Got the badges installed!

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
So as some of you know, I acquired a 1977 Slingerland kit as a tribute to my parents and it's basically what they bought me back in 1977 and started me down this road of drumming.

Anyway, the kit I got was a re-wrap, and the drums themselves are in pretty decent shape. But they did not have the badges (the seller did not have the correct tools to re-install the badges, but he was nice and sent them along with the kit). So the drums were taken to Pro Drum in Hollywood where Stan installed the badges for me. At first I wanted this to just be a players kit to use, but the more I thought about it, you gotta have the badges on the Slingerland drums. They just look nicer with the badges - although the badges themselves aren't big and gaudy like some manufacturer's badges these days.

I used the drums at a rehearsal the other night and loved the tone. Funny thing about these drums - being from 1977, I didn't expect them to be perfectly round - and they aren't. So this results in a finicky-to-tune drum. And I've also found out that they don't sound good with thick double-ply heads - these definitely sound best with coated ambassadors. I got PowerStroke 3's front and back on the bass drum and those work fine. Because of the slight out-of-roundness, the tuning range is somewhat compromised, and these only sound good slightly tighter in the higher range of jazz tuning. At first I was bummed out thinking I'd never be able to get that thick low-end out of the floor tom, and then remembered that my original set from 1977 also had a hard time getting tuned because quality control just wasn't that great back then. I did alot of futzing with my original Slingerland kit and that's just how it was back then. Today we take it for granted that shells are slightly undersized and perfectly round so tuning is really easy, and you get the full range too. So I think today we're spoiled. Back then I just made do. But once I realized that, the kit started to speak well and actually sounds quite good. The spurs on the bass drum are not original, but it was a god choice. Even on my original Slingerland kit, I changed the spurs out when I could.

Stan did a great job and the grommet work looks original. Here's a couple of pics where you can' definitely tell there are badges....
 

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That little detail really adds a lot. The kit is a lot more satisfying to look at now.
 
Yeah, but you didn't get the kit to play in all styles, in all places. You got it to honor your parents. If this simply takes you back to that time in your life more accurately, it's just gonna give you a bigger smile every time you play them.

Looks great.
 
that kit is friggin gorgeous !!!!!!!!

you know Stan put those on.....jive ass Jerry isn't executing a bang up job like that :)
 
Very cool Bo! Ever since you talked about buying this kit to honor your father, I've been thinking of doing the same thing. He passed away a few years ago. My Dad lent me the money to buy my first kit, a Ludwig Black Panther Clubdate kit. I've been keeping an eye out in hopes to do the same as you.
 
that kit is friggin gorgeous !!!!!!!!

you know Stan put those on.....jive ass Jerry isn't executing a bang up job like that :)

That's exactly what Stan said!

And Al's right - my original intention wasn't to gig these, just have them in my room to play and enjoy - but I was compelled to take them out for a spin and they're working out great. In fact, having done so now, and realizing that every job I do is unmic'd and I'm having to blast my way through a band, I may pull the zep kit up in tuning as well. A parent did a recording and the Slingerlands just sounded like drums from far away. The zep kit, with the toms tuned down a bit, can sound like a dull thud from time-to-time from far away. I knew Bonham was right about the tight tuning, but I never really stuck to it - so I think I will.

And I hope you are able to find a black panther club date, Mendo. This, for me, has been a most satisfying restoration project! I'm really satisfied how this came out for the parents.
 
Good looking drums there Bo. Did a fantastic job there. Reminds me a lot like the classic maple ludwig i have. Badges look good and definitely adds some cherries to your kit!
 
They look great Bo.The grommet looks original and the badges just set off the look of vintage Slingerland.I already know they sound amazing.A fitting tribute to your dad.You just know he's smiling ear to ear.

Just pure class.Enjoy.:)

Steve B
 
Looks superb. ...........................20​
 
Looks factory fresh. So nice and what a piece of history for you. Congrats.

How far out of round are you talking?
 
Looks factory fresh. So nice and what a piece of history for you. Congrats.

How far out of round are you talking?

Not much. But you know how on new drums, the heads just sit flat (probably more because they're a bit smaller in diameter than the heads), the heads don't sit flat and I'm having to "stretch" them a bit to get even tensioning. Of course, at this point though, getting the low rumbles won't happen because the drum is under some tension already to get the head flat on the drum. So they sound great once you get them beyond "just above wrinkling". But jazz tuning sounds nice on these drums because they're bigger than a little bop-sized kit - you get alot of bottom end anyway. The bass drum, however, sounds fine even after having to get it under tension to get the heads flat. I don't keep it at 'JAW' but its pitch is low and it rings really nicely.
 
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