That's a really nice shell, go for it Gary!

Stay away from rim shots.

Why do you say that?

Look at the edges on the batter side.

Those edges will clean up nicely. True the edge and check for flat. Sand on the stone table. Round over and seal in laquer. The glass is very strong.

It can handle some impact. Stronger than wood.

One thing I noticed, sorry guys, is the spacing of the lugs from bearing edge on reso side. I think Ron or Rick Syde may have been a little off with their layout that day. They may have aligned lugs closer to bottom/reso side. That is, not exactly centered on shell. Reso head ring is very close to bottom of lug. Maybe it just the pics and a stretched reso head.

Not a deal breaker as I would buy this drum if I did not already own 5 Blaemire snares. Although I do not have a 5 or 5.5.

A great drum at a great price.

sa

Those have been there since I got it. It's in the resin itself from when they pulled the edge in to get the bearing edge curved. I'll take some closer pics when i get back in a couple hours.

Jason

Those look like hairline cracks around the edges. Could be the pic. rim shot might let them travel. Got close-ups of them ?

They run cross grain.

Is the bottom snare head really stretched out? The distance between the lugs and the hoop is much smaller on the snare side. I hope it wasn't drilled that way- it's hard to see perspective in pictures.

Very cool drum- way before everybody and their brother built custom drums, Valley Drum Shop was making some great snares. I have a 7x14 maple with long Yamaha lugs and a Pearl Gladstone throw.

They run cross grain as when you pull the edge inner of the diameter, the material will bind against itself. Similar to if you had say a toilet paper cardboard roll and you try to bring the edge inward. I took it as thats how it was made from day one. I really don't know though. I've used it and i really dont want to sell it. But i finally found a 16 red vista floor tom, and the funds have got to come from somewhere. Notice the lugs are center. And at each bind spot or fracture, its under the resin. It would have to have been cast that way.