American Classic snare drum

The Chicago Drum & Restoration Ltd. drum company specializes in all things Slingerland old and new. This small but productive company has begun to manufacture two new series of drums that are Slingerland reproductions in spirit; the American Classic and the American Heritage. Both are produced using the Nile factory era type shell with steam bent solid maple 3 ply reinforcement rings. The interiors are finished with tung oil. The bearing edges are 30 degrees with a round-over. The snares are 5 ply shells while the basses and toms are 3 ply. The difference between the two series are in the shell wood types, the lugs and the hoops. The American Heritage shell is mahogany and poplar with tube lugs and a single flange hoop with clips. The American Classic shell is maple and mahogany with beaver tail lugs and stick saver hoops. Both models are available in classic wrap colors. A three point reproduction strainer is standard, and the oval black and silver badge is very Niles-ish. Pure sound snare wires are standard.

The American Classic model I received to review is a 6x 14 model with a striking red, white and blue striped pattern. The wrap is cut by hand and individually taped and glued just as they did in the Niles factory. I was very impressed with the sound of this drum at all tunings. There is a bright quality to the sound that is very Slingerland. Also the crack of the rim shot on the stick saver hoops would make Buddy Rich proud. The snare sensitivity was perfect, probably due to the quality of the wood work and the deep and wide snare beds. I think this Chicago company has a winner. I would go so far as to say that this drum rivals any wood drum the Slingerland Drum Company ever produced and is quite a tribute to that golden age of drum manufacturing. Price was not stated. All inquires about sales and specs should be directed toward Jim Moritz at ChicagoDrumandRestoration.com.

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