Chrome are the most desired and I believe the first type.

Towards the later years of the 70s I know they made both. It was an option w/ chrome being more expensive. I have a complete Remo Roto Tom catalog including the additional hardware and brackets page if the forum needs a copy of it? Also the price from 1978 and the large fold out poster with all the configurations.

I use to have 6" thru 14" Rototoms.

I gave them to my neighbor.

The 12" and 14" were chrome and the smaller set were raw aluminum. Cool1

I have original first line Roto Toms. They are black, cast. The second time around are also black and other finishes.

The way you tell the first line from later,....Mine suck because on the second time around, they replaced the lock nuts that loosen to move them with threaded handles/levers. I have to use a wrench to slide mine.

If anyone has those handles for sale,...I`m interested.

I never cared for the sound of them but they seemed to be well made. We could barely keep them in stock in the late 70s, especially the 12,14,& 16" sizes in chrome. Most of the guys buying them were in their 20s and I suspect there are quite a few of them right here on this forum now in their 60s. Swearing by them back in the day and slamming them today...Lol...

I watched them when they were thriving in the late seventies.Never bought any... but loved the concept.

Wayne

Miked up, they were awesome. I know why. I saw an oscilloscope of a roto-tom and the decay is almost perfectly pure, since there are no overtones from a shell or bottom head. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I have some recordings of mine and they sound killer. Fairly hopeless without drum fill though.

That's how mine were.

The small ones had the levers.

The bigger ones had bolts. :cool:

Ha Ha yes that was me in the late 70's. I went out and bought the 6-8-10 and added them to my Slingerland kit. They were pretty affordable and sounded cool. I still like them today.