Drori Mondlak Releases New Album

Performing their original compositions, KLARO! blends the romanticism of European classical and folk music and fuses it with the rhythmic fire and swing of the American jazz tradition together with the harmonic sophistication of contemporary improvised music. The group is co-led by two critically acclaimed international artists - alto saxophonist Karolina Strassmayer, and drummer Drori Mondlak.

From Drori's Press Release:

We dedicate our new CD Small Moments to the beauty of music and its enduring power to move the soul.  After two years of touring and performing the music of our previous CD Joining Forces (2011), our desire was to keep our creative juices flowing. In early 2013 it was time to write new songs, gather our close musical friends, record, and take the new show on the road. And that’s just what we did!

The Musicians: Our long-time collaborator, guitarist Cary DeNigris, once again contributed his virtuosity and originality. A new voice in KLARO!, bassist Ingmar Heller, laid down the groove with great warmth and feeling.

The Drums: I used my beloved WMP Ludwig 1971 Jazzette kit. I added a 16” floor tom. These drums are 3 ply clear maple shells and they sound fantastic...warm and resonant. The snare drum was a 1939 Leedy Broadway Standard - 8” depth, 3 ply maple shell with parallel throw off. The fact that this drum still has the original snare wires gives it that real dry orchestral response and has tremendous sensitivity and articulation. Rim shots produce a beautiful ring from the brass rims and lugs on the shell.

The Cymbals: All Zildjian cymbals from the 50’s. My main ride is a 22” old stamp K, left side ride is a 20” old stamp K, lower right side is a 20” trans stamp A ride/crash, to the right of that is a 16” trans stamp A crash, the hi hats are a pair of 13” old K’s.

The Studio: During our tour in Germany we traveled to Ludwigsburg to record at the great Bauer Studios. This is one of the oldest studios in Germany with an incredible sounding room with great acoustics. We recorded with all four musicians together in one room to create the intimacy and connection of a live performance.

For more information, visit the following links:

http://klaro.bandcamp.com/album/small-moments http://www.drorimondlak.com/ http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Drori_Mondlak.html

 

Why I'm Selling My Ludwig Top Hats

Here's a "for sale" submission from Jack ‘JR’ Zdvorak:

Now here's a story for ya. What you're looking at is sometimes known as the 'Holy Grail' of drums, an original 1940-41 TOP HAT & CANE tom and floor tom. There may be less than five of these left on the planet, depending on who's telling the story. To my knowledge - again don't quote me on this - the only known complete sets in existence are owned by Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones and Don Bennett up in Seattle, Washington. Here's two of the four out of this kit, and some very healthy pieces of drum real estate about to go up for sale or auction in mid January 2014.

Jack and his Top Hats

I'd like to offer a special thanks to George Lawrence, owner-publisher of Not So Modern Drummer, and Gary Forkum, owner of Fork's Drum Closet, Nashville, TN. – Fork’s is the finest example of an all inclusive drum wonderland in the entire U.S. - and my new friend, Clay Fuqua, Nashville vintage specialist. Another guy who needs to be commended is James Grainger along with Steve and Joyce down at Custom Fretted Instruments and Repair in Sparta TN, just south of Nashville. Great team...fixes guitars for the best pickers in the country, reasonable, & very, very good at what they do,...a lost art.... & he's helping me bring many of mine back to life.

Upon meeting them the week before Christmas in Nashville 2013 I can clearly see why they are successful and why Nashville has become the new East Coast Hollywood - one of the top entertainment capitals of recording artists, musicians & vintage gear anywhere in the US. They are friendly here, knowledgeable, and they make you feel like a part of the family. That's what's cool about the south,...genuine and no BS. Being originally from the midwest, we've kind of heard it all from both coasts and simply live up to our motto, "Show Me". I needed their expert help and advice and got it. Thanks, because these drums have gone across the country with me looking for the right bed to lay their little sheepskin heads. Nashville won,...hands down.

Now I don't want to get ahead of myself, nor do I mean to sound pretentious, but I think it's nice to know where someone is coming from, when writing stories about one of the most famous drum sets to ever be built. Who's blowin’ smoke and who’s not.

Here's the story and, to the best of my knowledge and recollection, 'the truth'. It's a fascinating story. I may have to change a few names and initials to keep from getting too involved with any red tape, but this is the fable.

Here's a question for you: Do you remember when you were just a little guy and looked up to that local hero-musician guy ? Remember him? - The cool dude you wanted to be, the former player, the one who decided later in life to teach and pass along his vast knowledge to us young-uns to keep us from making too many bone head mistakes? Well that was my mentor, Mr. 'H' we'll call him, like Richard Dreyfus in the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus. He literally changed my life when I came to him for guitar lessons back when I was 10 years old. He was not only a National Guitar Champion back then, but ran a very successful teaching facility called 'American Music Studios'. Taught guitar, drums, banjo, mandolin, anything with a skin or a string on it, and had some of the best teachers you could find in the entire Mid West working with him. He studied with the world renowned 'Andre Segovia' in a master class back in 1960. He also carted us snotty nosed wanna bes from one AGMA National Music Competition to the next, from one end of the country to the other. Along the way we got to take in the Ludwig factory, the Gibson/Epiphone factory up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and a ton of other landmarks on a bus with fifty other rug rats. Who does that anymore??? I still have the complete 60's set we drug to every competition, Gold Emblem Ludwigs, red sparkle, double bass, 4 toms, congas & Turkish Zildjians from the sixties. Those will never be sold. They went with us everywhere and are still as great a set today as they were back in the sixties. Fond memories - makes you appreciate quality in all aspects of life - just like musical equipment.

