cuz its a Gladstone...

Looks like he dropped 10k off the price, pretty sure it was 49k last week...

It is because it is the real deal Gladstones go for BIG BUCKS!! With this one being a metal Gladstone super rare.

A Gladstone?

Yeah, I can see that.

I'd LOVE to own that drum.

Does anyone know if this is the only one for sale right now?

I don't know the seller but if he is not a "heavy hitter" in the vintage drum scene I would think the listing is a fishing expedition. Just saying.

This drum was up for sale a few years ago and stirred up a lot of controversy. See the links below.

http://www.drumforum.org/index.php?/topic/34472-30k-billy-gladstone-on-cl/

http://www.vintagedrumforum.com/showthread.php?t=15003

how about some history on this snare. where it was made? what era its from? how much did they go for new? was this a company or an individual? I'm still puzzled, no matter how rare it is, its a shell, with lugs and rims. once you get beyond 2-3K for a snare, I kind of wonder who would pay that and what they would do with it. I wonder what kind of magical sound it has.

Billy Gladstone history:: Billy Gladstone (December 15, 1893 – October 1961), born William Goldstein, was a Romanian-born New York drummer, percussionist, drum builder, inventor, and drum teacher who performed in New York theaters, including the Capitol Theatre and most famously Radio City Music Hall in the 1930s and 1940s.

He was perhaps most famous in his day for his snare-drum technique, which is often referred to in the drumming community as "The Gladstone Technique". This technique involves the use of the fingers to control the rebound of the drum stick, as opposed to the "Moeller Method" which utilizes a fluid whipping motion to control stick rebound. Both Gladstone and Moeller are now popularly noted for their individually named techniques, but it is unlikely that either drummer single-handedly invented either technique from scratch. More likely they both observed other experienced drummers and instructors of their time and later expanded and popularized each technique via modern publications and private drum instruction. As a teacher, Gladstone taught, formally or informally, a number of noted jazz drummers, including Joe Morello, Shelly Manne, and Buddy Rich. As an inventor and drum builder he devised his own special drum kits bearing his name. These rare snare drums are considered highly collectible today.

Among his inventions is a rare jazz instrument similar to the Bock-a-da-bock, a hand-held cymbal apparatus called the “Ludwig Gladstone Cymbal” when it was introduced by the Ludwig Drum Company in 1927. In 1929 the Leedy Drum Company listed it in their catalogue as the “Hand Sock Cymbals.” Gladstone was granted a patent September 27, 1927, for his "Operating Device for Cymbals," his first commercially accepted patent (his previous patents were not mass-produced). This launched an illustrious career as an inventor of percussion and non-percussion items. Billy started making his snare drums using Gretsch drum shells. he invented the tuning system where the drum could be tuned top and bottom heads at the same time, with a special 3 way drum key.

Good reply Mark!

You can pretty much get the essence of how valuable the drum is by watching the video link in the eBay post

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/190806589831?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

and reading the description of the drum and the history.

Gladstone was a tremendously tallented sanre drummer - probably had the best roll of any drummer of his time and since. I say that because of this quote from Buddy Rich which I'm taking out of Chet Falzerano's book - Billy Gladstone"

This is Buddy Rich talking:

"My roll is probably the best roll in the world outside of one other drummer and I'm not modest. The greatest drummer that I have ever heard in my life as far as rudiments and the roll is concerned is Billy Gladstone"

Gladstone made about 50 snare drums and four kits I think. Two complet kits have survived - one in the hands of Carl Palmer (it's for sale now at $165,000 firm) and the other kit is owned by Chet Falzerano.

As stated in a reply above...the snare in question here is even more rare than other Gladstone snare drums....because it is one of only two metal shelled Gladstone drums to have been built....the one for sale - the late Howard Van Hyning drum and the other is said to be 'lost.'

The drum is worth what ever the buyer will pay......and I say it is a lot less than any of these top 10 guitars:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9131748/The-10-most-expensive-guitars-ever-sold-in-pictures.html#?frame=2162741

And I'd rather have the Gladstone kit or snare personally.