[COLOR="Navy"]Bill:

Yes, similar dates, except this new housing, used by Slingerland for shell mounts (cymbals, cowbells?), bass drum spurs and floor tom legs, came in during the later summer of 1957, just a bit ahead of the T-rod change. The ones in your picture would date to somewhere 1957 ? 1963, since they are using the flat-blade ear-style wing nut found on the first version. You will also occasionally find a key rod used on these early mounts (i.e., you used a drum key). By 1964 cymbal mounts and bass drum spurs were coming out with the wider T-style wing nut we see most often on vintage Slingerlands.

Slingerland used the pushbuttons on floor tom leg mounts simply because they thought they were a good product and would sell. In the 1950s, pushbuttons were ?in vogue? on a widespread basis in American culture, and appeared on all sorts of mechanical gizmos and gadgets. It was the 1950?s ?convenience? craze. Does anyone remember pushbutton automobile transmissions?

And at first the Slingerland pushbuttons were thought to be pretty cool. But as most Slingerland geeks know, the pushbutton mount is spring-loaded, the spring tension degrades with time, and the legs start to slip depending on how much the spring has degraded and how hard you hit. You can refresh the tension by simply replacing the springs, but this design was never destined to succeed under heavier playing. The pushbuttons lasted through 1965, with wing nuts arriving on floor toms in early 1966.

DrCJW[/COLOR]