I'm just taking a shot here by paging through Rob Cook's book.

Judging by the sporty bottom hoop, three point strainer, and dog tag badge that is a 55-59 Student Radio King.

Maybe the good Doctor will make a house call here and give a proper diagnosis.

Nice drum...

Thanks for the input Jim!!!! It does look like a 3-ply Radio King Student snare. I took a chance and purchased an old dusty one off Ebay from a "House Cleanout" - still paid $225 +/- - I wasn't sure what it was it just looked good. I have a '70's Maple Slingerland kit and I was looking for a nice wood snare for the kit.

If anyone can tell me more please do....

Thanks in advance for the help Cool Dude

Sorry to be a bit off the beat here, but when I saw Rob Cook's Slingerland book mentioned by Jim I saw my opportunity.

I have a 5 pc. Slingerland kit that I acquired through eminent domnain (they were given to my son by a friend and we think they sat in staorage for years). The kick has the word "Spectre" on the resonant head and I can't it listed in the Cook book. They are not WMP but a more basic white that has turned to "ya need to brush yer tooth" sort of yellow.

According to the serials the things were manufactured in Niles in the 80s.

The numbers:

snare -- 576289

rack -- 576863

rack -- 576820

floor -- 576930

bass -- 576849

I've had the heads off to clean and try and tune 'em and the shells look like masonite, for Pete's sake. The bearing edges are deformed inward toward the inside of the shells so I guess they were tuned way too tight

while they sat in storage.

I wore the kid out trying to post a .jpg of a Ludwig snare on the General Questions and Topics thread but will try to do the same with these things later.

Again, sorry to crash the party and thanks for any help ya'all can give.

Well... ok I was really hoping somebody would jump back in here and give Mr. Walton a little more on his drum...

But while we're waiting and hoping we can talk about your shells.. it sounds like what you have there is a monument to the low point in American drum manufacturing when Slingerland put out, not masonite (we'll talk about that, interesting) but cardboard drums. Ref. Mr. Cook.. Page 178 "Sonatubes"

Slingerland did make Masonite drums to.. Ref. Mr. Cook Page 175.. these drums were made between 1954 and 1958 and never put in a Slingerland Catalog.

The "Sonatube" cardboard drums where made in the early 80's. "The basic material was nevertheless cardboard and the bearing edges quickly lost their integrity." (Pg178 The Slingerland Book, Second Edition Cook R., Copyright 2004, Rebeats, 219 Prospect, Alma, Michigan 48801)

What a great book for every Slingerland owner!!

Thanks Jim.

Now I know what to use to get this soggy firewood started when the temp goes below 20 again here in the Gateway to the West.

In another lifetime I worked in a sawmill ripping sheets of masonite all day, and when I first saw these shells it was like deja vu all over again. The kit was free to me but at least a Speed King and two half-way usable 18-inch Avedis were included.

Hey Stash if you made it out of the saw mill with all your fingers you must have some good karma going for you... so maybe some good can come of this for you.

Perhaps find a good deal on a shell pack and transfer the hardware over http://www.precisiondrum.com/html/shells.html

.. or maybe figure a way to put some reinforcing rings in and resin coat the bearing edges.

My daughter uses a resin called Jet Glue from a company named Freed of London, to make the toes of her toe shoes incredibily hard. http://www.freedusa.com/ballet/2_3_3b_ballet.html

I sure don't know the best answer... but I think it would be a fun project to tinker away on.

All the best on it.