I don't remember where I picked up this vintage Slingerland drum or what I paid for it (if anything), but I used it with great satisfaction when I played for the Columbia Vineyard worship band, God's Comics and various other projects in the 1990s. This is a red sparkle marching snare that I cleaned up and restored, and decided to use on a regular basis in lieu of my boring metal Tama snare that came with my former kit.
I remember having difficulty getting it to sound good through a sound system. The snare sound wouldn't pick up when the top head was miked, and the deep resonance wouldn't come through when just the bottom head was miked. The solution was two microphones, top and bottom. Then the wonderful tone and crack of this instrument projected perfectly.
The other obstacle in using this snare with a drumset was its depth. This drum is 9 inches deep and sits way too high on most standard snare stands. After I finally found a stand short enough to mount the drum at a comfortable level, I was able to fit it into my setup and play it without having to adjust my playing style.
At some point the snare strings broke and I quit playing the drums. The drum was stored away and forgotten. However, I am happy to report that just recently I brought it back out and repaired it, and it has been restored to working order. I am using it as an "alternate" alongside my 5" Swingstar snare. It still sounds phenomenal and blends in nicely with my red kit.
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