SNARE DRUM ARSENAL (AND A LITTLE HISTORY)

Okay, so I have documented almost everything else in my collection.  I might as well make a list of my snare drums.  All of these are 5-1/2 x 14" wood shell drums unless specified otherwise.  Several, such as the Stewart, the Ideal and the Tempo, are drums that were imported from Japan in the 1960s and 70s.  I like to collect these drums because they are usually pretty cheap on eBay and come in a wide variety of colors.  The only thing is, it appears that only the snare drums survived over time.  Toms and bass drums are much harder to find and rarely appear in auctions.  When they do, the seller usually wants an unreasonable amount of money for them.

These odd "MIJ" (Made in Japan) brands are sometimes known as "stencil kits" because they were drums made to look exactly like Ludwigs and Slingerlands on the outside, but were made with cheaper wood on the inside.  The snare strainer mechanisms were also quite inferior to American-made drums, but the low price tag appealed to many.  This simultaneously drove U.S. manufacturers to invent less expensive budget lines to compete, while the Japanese gained momentum with tremendous improvements to their drums and hardware, and eventually became the commonly-known major brands Pearl and Tama of today.*

1 - SLINGERLAND Dark Red Sparkle 10" deep Marching Snare

2 - SLINGERLAND Aluminum Shell

3 - STEWART Indigo Sparkle

4 - DRUM MATE Red Pearl

5 - U.S. MERCURY Indigo Sparkle (not yet restored)

6 - IDEAL Orange Sparkle (work in progress)

7 - MAGNUM Blue Sparkle (missing badge - still searching)

8 - SLINGERLAND Red Sparkle

9 - PEARL Forum Series Black

10 - TAMA Swingstar Vintage Red

11 - SLINGERLAND Blue Agate

12 - TEMPO Yellow Sparkle (not yet restored)

13 - CB DRUMS 3 x 12" Black

*NOTE: Of course, I could be completely wrong.  This is just what I came across during my online research, but you can't believe everything you read on the internet!