Slingerland Transformation

Hollywood Jim

Platinum Member
Short story.
I still have my 1963 Slingerlands. The first and only kit I have ever had. A gift from my Dad when I was 13 years old.
They were silver sparkle, but they were yellowed in a very ugly uneven pattern.

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About 5 years ago I went to California to play with the guys in my garage band that I had not seen in 35 years!
So I redid my drums hot rod style. I painted flat black over the original silver wrap.

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After 40 years of not playing, last year I got a gig in the house band for jam night. So I brought my first set of drums and really went wild on them.
Too much fun ! Something for the jammers to beat on. Here they are:

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Today I finally finished the rework of my original Slingerland kit. I filled all of the old holes on all of the shells. I stripped off the original wrap and re-covered them.
I created a virgin bass drum and brought some new bass drum spurs and hardware to mount the toms.
Oh my Gosh ! Ludwig Atlas Brackets on a Slingerland kit ??????????
I know you vintage drum guys won’t like it, but I could never part with these drums and I hated that old wimpy vintage hardware.
Now I have a nice conservative looking drum set that I can use at special events where my other set would not look good. (I don’t want to scare the little kids)

Here is my new (old) Slingerland kit !


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Thanks for looking.

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Those look great! I kinda did the same thing with my old Slingerlands - I first installed good spurs, but then I installed Pearl floor tom leg brackets. I never had a problem (I had since started using my one rack tom in a snare stand) after that and those drums sounded good. It's nice to see your kit back to a semi-original state!
 
Nice job Hollywood. That's one wacky 2nd tom holder in the flat black photo.
 
Nice job. It does look way classier. I might have went for a different stain.
I wouldn't sweat Ludwig mounts on it - I did the same thing. If its functional, is all that matters to me.
Am considering putting regular bass drum spurs on my 3 ply Slingy bass drum, but when I went to buy them notice they weigh quite a bit, so held off. What bass drum spurs are those? Pearl?
 
Thanks guys.

I've never had this much flexibility in what I can do with the set up.

We be havin' fun now !

Hey Bo Eder, check this out !

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(Now where is that thread about open handed playing... LOL)


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I went to buy them notice they weigh quite a bit, so held off. What bass drum spurs are those? Pearl?

They are Gibraltar.
Funny you said that. These spurs weigh almost as much as the virgin 20" bass drum.
I put them on and the drum felt like it doubled in weight !! LOL

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Nice job Jim. Of your modifications I think I like the flat black the best. Is this the same kit that got the camo green paint job?

How are you liking the remote hi-hat? I have been thinking of getting one of the cable hats. What about those mis-matched Luddy mounts?
 
Very cool on the remote hi-hat! I had considered the DW one when I first saw it, but sheesh, I do not want to spend that much on a DW stand! They are nice, though. If you put your ride next to the hi-hats, then you're pretty much playing open-handed all the time ;)
 
Very cool on the remote hi-hat! I had considered the DW one when I first saw it, but sheesh, I do not want to spend that much on a DW stand! They are nice, though. If you put your ride next to the hi-hats, then you're pretty much playing open-handed all the time ;)

I wanted this DW remote hi hat because I thought it would provide a good direct feeling unlike the horror stories I heard regarding the action of the cable driven hats. It feels perfect. Just like a regular hi hat.

I also did not want to pay the high price for it. So I waited and waited and finally found this one on Ebay for $200 including shipping.

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Nice job Jim. Of your modifications I think I like the flat black the best. Is this the same kit that got the camo green paint job?

Ha ! I wish you had not mentioned that camo green paint job... LOL

I love the remote hi hat. I love having the hi hat at 12'oclock. But I'm not sure I can get used to the tom to the left of my snare.

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