Greetings Vintage Drum Friends
Here we are at the start of Summer 2021 and gigs are returning and that means gigging vintage drums and that means Vintage Happiness! For this article I present one of 2 white marine pearl kits in my collection. This is a 1955 Leedy New Era Outfit in excellent condition. This set is originally a 3 piece but I added a perfect matching floor tom from the 60’s to round out the kit. This is a great version of a small light vintage kit for the “jobbing” drummer. Easy to fit in the cabs and cars of yesteryear!
This set has the 1955-1956 Leedy Brass Oval badge on all the drums except the floor tom, which has the 1960 Leedy Blue Oval Badge with postal code 48 after Chicago on it. The drums sizes consist of a 14x20 bass drum, 8x12 tom, the 16x16 floor tom and the ultra cool and unique 4.5x14 New Era snare drum. I am a big fan of the art deco lugs & T-rod “faucets” on the bass drums from this era. This is the era that many collectors refer to as the “Slingerleedy” period when Slingerland owned Leedy and manufactured these drums as well as Slingerlands from 1955 through 1966 in Chicago.
As almost all of the sets in my collection, this entire kit is in almost showroom condition and the white marine pearl is still vibrant and there is little fade or yellowing. There is no rust on any of the beautiful chrome and the set came with both a functional Shelly Manne bass drum pedal and high hat stand.
This is another excellent example of a very well cared for drum set through the years and that will continue. It really amazes me when I am able to find a set that still looks brand new and functions with no issues. This combination of sizes is also a favorite of mine making this kit very versatile for the different size venues I am playing now. The drums are loud enough for the big dance halls yet small enough and still project nicely with brushes for any supper club gig.
I’ve used this set on many gigs already and it’s become a favorite of mine due to its sizes and the great tone & projection from the smaller drums. The 50’s era of Leedy are an excellent time for the build of these great drum kits from the past.
Until next time, PLAY those drums!