Show us your vintage Slingerland kits!

These aren't too old, Nov 1979 to be exact:

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These belonged to Neil Diamond drummer Dennis St John, and appear in the Jazz Singer movie and soundtrack (these are the drums heard on America, Love On The Rocks, etc.)

There's a single-headed kick and another floor tom that also goes with it. :)

Bermuda
 
bermuda; I notice that you have several large concert tom kits. Is there a reason for that?
I played a large concert tom kit for years until I converted the drums to resos.
I kind of miss the sound. I play a Rhythm Traveler for practice and I still like the concert sound.
I also do like drums with resos very much. Concert toms are fun. I like to mic them also.
 
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bermuda; I notice that you have several large concert tom kits. Is there a reason for that?

I've got 2... and a half. They're ideal for certain sounds, and my Vistalites are surprisingly great with modern heads (Evans EC2 clear) -

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I think most drummers' idea about concert toms stems from the disco era and dead-ish studio sounds resulting from hydraulic heads, often padded even further. Those drums were often mic'd incorrectly - from the batter side - which accentuated their deadness.

Unfortunately, some engineers still have to be told how to mic the toms: from underneath, fairly level with the bottom edge of the shell. A few inches either way makes a big difference. And with the improvements in head technology, concert toms, Vistalite kits, and stainless steel drums sound much better than they ever could when they were new back in the '70s.

I've done some sessions with the white kit, and they're absolutely wonderful. I'd have no qualms about taking possibly the bottom 4 concert toms on tour, but this Vistalite kit is very clean and they really don't do well with rough handling, so I don't want to subject them to the rigors of the road.

Bermuda
 
Wow, great looking kits Jon! The white one is great for your Star Wars Parodies :). Looks kind of like a spaceship. How many kits do you own?
 
I've got 18-20 kits at the moment, a few more on the way in the next few months. :)

Bermuda
 
That Slingerland kit is simply off the hook, Bermuda. Wow. Thanx for sharing that.
 
Bermuda, those are two beautiful looking kits. Look to be in great shape too. Here is my little Slingerland Avanti kit (missing two toms, gone but not forgotten) Kit was just refurbished. All new bearing edges. Fun to play again.
 

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Hi,

Thanks for the compliment. The kit is the Slingerland Avanti 1971. That is a pink sparkle from Slammin Sams. The kit was a mess as you can see. It needed all new edges cut and some of the plies needed to be glued. They are 3 ply shells, Mahogany outer, poplar or birch middle? and maple inner with maple reinforcemnt rings.
 
These belonged to Neil Diamond drummer Dennis St John, and appear in the Jazz Singer movie and soundtrack (these are the drums heard on America, Love On The Rocks, etc.)

There's a single-headed kick and another floor tom that also goes with it. :)

Bermuda

this is so amazing! this is a candidate for modern drummer's "kit of the month" at the back of the magazine! seriously, you should send that photo in.
 
My first set of Slingerlands and my new kit for recording! Just got this a few days ago, haven't had time to set it up (not my picture). I'm still trying to date them exactly but I think 79-80.

6,8,10,12, 14, 18. 22x14 and 24x14 bass drums, 14" 12 lug snare. Custom ordered with Ludwig hardware.
 

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My modified late 40's 7X14 Radioking.



And the same snare after the latest fleshing up.


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Although a 2010 post, I like what Bermuda says about the concert tom kits. I as well I am sure many drummers have a stigma about taking our bottom heads of, sort of a purist sacrilege. One of my all time favourite albums for drum sound is Genesis Seconds Out Live. I always pictured Chester Thompson with the big Bubinga Sonor kit which is what I thought he used. Last year I met him at a clinic, he corrected me, it was a big old concert tom kit mic'd from underneath. Talk about making my head spin.
 
frankenstein #1 - unrefurbished 1960's orphan toms and bass:

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frankenstein #2 - refurbished orphan toms from 1970's, with a Superstar bass drum.

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