Hey Roger!

Here's the "thumbnail sketch" on the Rogers line up of snare drums:

The Holiday was the top of the line for years... ( before the Dynasonic! ) ... it was a wood drum with 8 lugs, available in two sizes:

5X14

61/2X14

There was a metal shell Holiday snare drum available later on... ( 1962 ) ... but these are a tad hard to find. In 1962 the Holiday was no longer the top of the line as the Rogers Dynasonic was introduced!

The Dynasonic is a wood or COB shelled drum with 10 lugs featuring the now famous snare frame/miniscule snare beds. First in a 3 ply shell with 3 ply rings... followed by the 5 ply shell with 5 ply maple rings. ( these are the most common ) The Dynasonic is available in these sizes:

5X14

61/2X14

Then, in/around 1964, Rogers introduced the Powertone which was the replacement for the now departed Holiday. Specs were the same as the Holiday but with the updated Beavertail lug in place. Rogers also reduced the snare beds to virtually nothing on the Powertone snare drums. These drums were available in wood/metal/COB in the following sizes:

5X14

61/2X14

There are of course a couple other models, well, one in particular that shares a LOT in common with the Holiday/Powertone and is an excellent playing/sounding drum as well... This would be the Rogers Tower model snare drum. Pretty much identical to the Powertone save the strainer/butt.

The other very commonly found Rogers snare drum is the Luxor. Same shell as the Powertone/Tower, but in a six lug configuration, with both drums sharing the Sta-Tite strainer. The Luxor is a great sounding drum for an entry level six lugger! ( same shell as it's big brothers! ) Available as a wood shell only, in the following size:

5X14

There you have it Roger! Hope this was of help!

Tommyp

Thanks! Now I'm much wiser. Just one question...would you consider a powertone snare to be more valuble than a holiday snare?

Hey Roger!

Hmmm... I think that "value" in this case is an intangible, meaning:

Both the Rogers Holiday and the Powertone are pretty much sought after snare drums, with the Powertone seeming to come out on top price wise after the dust has settled. Like so many things of this nature, the "value" of each model is pretty personal/contingent on WHO is after THAT PARTICULAR drum, and what it is worth to THEM. Indeed.

I will offer this though... ( and we are talking about the wood shell model )... The Powertone is in essence, the IMPROVED Holiday! Powertone snare drums in the most sought after wraps, almost always go into and beyond the $450.00 range, WMP being without a doubt, one of them. I have personally seen/tracked near MINT Holiday WMP snare drums and have rarely seen them get close to that price... yet it is pretty much the same drum... or is it? The Holiday is certainly the "older" drum, and aren't the "older" models more valuable?! Not always.

The main change between the two was the lug design. The Holiday snare drums featured the drawn brass Bread & Butter lugs... ( very crack prone, ESPECIALLY on the snare drums due to tension/vibration/use ) ... whereas the Powertone featured the NEW cast Beavertail lugs which were a major improvement. They didn't crack, and they were beautiful too! Shells, hoops, rods, strainer, remained the same on both models, but were eventually changed during the Powertone's tenure. So,

I would say, based on market performance, that the Powertone does come out on top... but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is the more "valuable" of the two... but perhaps the more wanted of the two, thus increasing it's value! As usual,

These are my thoughts on your question, as this, like most vintage drum discussions, is completely subjective to personal opinion!

Tommyp

Thanks again!!!