First of all, check this link out:

http://www.vintagesnaredrums.com/drcjw/articles.html

I have a WMP kit with the aluminum set-o-matic, but mine is a double, since the kit is a five-piece. Mine has brass badges, and I've been told mine is a '68 because the alum. set-o-matics were only made that year.

Does your kit have "chocolate milk" colored paint on the insides of all the drums??

Your t-rods and claws are from the '50s.

When or wherever it may be from, that's a sweet little kit. I hope it sounds as good as it looks.

--Dave A.

Thanks for the link and you info Dave. Here's a shot of the inside of the 14x14.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/agopsalott/14FloorInsides.jpg[/IMG]

Could be tha chocolate milk color, and yes I was told about the claws and T-rods. So I guess they're not original.

[COLOR="Navy"]Agopsalott:

In general, as pointed out in my article, it is not safe to determine the date of a Slingerland drum by serial number alone - one must correlate all the features. However, the 20 12 14 in your kit are from a 1969 Modern Jazz Outfit No. 9N, in Slingerland's Walnut finish. As misteranderson points out, the T-rods are not original. Also the cymbal L-arm and mount are post-factory non-Slingerland add-ons. Lastly, your snare drum looks to have a TDR throw-off, which if original points to a model introduced in the 1970s; so for the record would not be original to your kit. Just for fun, your kit in Slingerland's 1968 - 1970 catalog #69 is pictured below.

And BTW - it is a common belief, stemming from some sincere but nonetheless erroneous publications, that the aluminum version of the Set-O-Matic was used by Slingerland only in 1968. That is false, the aluminum Set-O-Matic was Slingerland's flagship tom holder throughout 1968 and 1969. In late 1969 into early 1970 Slingerland began transitioning to the chrome version. So actually misteranderson - the black & brass badges on your kit along with the Set-O-Matic by themselves would only indicate 1968 - 1970; more features of your drums would have to be considered to pin things down further.

DrCJW[/COLOR]

DrCJW:

Thanks very much for your in depth post. LOVE the shot you provided from the catalog. Thanks so much.

I believe your absolutely right about the snare. It has the different color badge so I thought it might be a '70. Here's the snare badge and a side shot that shows the throw off better.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/agopsalott/SnareSerial.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/agopsalott/SlingySide.jpg[/IMG]

Good eye on the cymbal mount. Looks Ludwig to me. Thanks for seting me straight on the Set-O-Matic. Very helpful.

BTW the kit is actually a 18/12/14. Don't know if those are any more rare than the 20's.

[COLOR="Navy"]Agopsalott:

Yes, very nice, the 18 is far more rare. Your snare drum is a Buddy Rich Model from 1976. The snare matches nicely but actually has a clear lacquered mahogany outer ply, as opposed to the outer ply of your kit drums, which are maple stained to a walnut color. You can see the classic and distinct grain pattern and texture differences between the maple and the mahogany. A very nice kit indeed.

DrCJW[/COLOR]

Thanks again Dr. Eagle Eye. I am humbled. Your are unrivaled in your knowledge of all things Slingerland. Much appreciated.

Thanks, Doctor.

There are a couple differences between my kit and Agop's, other than the color. The mount on the bass is plain aluminum, no Slingerland decal. My 13" tom has a chrome mount, while the 12" is aluminum. My snare had a Rapid strainer which was swapped out for a Zoomatic at some point, and every tom had extra holes drilled for God knows what.

Last year, Jack Lawton did an excellent job of plugging up the holes and making a fresh pair of hoops for the bass, and Jim Petty supplied some key replacement parts. They always sounded good, now they look good too.

--Dave A.

Love to see it. Mr.A. Can you put a picture?

Greetings-

I know that this post is from over 2 years ago, but I stumbled upon this while doing some research.

I happen to have just purchased the same exact toms/bass drum in the 12/14/18 combination in the same finish. Unfortunately, the finish is very scratched up, so I'm a bit jealous when I look at these pics!

I'm looking for the screw for the set-o-matic tom holder that secures the tom post to the bass drum. I don't have a good eye for estimating what the size of the screw is. I've purchased a few wing nut screws at the hardware store, and so far all I know is that the screw should be more than 1/4" thick. Does anybody know how thick it is? I feel that finding an exact replacement part is not really possible. My set is from the early 70's (going by the serial numbers) and the mount on the bass drum looks a little different (perhaps because it's a few years newer than the mount shown in the pictures here), but I'm sure it's the same part--just with different cosmetics.

Can anybody help me out with that?

My set actually has that same Ludwig cymbal holder. I wonder if this was a popular modification that people made? One bummer about this kit, is that it is painted with glossy white paint inside---all of the 70's Slingerland drums that I've seen online so far have a natural wood finish.