of garbage. I instantly asked for then and received them for nothing. They were (and still are) in a not-so-good condition, but i reckon they can be saved. Also, from the same garbage pile i found a vintage case that can fit a snare, hi-hats and some other stuff and some strange one-headed snare-like drums.

All in all, here are the drums:

[IMG]http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/2883/dscn1591c.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1900/dscn1593i.jpg[/IMG]

The bass drum is a 20x14 (not sure about depth) and judging by the hoops,lugs and screws, they look like Romanian Doina drums, shown somewhere on this forum by Fllx. On the other hand, the tom mounting system is something i`ve never seen on a Doina, nor is the internal dampfening system (on the reso head!) and the very nice wrap ( pretty simmilar to Midnight Blue Pearl, but a lighter blue), so i`m not that sure. It has some sort of plastic badge, but it appears to be incomplete (i.e. parts missing from it)

I assume it`s something like

Super

??ton

Here is the picture:

[IMG]http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/8518/dscn1608r.jpg[/IMG]

Even though in the picture the beater head rim is not fixed, I have all the screws. The drum is in overall good condition, wood is ok, wrap not scratched,only the hoops are a bit rusted. Makes sense, since they were kept in a very wet basement for... over 20 years I guess.

[IMG]http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/92/dscn1588q.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/2328/dscn1589e.jpg[/IMG]

The floor tom is a 14x?? floor, missing one hoop and the necessary screws for it. It appears to be from a different set , judging by the different finish ( Blue sparkle? ) and different lugs. This is, sadly, in a worse condition than the bass drum. The wood is still wet, it`s pretty weak, If i push it frome the sides with my hands it bends... :( .Also, it is covered with mold (white stuff on the inside), but I don`t think that affects the wood in any way .Also, all the metal parts are pretty corroded. Strangely, it also has a hole for internal dampfening, but the mechanism is missing.Also, some other holes are present.

Hoping i`m not disturbing you guys from those Ludwigs and Tama`s, any help would be apreciated , in ID-ing or restoration.I`d really like to make myself a jazz kitt out of these two. Thanks in advance.

Posted on 13 years ago
#1
Posts: 1040 Threads: 106
Loading...

First of all, welcome to the VDF!

These look to be really interesting drums! You'll see that european rarities like this one are never considered disturbing here!

Now, about the restoration. I am by no means an expert, but I know that thick layer of rust and mold gowing in a drum are not good. You said the floor tom is still wet. You need it to dry before starting any work. I would recommend fixing it in perfectly round shape for the process - as it dries, it might bend out of round. Once it is dry and solid (relatively solid - in fact, all thin drums like these can be bent little with your bare hands), carefully scrub al the mold away with wet cloth. You need to sand off the rust 'till you get nice, shiny, healthy metal. Hopefully, the rust isn't too deep yet. After that, conserve the rims - you can buy appropriate chemical in a hobby store. In a time, you also want to de-rust all the steel parts. Leave the lugs be and don't scrub them - there are different ways of cleaning chromed parts and I'll leave that to others. Just clean the threads on them and the screws and lubricate them, so they work smoothly!

That's all I know, now others will hopefully chime in with their opinions about bearing edges, ply separation etc.

You'll find a wealth of knowledge here on VDF - there are some real drum scholars!

Sysl krysu nenahradi!

-196?-72 6ply White Oyster Amati
-1960s 3ply Red Sparkle Amati
- Zildjian, Paiste, Zyn, Istanbul

http://bandzone.cz/blueswan
Posted on 13 years ago
#2
Loading...

Sorry I can't help with the ID, but noticed that the shell on the floor tom looks like masonite (early type of pressed wood). The BD interior is harder to see in the pics, but it looks like it may be masonite too. If so, it is the massive rings that are keeping the thin masonite shells in shape, and would explain why the sides push in.

Masonite wasn't used much in drums (I think Slingerland had a failed experiment with it in the 80s?) but was used on Danelectro guitars.

Water seriously disintegrates masonite, so get those drums dried out quick!

(Are the one headed drums timbales?)

Posted on 13 years ago
#3
Loading...

