Unfortunately, the second photograph from the ad is no longer available but it pictured 6 dirndl clad fraulein's,each with a towel and chamois ,carefully pampering and drying the drum , until it was once again a glittering gem. In the background, but quite close is a 183mm (6 ft.) industrial fan. The firehose got a little out of control and the ladies themselves got a little doused as well.

The picture was pulled from the ad because it expanded upon Marylin Monroe's famous ivory dress over the subway grate scene in the Seven Year Itch, just a little too much for the Teutonic taste of the time.

The 1955 catalog, written in English, (also Deutsche Mark & Dollars).

has only inches in it (no metric sizes) in combination with the older teardrop lugs. ("shark" type).

The New Beat was introduced in 1956.

Introduced officially the inch sizes (metric sizes also in it) and new slimmer teardrop lugs, (Swiss Francs as currency in this catalog).

Seems that the flat srews on the bassdrum spurs came along with the New Beat catalog.

If rounded ones show up on later dated drums, it's throughout possible they were swapped or changed over the years.

60 years is a long time time to keep things originally.

About the Original Kenny Clark set from 1957?

There's no bassdrum with middle tommount in the 1956/57 an 58/59 catalog.

The K101 Star set in the 1956 New Beat catalog (8 lugs, 22") has the same bassdrum except for the 4 legs (2 on the clark set) and the cymbalmount that's placed horizontally instead of vertically on the Clark set. (modell like floortommount).

The K170 Chicago from the New Beat catalog) however, has 6 lugs, 20", 2 spurs and a middle tommount. Only the the cymbalmount (more like the 60ties modell) is different.

The K101 Star set pictured in the 57/58 catalog has no middle tommount. Kenny Clark's pic. is placed next to it but this is not the set that's in the Hungarian museum and has a 6 lug, 22" bassdrum.

The one in the museum seems to be a 20" 6 lug bassdrum.

Therefore i think it's a K170 Chicago set from 1956.

The snare drum that comes with the K101 Star set is different as the one in the museum set.

No catalogs known between 1959 and 1962 to compare, as far as i know.

It's all very confusing, so who shares my opinion and who has other thoughts about it.

Here a pic of Kenny Clark playing a teardrop set in the Club Blue Note, Paris, on the cover of the 1965 catalog (4 pages) for the USA.

[IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd200/akaqua/DSC04326.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd200/akaqua/DSC04328.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd200/akaqua/DSC04329.jpg[/IMG]

I've a teardrop transition set from early 1961, that shows old and new hardware at the same time. (flat srews on the spurs)

http://www.sonormuseum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10850&hilit=transition+set

Henk

I see in some Sonor catalogues, that they quote inch sizes( '57-'58) but they are fractional sizes, as in 12 2/3" , 16 1/2"----which clearly indicates that the shells were actually sized metrically. In one example I noted both metric sizing and inch sizing but they seem to be describing the same shell. The metric size( example; 350mm) was rounded off to 14"--likely as a way to appeal to foreign customers who did not understand metric sizing. I have seen this with other companies as well quoting the actual metric size and the most recognizable close size in inches.

I actually saw Klook in Paris at the Blue Note in 1963 and, though I don't remember those drums specifically, I sure remember him! He was one of my first and strongest models and influences... still is!

A little later... and until his death... he played and endorsed Premier.

Ron

Ace,..

That Premire Floor tom in the pic. appears to have multiple crimps in it. Do you know anything about it ? Is it metal, or is that some kind of attachmet ?

i.m.o. it's a kind of 2 tone finish. Bassdrum has the same.

Something similir like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PREMIER-CLUB-HIGH-TOM-13-INCH-DRUM-WITH-HEAVY-ROCK-SKIN-80s-MOD-/380451450775?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Drums_Percussions_MJ&hash=item5894ac6f97 and the premier resonator and premier 202

Henk

that's one unique Trombone mute sitting on the floor to his left.

That's Grey Shimmer, here from the '68 catalog:

any guesses on what the cymbals are?

Either Ks or AZs.

Ron