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Rogers COB Powertone questions

Posts: 350 Threads: 33
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Rogers experts!

I bought this 5" Cleveland era Powertone off ebay years ago. The serial number is 2543. By my reckoning that puts it around 1963 (the year they started with Beavertails??). I'm pretty sure all the original tension rods have been replaced.

My questions are:

Is the internal dampener knob legit?

Shouldn't the strainer be a "clockface"?

1974-75 Rogers Starlighter IV New England White 13/16/22 (w/Dyna)
1964-67 Rogers Blue Glass Glitter 12/14/16/20
early Oaklawn Camco Blue Moire 12/14/20
1926 Super Ludwig 5x14
1960-ish Ludwig COB 5x14 Super Sensitive
1960-ish Ludwig COB 6.5x14 Super Sensitive
1970 Ludwig COB Cut-Badge 5x14 Supra Phonic

Looking for a Camco Aristocrat SD in Blue Moire!!
Posted on 3 years ago
#1
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According to a dating guide assembled around 2000/2001, the lugs changed from B&B to beavertail around serial number 2700. However, those were estimates based on what had been seen and recorded up to that moment and Rogers really was all over the place with the use of labels. That guide also indicates the last of the Cleveland PowerTones had a serial number of 15xxx. I have one very high at 15927 (COB), one 16170 (pearl) and one at 17400 (pearl).

In any event, those lugs look original to the drum, but the strainer may not be. At that serial number (2543), you would normally expect to see a clock-face strainer (though I find the newer strainer is much easier to use and that could be why it was replaced). The bottom rods look to be original, but the top ones don't appear to be Rogers rods for a snare drum during any period of the 60's. I also don't recognize the tone control knob as being Rogers from any period of the 60's or beyond. In that serial number range, some of them might still have had the tall hoops, but yours appears to be those that eventually became the standard height for Mylar heads. Overall it looks very good. Should be a cracking snare drum.

Posted on 3 years ago
#2
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Hi kdg!

I believe that Dan is correct about your drum being original, except for the throw-off. Here's my "before" pictures of a COB Powertone I received in a trade. Serial number 5214. You can see that it now uses the larger muffler knob, but still makes use of the Clock-face throw-off. I also don't believe the tension rods on my drum are original...even though they are just as dirty as the rest of the drum!

While we all might have a soft spot for the Clock-face throw-off, I feel that the Swiv-O-Matic throw-off was superior. That might be why it was changed on your drum. Just my opinion, though!!

-Mark

Posted on 3 years ago
#3
Posts: 350 Threads: 33
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From Dan Boucher

In that serial number range, some of them might still have had the tall hoops, but yours appears to be those that eventually became the standard height for Mylar heads. Overall it looks very good. Should be a cracking snare drum.

You're probably right about the hoops I totally forgot about that. When did Tall Boys start?

I found an reference to a internal tone control (pg 57) in the 1962 Rogers catalog (#4440) that looks to have a similar knob to mine. An early version, perhaps?

I found this example on ebay just now. It is exactly like my knob.

/www.ebay.com/itm/174474921347?hash=item289f840583:g:NXUAAOSwcF5fgz2X

1974-75 Rogers Starlighter IV New England White 13/16/22 (w/Dyna)
1964-67 Rogers Blue Glass Glitter 12/14/16/20
early Oaklawn Camco Blue Moire 12/14/20
1926 Super Ludwig 5x14
1960-ish Ludwig COB 5x14 Super Sensitive
1960-ish Ludwig COB 6.5x14 Super Sensitive
1970 Ludwig COB Cut-Badge 5x14 Supra Phonic

Looking for a Camco Aristocrat SD in Blue Moire!!
Posted on 3 years ago
#4
Posts: 350 Threads: 33
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Mark,

I think you're right about the clockface strainer being replaced. Was the clockface unable to hold tension? Too bad, because to me, it looks a lot sexier. Look at my previous post to Dan. I found an identical dampener knob on a Holiday B&B drum on ebay. Could possibly be the first version of the #4440? Nice drum you got there!

1974-75 Rogers Starlighter IV New England White 13/16/22 (w/Dyna)
1964-67 Rogers Blue Glass Glitter 12/14/16/20
early Oaklawn Camco Blue Moire 12/14/20
1926 Super Ludwig 5x14
1960-ish Ludwig COB 5x14 Super Sensitive
1960-ish Ludwig COB 6.5x14 Super Sensitive
1970 Ludwig COB Cut-Badge 5x14 Supra Phonic

Looking for a Camco Aristocrat SD in Blue Moire!!
Posted on 3 years ago
#5
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I think you are right about the muffler knob kdg. It's just something I had never seen on a PowerTone. That may be because I've almost always been focused on beavertail drums and none I had seen had that muffler knob.

As to the high hoops, I think that was pretty much the standard through the B&B era, but faded out quickly when the beavertail lugs started to show up. Once in a while you see a beavertail with high hoops as they exhausted their stock of that type of hoop. It allowed for more hoop to stay above the calf heads as the calf ones stretched a lot more than the Mylar heads.

Posted on 3 years ago
#6
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PS - The problem with the clock-face is that it is very hard to thread the snare strings through the back of the mechanism. I would want to have to do it in a hurry at a gig. I don't like them at all and was very surprised it was resurrected on the new Rogers Dynasonic.

Posted on 3 years ago
#7
Posts: 350 Threads: 33
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Thanks Dan,

I was a little OCD about whether I needed to find some parts to put this drum right.

BTW, I think the Clockface reissue has moved that clamp plate to to the front, if I'm not mistaken.

Kurt

1974-75 Rogers Starlighter IV New England White 13/16/22 (w/Dyna)
1964-67 Rogers Blue Glass Glitter 12/14/16/20
early Oaklawn Camco Blue Moire 12/14/20
1926 Super Ludwig 5x14
1960-ish Ludwig COB 5x14 Super Sensitive
1960-ish Ludwig COB 6.5x14 Super Sensitive
1970 Ludwig COB Cut-Badge 5x14 Supra Phonic

Looking for a Camco Aristocrat SD in Blue Moire!!
Posted on 3 years ago
#8
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Thanks Dan,I was a little OCD about whether I needed to find some parts to put this drum right.BTW, I think the Clockface reissue has moved that clamp plate to to the front, if I'm not mistaken.Kurt

That would be good. Hadn't seen one up close, so that would definitely be an improvement.

Posted on 3 years ago
#9
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This video seems to show the pinch plate at the back like the original unit.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWBGRSf9KOM"]Setting up the Dyna-Sonic Snare Rail - YouTube[/ame]

Posted on 3 years ago
#10
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