Good luck with the restoration, that looks like quite a challenge!

Get off! Get your f**in' clothes and get off! Right now! Pull the f**in' bus over! -Buddy Rich
Posted on 13 years ago
#4
Loading...

Hey there guys,

Thanks for the kind replies. It is definately not a walk through the park, but I like the fact that it`s challenging. The satisfaction would be enormous if I can manage to get them in good shape.

The shells are, indeed, made from masonyte ( I had no idea it is called like this) Over here, that stuff is usually used for furniture, as drawer base or wardrobe back wall so it isn`t a good idea to make drums out of it, as it is pretty weak. I wonder what acoustic properties it has...

The drums are currently in the basement of my guitarist, away from any source of humidity. Until i`ll get someone to help me get them to my home, they`ll stay there. I started drying the floortom (bass was already dry) and it has slightly regained some of its strength. Also, i started sanding the rusty areas of the bass drum hoop. Luckily, corrosion is minimal, as the rust has deposited on top of the metal instead of eating it.

That`s about it for now... i`ll keep you updated and post some more pics soon!

Posted on 13 years ago
#5
Loading...

Hello & welcome!

Yes, your BD looks as DOINA - it's really rare find for today.

Small screws on both mount holders - stolen from last "TROWA"...

And I'm surprised again&again - not so few of different brands from the end 70's - beg of 80's have a kinds of shells made from rolled cellulose or masonite... :)

George.

Posted on 13 years ago
#6
Loading...

Welcome to the forum Irod!

Yeah, keep the pictures coming! I'm always fascinated with the kits from your end of the world.

From the looks of those rims, I think I might buy some stock in a steel wool & wire brush manufacturer!

If you can find enough of your logo, you can make a wax casting of it and reproduce it with epoxy.

fishwaltz
Posted on 13 years ago
#7
Loading...

Thanks for the welcome!

I`ve narrowed my search a little bit; Apparently, there were two Doina models, the only difference i could spot were different lugs (but almost identical)

Here is one of the lugs on my bassdrum, the other model being flat on the top.

[IMG]http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/638/dscn1614kk.jpg[/IMG]

Also, there were models with or without damping system.I`ve seen drums (no only bass drums but also toms and floor toms) without d.s, with d.s on reso head and d.s on batter head. Maybe a manufacturing mistake? Anyway, the system is basically the same as those used on Trowa drums:

[IMG]http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/9608/dscn1615j.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6824/dscn1595y.jpg[/IMG]

These, combined with the hoop and masonyte shell would lead to a Doina. On the other hand, what confuses me are the tom/cymbal mounts. I haven`t seen any of these on a Doina, all the mounts i`ve seen were classic T-mounts for two toms. Also, another element contributing to my confusion is the badge, never seen such thing on a Doina. So i`m not 100% sure.

All in all, here are some more pictures. On the right side of the drum ( side with no tom mount and with damping knob) you can see a mark on the wrap that looks like a scratch. There`s where the badge was glued. The other pics are with the floor tom lugs, and the strange snare-like drums i talked about. Enjoy!

[IMG]http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4581/dscn1592n.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1476/dscn1612rx.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4509/dscn1609z.jpg[/IMG]

Posted on 13 years ago
#8
Loading...

Add a bit of bleach or white vinegar to the wash to remove the mold (spray bottle would be good), the mold has to be killed or it will come back. Soak hardware in white vinegar.

Not sure how good the Masonite (press-board) will sound, you may what to coat the insides with shellac, edges too.

Edges may need to be re-cut, how are they?

Posted on 13 years ago
#9
Loading...

1. Yes, that's indeed a copy of earlier TROWA-system muffler - with double parallel levers and hard fixed plate. It's dated 50's to mid 60's - before germans have simplified their construction to one-lever system with free-swinging plate.

2. Agree with JRichard - it's a right way.

You can also to coat shells with use 2K-laquer, PES or liquid epoxy blend (with added thinner). After that you may quite to correct the edges and repeat coating once more.

George.

Posted on 13 years ago
#10
  • Share
  • Report
Action Another action Something else here