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Unsure of dating--serial # vs. finish

Posts: 4 Threads: 2

Dr.,

I'm a new member to this forum and I have learned so much over the past couple days (largely due to your input--Thank you). I have a large Slingerland set (11-pc.) which has a COW finish. All my badges are "football" black & silver Niles, ranging from 204xxx to 209xxx on the 6", 8", 10", & 12" slide-on/ clip-mount toms and from 206xxx to 220xxx on the 13", 14", 15", & 16" tom holder toms. The kick & snare also fall into this serial # range. As additional information, all these toms are single-headed. With this said, according to your time-line chart, it looks as if these somewhere around 1975-1976. If we compare this with the catalogues of those times and their "finishes" available, there is no "chrome" wrap finish available until 1979 & 1980? Any thoughts on this or did they produce a chrome finish earlier in the 70's?

Another oddity with this kit--I also have a 16" floor tom that has a serial # listed at 130xxx? It has the same finish as the others, but has a top & bottom head. It seems that this number would be way out of sequence--was this normal? I guess it was dated around 1974.

Any insite would be greatly appreciated--you're a blessing to this forum.

Mark Carlson

Posted on 18 years ago
#1
Posts: 186 Threads: 0

[COLOR="Navy"]Mark:

Thank you very much, it's my pleasure to help.

Yes, circa late 1975 or early 1976 is right for your kit, with Chrome over wood an absolutely correct finish for this vintage. Indeed chrome was one of the most popular Slingerland finishes throughout the 1970s.

I have a series of articles on Slingerland finishes to appear very shortly. In the first article I have a sort of ?admonishment? ? we cannot rely solely on the backs of catalogs for determining Slingerland finish dates. Chrome over wood does not appear on a catalog back until 1979, but Slingerland started using that finish well before then. Chrome actually first appeared on Slingerland marching drums in 1968, and started to be officially offered on kits in 1970.

And in fact page 6 from Slingerland?s 1970 catalog is shown below.

Lastly, a drum with a serial number in a different range than the rest of those in a kit is a common occurrence. There are many reasons for it. First, of course, such a drum could always be an add-on post factory. But at the factory very often badges got mixed in the tub and appeared later on, or kit orders in popular finishes were filled by going over to a shelf of drums in popular finishes and sizes that had been made up earlier, to be ready to go when needed.

DrCJW[/COLOR]

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Posted on 18 years ago
#2
Posts: 4 Threads: 2

Dr.,

Thank you for the quick response and I am so glad to hear the news about the finish corresponding to the time line. I look forward to your upcoming article(s). Best wishes.

Mark C.

Posted on 18 years ago
#3
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