Pat, I have had very little luck in finding out more about my snare, but this forum as you pointed out has shed some light. Now I think that before a certain date, all BB's were brass in the late '70's and likely there was no need to stamp the drums. Thanks for the info on the heads that you use. What is the tension settings on the batter, or do you use a drum dial?

I know, its a murky pond isn't it. I'd agree with you, as far as my own investigation goes it would certainly seem that before a certain date in the late 70's, they didn't stamp the shell because they were all brass - I'd love to meet someone that put these things together in the factory at around that time!I don't use a drum dial. Tension on the batter head is roughly 2.5 to 3 turns all round at the mo, slightly less on the bottom head.

Thanks Pat, that's roughly how I have tuned my snare all these years. I did change my original batter head when it broke in 1999 with Weather King Coated Ambassador and it still retains it's original LUDWIG Ensemble X Thin Opaque Snare head, with the original snare wires. Hey on a side note my family's origins are from Bramley which is NW of Brighton, I believe. The last name is Lovegrove.Cheers,