Don't Tower drums have center lugs unlike Holidays?

They're considered somewhat less desirable, sort of a Ludwig Club Date scenario...

What about powertone and holiday?

powertone and holiday are fairly similar, from what I've heard. There may be no difference with certain eras....can't remember which though... someone please enlighten us...

I think those shell names originally came from the snare that was provided with the kit - Holiday, Powertone. I believe that's how it happened.

From what I've researched (The Rogers Book by Rob Cook & The Great American Drums by Harry Cangany), the Power Tone snare drum replaced the Holiday model in 1964. While the While the Holiday snare featured 8 drawn brass lugs, its replacement (the Power Tone) featured 8 beavertail lugs. The snare bed was also eliminated on the Power Tone Model. Both came in 5x14 and 6 1/2 x 14 configurations. The earliest "metal-shell" Powertones were steel, with brass models featured between 1967 and 1970.

OldSchool!!! Hey! Saw the ebay stuff. Good luck on those, sincerely. Good time to move the 14. Those are coming down. Very wise.

Anyway, you are correct with the snare info. JohnChong was wondering about the kits, though. Am I remembering this correctly - the shells (Holiday, Powertone) were named that according to what snare went with that kit. I believe the Holiday shells had that name due to the snare. When the Powertone snare came out (early 60's I believe), it took a bit for the change to take place in shell naming. Some tags were even written over. Powertone named shells didn't make an appearance (en masse) until the later 60's??? This might have coincided with (or around the time of) the buyout. That might have something to do with the naming convention shift. I think that was correct. Dang. There's so much about Rogers that I just don't know.

I don't believe there was much difference in the shell makeup......other than the painted interior......and the presumed quality of the work being done by the individual workers.

The earliest Powetone snare drums had bread and butter lugs. Early 1963. There were several hundred Powertone drums produced that way, and in mid 1963, the Beavertail lug was introduced and the Powertone came into its own. I have two mid 63 Powertone snare drums with beavertail lugs. One a three ply wood drum, the other, a COB metal drum, both are 5x14.

The difference in the Powertone and the Holiday was in the edges. Holidays had a more rounded edge and deeper beds. The powetone was the first true modern edge designed to make optimal use of the new mylar constructed drumheads just beginning to gain popularity over the oldschool calf heads. Powertones were much more sensitive, crisper, brighter snare drums. This edge change was a direct result from development of the Dynasonic snare drum in 1961. The new mylar heads were complimented by the aprox 45 degree bearing edge with a 1/16" bearing surface. The shell was the same, in 1963 through to sometime in later in 64 towards 65, the three ply keller shell was replaced by a five ply keller shell. Metal Powertones were Chrome over Brass. With the introduction of the Powertone snare, production of Holiday tagged snares ceased, 1963.

The Rogers clockface throwoff was standard on the Powertone, there was a slight difference in the internal hook that locked the throw off in the on position from the identical looking Clockface that was installed on Dynasonic Snares. Dynasonic snare throws were originally designated by a D stamped just below the knob on the shaft body.

The Tower snare drum is identical in construction to the Powertone. Shell, bed, and edges are the same. Lugs are the same. The primary difference is that the Tower used a less expensive throwoff, called the Sta-Tight, and a less expensive snare butt. Tower snare drums may or may not have a dampener. Towers were produced until about the time Rogers production moved from Covington (during the Dayton era) to Fullerton California.

The Powertone snare drum was phased out with the introduction in 1973 of the Rogers Superten Chrome over Steel drum in 5x14 and 6.5x14. Supertens were produced until the end of Rogers production in 1984. 1983 seen the introduction of Rogers Supertens and Dynasonics in 10 ply maple shells, 5x14, 6.5x14, and 8x14.

Earliest Fullerton produced drums still wore the Holiday tag, and aprox. 1970, tags began to show with the POWERTONE designation on all drums.

Anyone that feels the need to clarify any of the above, please feel free to do so.

Thanks, hope this helps.

PLOUGHMAN: Nicely stated, as usual!Yes Sir

Sweet stuff. Man, you are the tome with legs.

I believe he's curious about the shells of the drumkit. The snare question has been answered...seriously well. But, as far as the tags on the toms and bass and such (Holiday, Powertone).....is that based on the snare? Is there a difference in those shells?