My goal is to resurrect a 1953-1954 WMP Radio King Hollywood Ace – my dream snare that I have been holding on to for 30 years. Every time I’ve tried to bring her back to life, I’m turned back – afraid that anything I might do would not be original, or that I could, in my ignorance and eagerness to ‘just get it done’, actually do damage. But now, with the information age in full maturity, I may have a chance once again! I’ve learned more in 2 months of researching and piecing together clues from all of the great work done by Dr. C.J. Wenck and others, then I did in the previous 30 years. After confirming her age with Mark over at Cooper’s Vintage (she wouldn’t tell me her age, the wicked girl, but I came within a year), my search could really begin to find the REAL, AUTHENTIC parts to reassemble this beauty.

With the help of Jim Moritz at Chicago Drum Restoration, I've been able to finally secure an all original, complete and near-mint 1950-1958 three point strainer. Now my mission turns to the brackets (969-S and 969B), and that’s why I’m coming to you. I have the original butt-side bracket, but I’m missing the cross bar, and I’m missing the strainer side bracket altogether. Three tension rods are also missing. (2" from top of head to bottom of rod).

If one isn't available here, I was hoping you might be able to give me a few leads or contacts that might further me in my quest. That quest is to finally actually get to HEAR this beautiful drum sing again. It was in pieces, incomplete and long forgotten when I found her at a garage sale while in college back in 1983 and I’ve never given up on someday hearing her voice. She’s been brown paper/bubble wrapped in a box, packed warm and dry for all these years. Could you please possibly help me? I’ve never done a restoration, and I wouldn’t ever do anything to put this drum at risk – I simply want to resurrect her with original parts, clean her as well as can be done without damaging her and enjoy her voice after who knows how long – and then pass her down to my 16 year old daughter who is going to be starting college (same college where I originally found this drum) in another year and a half, majoring in Percussion (same as I did – It’s why I see this as a legacy kind of thing, you know?).

I'm camped out on eBay of course, and narrowly missed a butt side two weeks ago, after being outbid in the last :19 seconds - couldn't bid fast enough to find their top end bid before the clock ran out. I hate when people do that - last second spiking the price so you have no idea how high you're going to have to bid, while fighting a counting clock. Brutal.

I've attached a couple of images to see. If anyone can help me connect with these parts, I would be so grateful.

Thanks for 'listening' everyone.

You can find this post over at DFO as well.