A friend has it and sent me the picture to see if i could help with the year? unfortunately dont have any other shots buddy

Why do any of them have to be copies? Those 40/50's Sonor lugs aren't anything like the Ajax lugs.They are more similar to the Beverley lugs of the 40's-----somewhat blocky and rounded, or even the Deri lugs of the 40's, similarily blocky and rounded. Teardrop is a vague terminology , really only applicable to a few lugs out there. Trixon , so-called teardrop lugs were already established in 1947 and the Sonor , so-called teardrop lugs that are more similar to those than any, didn't arrive until about 10 years later, so if copying of lugs was being done, then Sonor ,clearly copied Trixon.

The Ajax lugs , already in existence , just after the war are usually referred to as bullet lugs and in close examination, bear almost no similarity to those old Sonor lugs.

I don't think there is any doubt, that a company can be influenced by the success of another and try to horn in on their business , through mimicry but the only real copying that took place was the wholesale Japanese copying of an entire Singerland kit. The other stuff , might be termed " marketplace styling".

Ajax , by the way had something going on with both Amati and Trixon. A comparison of the Trixon catalogues and Ajax catalogues of 1967 show, exactly identical premium snare stands and Vibraphones and Ajax's main stand , the flatbased one with the spring loaded legs is virtually identical to an Amati, with spring loaded legs. By '67 B&H were having serious market share problems and were likely buying these items from the European companies. There is no way , B&H could have made a stand of the quality of the Amati, for what they likely paid for them( Czech currency exchange in 1967---peanuts).

I um, actually know all that stuff....well some of it, you are above me in English drum or the lesser ..oops.. German drum Co. I kinda just coined a phrase to paint a picture.

If you got a Phonic/Champion snare muffler, I`m interested in the tuning key. I had a plan when I bought my snare but the FT muffler don`t work !i (I know you got snare stuff)

Is that for me, Oddball? I have a key for Phonics. I don't think a muffler, though.---are they the same as a later Champion?

Yes and Yes !i It`s the one with only one top hole and barrel nut. Exactly like a Supra but the hole on top.

I will look.