Wow, how could anyone not be ashamed to ship that miserable excuse for a drum shell is beyond me. It looks like it was made by a blind shoemaker working in the dark.
Agreed Jeff, it's very poor. The biggest issue is not the aesthetic of the seam, or even the splits, it's the uneven thickness in terms of how the shell will perform.Wow, how could anyone not be ashamed to ship that miserable excuse for a drum shell is beyond me. It looks like it was made by a blind shoemaker working in the dark.
You have a point. Customers who are used to the consistency of ply shells will expect to see the same in a steam bent shell, & for the most part, they should. Obtaining a completely straight seam is extremely difficult, & in terms of shell performance, a straight seam is irrelevant. So long as the seam is reasonably vertical & not visually over obvious (i.e. not significantly more obvious than the seam on a wrap), then it's good to go. Of course, all other elements should be as good as a multiple layer ply shell. It should be round within an acceptable tolerance, & free from significant defects.So where is it when the builder says in response "The shells are fine." ?
If the drums go out, the builder must be OK with them. Is it that the customer(s) are just not (as) familiar with the inconsistencies of steam bent shells?
How many ordering from VAUGHNCRAFT have even seen a steam bent shell b/f?
I've had several 40's-50 Slingerland Radio kings over the years,and only have one left.One was a duco finish,and the other was a refinish/stain.I still have my 47 RK,which is WMP.They all had a straight seam,at a 90 degree angle to the bearing edge.Cravioto also offers steam bent snares and drum sets,in stained lacquer finishes,and the shells are flawless,with the seams at a perfect 90 degree angle,to the bearing edge.
I couldn't agree more, Tamadrum. Here is the second attempt at a quilted maple shell by Vaughncraft. This one and the first were sent back months ago and still no refund.
This shell had a "graft" as there was some kind of defect with the re-ring. The shell had lots of tear-out in the grain, low spots, was made from two pieces of wood, was the wrong depth, shell wall thickness varied. Very poor quality and my customer flatly rejected both as did I.
The repaired re-ring in this picture will probably play and survive just fine, I would be more concerned that it is two steam bent shells glued together to make one. I think I prefer my solid shells be made from one board. Unless a shell is 10" deep or more, this should not be too much too ask.