Well, something is going on!!

I have never seen a 60's Slingerland stamped liked that, with that finish and without rienforcement rings.

The Black and Gold badge has been used a few times and it is probably not the 60's version.

They did make a red violin stain in the 80's.

The best person to answer this question is Drcjw and he checks in, so let's see what he has to say about it.

See if you can snap a quick photo and get that serial number?

Yes, the zoomatic is still being sold on drums today.

Thanks

David

I'll be near that shop on Friday and take some pics. Thanks for the reply.

Here's some pics. I could not take one of the stamp on the inside but it does say "3 09" just below the vent hole. If anyone knows what it is, and an approximate value, I'd appreciate it, I'm looking at buying it (amazing sound) but just like to know what I'm getting. Also, if anyone knows where I can go looking for info, please let me know Thanks

The pics really don't show the finish that well, but it's a cherry stain, you can see the maple grain through it and it's maple on the inside with no rings.

Gerald

PS. I'm new here, was on Harry's board, I play a 65 Burgundy Sparkle Ludwig!

[IMG]http://home.centurytel.net/geralde61/smalldrumwiththrow.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://home.centurytel.net/geralde61/smalldrumbutt.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://home.centurytel.net/geralde61/badge.jpg[/IMG]

That is an 80's drum and not vintage from what I see.

This looks like a Music Yo import snare.

Our resident expert DrCJW will probably give you all of the details

David

Webmaster

Gerald-

Welcome to the forum. First of all, yes it looks like an imported Slingerland. I think $300 is a little steep. That particular Zoomatic is going to give you lots of trouble. The adjustment knob is missing. You'll be able to engage the snare wires, but you won't be able to adjust the tension of the wires without a pair of pliers. Figure into the price that you're going to have to replace the strainer. I'd offer $200 or so and see what happens.

I already tried to offer less, but he's sure it's a vintage 60s snare. I'll print out this thread next time and go down there. I would like to have some hard proof it's not a 60s snare, yes we know that, but this is a guitar store. If there is a way to track that serial number that would be great. Thanks for all the info.

About that Burgundy sparkle Ludwig....do you have the matching snare??

I wish, that is my dream snare at the moment. The set is a 6 piece, the original is a 1965 four piece, then someone added a double tom mount, with a 8X12 and a 18X16 floor tom in 1969.

[COLOR="Navy"]GeraldE61:

Your drum is from the Gretsch HSS era of Slingerland ownership, after Gretsch bought Slingerland in 1986. So it is not from Chicago-land Slingerland, and not from the 1960s. Also, your drum is from just before Gibson bought Slingerland, and so it is not MusicYo.

Specifically you have an Artist Custom Model #SAD146, 10 lugs 6.5x14, finished in ?Wine Red Maple?, which was a lacquer wood finish. Your drum was made in Taiwan in about late 1993, just a tad before Gretsch sold Slingerland to Gibson. While it is possible your shell might be 5-ply, 7mm thick, it is more likely 9-ply, 8.5 mm thick. The interior ply and the exterior ply are Canadian maple, with all the interior plies being of white mahogany.

The black and brass badge you have is one of the badges HSS Slingerland had made for its Artist Custom and Classic series. The single biggest giveaways to date the badge are the serial number and the lone ?U.S.A.?. Niles badge serial numbers end before 600,000; any serial number as high as yours is after Chicagoland Slingerland ended. And, all Chicagoland badges will have either ?Chicago? or ?Niles? printed before the ?U.S.A.?. Only this Gretsch HSS badge has a lone ?U.S.A.?.

And specifically on the black and brass 1960?s Niles badges, the ?Slingerland? is a very different scroll pattern. For more specifics, please feel free to peruse my recent Slingerland articles on Chicagoland badges and serial numbers, on this site.

Besides the badge, the only thing close to being U.S.A. about the HSS Artist series was the North American maple shell plies (sometimes American, usually Canadian), which were shipped to Taiwan where the shell and drum were actually made. But that?s about it - everything else on the drum is of Taiwanese origin. Of course, though not a 1960?s Niles Slingerland drum, and whatever your personal view of offshore manufacturing, the HSS Artist Custom series are generally considered to be pretty nice drums.

By the way, you actually do have a Niles Slingerland part on your drum ? ?accidentally? that is. The strainer on your drum is a post-factory retrofit Niles Zoomatic from sometime 1962 ? 1968. It?s not an HSS-era Zoomatic![/COLOR]