In the late 40’s/early 50’s, the Swing Era Big Bands were starting to fade and, as a result, Be Bop was now the new thing. In the late 40’s the Gretsch Drum Company brought out the 4 x 14 Max Roach snare drum. Even though the 4 x 14 snare drum had been around since the 1920’s, they rebranded it and advertised it as the snare drum for hip drummers. To keep up with Gretsch, other drum companies began to add their own versions of the snare drum; WFL drums with the Buddy Rich 4 x 14 and 3 x 13 Be Bop model, Slingerland Drums with its Be Bop model in 1948 and Leedy and Ludwig, owned by the Conn Musical Instrument Company, brought out the Broadway New Era snare drum between 1952 - 1954. Later in 1955 Ludwig bought their name back from Conn, when the Leedy and Ludwig Drum Company closed their doors in the mid 50’s.
The 4 x 14 Be Bop model continued on in other drum companies throughout the 60’s; Camco drums with its 3 x 13 Jazz model and Gretsch Drums with its Progressive Jazz model. Ludwig changed the name of its 4 x 14 to the Downbeat model and the 3 x 13 to the Piccolo model. In the early 70’s, Slingerland named its 4 x 14 the Buddy Rich model. The 4 x 14 is no longer considered mainly a Jazz model and drummers play these drums in a variety of settings and music genres.
In 2010, I purchased a 4.5 x 14 White Marine Pearl Broadway New Era snare drum from Soul Drums in Toronto. Over the course of time, I traded the drum to Century Drums, previously located in Toronto, for another drum. I regretted that decision and kept my eye out for a chance to buy another one. Luckily just last year, Soul Drums had another 4.5 x 14 Broadway New Era snare only this time in Red Sparkle finish. I’m not parting with this one. It has 16 side by side beavertail lugs, a Pioneer strainer and double flanged hoops. My drum has chrome plating, although it was available in both nickel and chrome plating. Whomever owned my Broadway New Era had the white paint removed and the bearing edges recut to a 450 angle. Not sure why some drummers can’t just leave older drums that sound great in their original state. That’s definitely one of my pet peeves!
Danny Bilan - Our Man in Canada