(I'll add some pics in a few hours)
Ok, so I noticed a snare shell yesterday, sitting in the hall at our practice place. It caught my eye because it had a P-85 Black center (so my first thought was "70's!"). After we played, I asked the man upstairs whether he was throwing it away, and he said I could have it.
So, here's what it is, structurally...
It's a 16 lugger, "only" missing heads, hoops, snares and rods.
Lugs, strainer, butt end, muffler, eylet, badge and even a sticker inside are all there.
The bearing edges are dead. Or in a really bad shape if you will.
The lacquer (I think it is lacquer. Not sure what the Mahogany finish looks like) is pretty banged up too. And the badge is missing a part, which broke off.
And this is what it is...
So, the inside sticker is really nice. It says Date 5971 7. Not sure what the last 7 is for.
And it says Model No 912.
So, after checking the catalogs in the guide, I would say it's a 1971, 14x6.5 School Festival. Or part of it, at least :P. The badge also seems to be from the early 70's, it's a 906xxx (don't know the last numbers by heart, and I'm too lazy to get up now).
BTW, it's a B/O badge with sn, obviously, and it has the "sharp" corners, which explains why one corner is missing, and the other has obviously been bent some times already.
But, besides the edges being in terrible condition and the finish being hit pretty hard, I didn't see any other major problem. The strainer seems to work just fine.
I never used a P-85 before (I think), but it does "move" a bit, if you know what I mean. I am used to this on cheapo modern snares, but is this normal, or does it need some repairing? (Of course, there are no snares on it now, so no tension on the strainer)
Also, if I want to use it (which I do), one thing that has to be done is the edges. Would you say it's worth it (cause I may need to ask someone else to do that)? Will it sound decent again? I don't know what range/level this snare was supposed to be and whether it sounded good or not.
BTW, what is the difference between this "concert" drum (catalog says it is) and a "normal" snare? I don't see any big differences.
Thanks for your time and knowledge ^^
PS. Do these snare actually have snarebeds? I find it hard to make them out...