How to Date a Slingerland Snare Drum
The Slingerland Drum Company was founded in 1912 by music educator and instrument maker Henry Slingerland. The Slingerland company began making drums in 1927. Vintage Slingerland drums can be difficult to date due to non-standardized manufacturing procedures. Older, leftover drum parts and hardware would often get attached to newer drums in the factory. At best, you may be able to set a range of likely origin dates for these "hybrid" Slingerlands.
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Instructions
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Look for a serial number on the badge of the drum. If the drum has a serial number it was made between 1962 and 1986, but Slingerland had two series of serial numbers. The numbers 0 through 250,000 were used between 1962 and 1970. A reset in 1970 started at 0 and ran to 588,000.
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Identify the vintage of the drum's badge. If the badge is square it was made in the 1920s. If the badge has a cloud shape the drum was made between 1928 and 1947. Different colored oval badges were used between 1948 and the late 1990s. For example, a black and brass badge means it is likely a model made in Chicago between 1956 and 1959.
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Remove the upper head of the drum and look inside the shell. Occasionally drum manufacturers stamped the date the drum was made there. Assuming that a stamped date is original, this is the most accurate way to date an individual drum.
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