I was fortunate enough to find a 1958 Slingerland Silver Sparkle Bass Drum & Rack Tom at a very reasonable price some time ago and have been trying to obtain a matching floor tom to complete the kit. The toms during this era of Slingerland, as most probably know, were "pre-badge" drums, as the badges were only mounted on the bass drums and snare drums. Anyway, I finally did find a floor tom with the silver sparkle finish in really nice shape. What made it even better was that it came with with all the correct original hardware for that era (Radio King style two pad tone control, spring loaded leg mounts, etc.). I did have to pay a substantial amount for it, but my goal was to complete the kit. Unfortunately, when I received the drum and compared it to the bass and rack tom, the finish on the floor tom had more of a

"ginger-ale" fade to it than the other two drums. I'll try to get the Webmaster to post a picture for you to see to demonstrate this situation. Here's my dilemna: Do I keep the floor tom with the kit, despite the fact that the finish obviously doesn't match the others (although the hardware and date of manufacture do) or do I sell the floor tom and continue my "hunt" for one that will match? Obviously, the "hunt" will, more than likely, be an extended one! I guess as a last resort I could sell all pieces individually and start from scratch but, obviously, I'd like to avoid that option. ANY AND ALL "words of wisdom" would be greatly appreciated. This is a tough one for me. band2