Unfortunately, I never kept any catalogues or pics of the factory.

I regret that now.

Hi,

Can someone answer the question I asked about how shells are wrapped in the US. The wrap goes on first in the UK and I wondered if it was the same here.

Cheers,

John

I can't speak for all, mr. Kaywood, but in the past, Slingerland and Ludwig put the wrap on first. We're talking back from the Radio King days (except RK snare drums) up to around 1970 or so for Ludwig. I've had a couple of Ludwig kits (and have seen many more) from around that era where the wrap's seam was shared with the shell's outer plies.

Currently, with the availability of wraps being so common to Winston Smith, the wrap going on top of the finished shell has become de rigeur. The exception may be the big mass-producing companies but I'm not sure. Having wrapped literally hundreds of drums in this fashion, I couldn't imagine the extra time and expense of doing it otherwise.

UK drum manufacturers always have put the wrap into the former first before adding the ply. I would think your big companies will also do it that way. It is the most sensible way to do it (unless, of course, you are doing a re-wrap) By the way it is John.....not Mr K.....

John, I'm honored, sir.

New to the forum thing. Sent a private message to John about my 60's Beverly drum set. Time to let go of it and this forum sure helps with all of the information.

Thanks!

Could be drum related:

Where were you in the 60's ??

Welcome to the forum and thank you for joining. My question is this. The Revolution that took place in Zanzibar, Africa in 1964 http://www.zanzibarhistory.org/ effectively stopped all shipments of slow growth musical grade African Mahogany to the U.S. It forced both Ludwig and Slingerland to change their shells from the 3ply Maple, Polar, Mahogany to Maple, Polar, Maple. This also coinsides with Ludwigs use of Resocoat or semi gloss white enamel paint, and Slingerlands equivalent tan cover up paint. Did the UK have the same problem securing musical grade Mahogany from Africa? If so, did the majority of the drum companies switch the shell makeups, or utilize the Mahogany from the Philippines?

Wow. If we had known there was going to be a test, we would have studied.

Some deep stuff there Slingalud.....