"Mr. H"

He was also an awesome drummer with top of the line Ludwigs all the way. Played center stage for good friend 'Willy-G' owner of Harley Davidson at their landmark '100th year HD Anniversary' in 2003 up at the Juneau Plant, in Milwaukee,Wisconsin. (Think PartYyyy!!!) Reminded you of Apollo Creed in his Red White & Blue get up in Rocky. Crazy, full of life, never married (no time for it), bigger than life. I just wanted to be around his enthusiasm because it was infectious, almost John Wayne like. He devoted his whole life to us kids and teaching us to be the best musicians we could be. Made you feel you could climb Mt Everest and you couldn't even spell it. You all know who I'm talking about.

These Top Hat & Canes were a gift from Mr. Ludwig himself to my buddy and mentor, Mr. 'H'. That's the story they told me and along with the pics of them together, I'm sticking with it. These 'Top Hats' are a part of that journey...that history...if they are passed down to you, you cherish them... and I did. Mr 'H' passed away a few years ago. I only got to see him two or three times after returning back to the Midwest from Vegas before he left us. I cried like a baby because there will never be another one like him. I vowed to try to keep it all going no matter what it cost. I sang at his funeral and there wasn't a dry eye in the place. I promised then and there to keep the legend and studio alive.

Ludwig Catalog

Remember when we actually made things of quality in this country? Quality instruments that said 'Made In USA'..and damn proud of it. These 'Top Hat & Canes' were one of the best examples of that era you'll ever find. Why? Because that's what Ludwig was and is to this day. These things feel like they were made to go to war and win it. It's because of the craftsmanship & pride they took in putting them together. The finish is unlike anything you'll ever see again, because they just don't have the time to make them that way anymore. The heads are made of calf skin & feel like a fine leather coat but have a distinct sound that just feels warm yet solid and comfortable. That's quality craftsmanship still leaking through from seventy four years ago. They had to stop making them because when WWII came along a few years later we needed our resources to make guns and bullets,...so the story goes...so less than ninety of them ever made. The floor tom was supported on a folding cradle. These, according to Clay down in Nashville, were added on by Ludwig as a possible proto type for things to come,...but used 4 of them for stability instead of the 3 legs we see today,...pretty ahead of their time.

Now you're probably wondering why would anybody in their right mind want to sell these? They are a part of our history and heritage. Some of the best drummers on the planet pounded out their lifetime fantasies on Ludwigs. I'm retired now and struggling to keep the legend alive. Somebody may help me with the purchase of this history. I'd be forever grateful. I run a small teaching & recording facility called Coyote Moon Productions with twenty to twenty five students from ages six to sixty where I teach guitar, piano, and vocals. This year I'll also start teaching acting at the 'Actor's Studio', hopefully at a new facility, financed by the sale of many of my prized vintage guitars & drums.

Jack's Students

I feel I have been blessed. In my acting career I was lucky enough to have worked with some of the greats like JohnnyDepp, & Benicio Del Toro, Tom Cruise, and Dustin Hoffman in 'Rainman' (as kind of a stand-in stunt double),..not really much of an acting career, but hey I was in the game and in the top 1% of the industry for a few minutes. Most of the TV shows I was in were cancelled before the 5th episode...but I had fun...enjoyed playing music in Las Vegas whenever I could. As I look back on it all, it was mostly about the journey with me,...not the rewards. At my teaching studio, any stringed instrument or drum the kids can pick up, they have access to – to take it home, and play it to death. I can't take them with me and they sure aren't getting that in our current education system these days. I've got over a hundred guitars from 1918 Gibsons to Fender Pedal Steels to Sitars, mandolins, banjos & of course, some awesome drums I'll never let go of. Some of my kids are from under privileged families. Some were autistic and struggling, but the music is like a universal language to them. They get it and I'm glad to offer it to them. I do a charity event with Samick Guitars out of TN every year called 'Shades Of Blue, Autism Speaks'. It's not easy keeping this going. I seem to spend more on my kids than I make but, like my mentor Mr 'H', I'm paying it forward. No kid will ever go without a new guitar or drum at Christmas as long as I'm still kicking. If I sell these drums for the right price, I'll be able to build out my studio so we can have more room to actually have a band stage set up, a recording control room & some nice equipment. Tall order, but I'm keeping the faith. When you have kids from six to sixty it's a pretty good feeling watching them fly, sing their first song on stage, and get into college on a music scholarship. Every cent I make off of these things will go to their facility and keeping the music alive. They are dropping so many music programs where I live - it's a shame - this economy isn't fair to the 'young uns'...they deserve better. They deserve a shot like we had.

It's time for these Top Hats to find a new home, so if you want a piece of history, they are for sale. Make me an offer I can't refuse, or watch eBay. (unfortunately, that may be my best bet). If you need to authenticate anything on these bad boys, call Gary and Clay at Fork’s Drum Closet, or George down at Not So Modern Drummer. They are good guys, know their stuff, & I highly recommend them. Hope you enjoyed my story...I miss my friend Mr. 'H'. He changed my life, but he also left me some items to keep the legend alive. He would have liked this article and is probably smiling down at me right now while I'm writing this. 'Guitars & Drums'...like 'Words & Music'. I've got a lot to be thankful for and grateful to have even played in the game. Thanks again George for releasing this article. Great magazine...hope it brought some smiles to your face & a few fond memories.

(Editor’s note – I have seen and held these two drums that Jack is writing about. They are the real deal, are in good condition, and sound great. Jack is also the real deal – a very energetic, enthusiastic, and likable person. His motive for selling these drums that have so much sentimental value to him is admirable. The actual name of the finish on these drums is Top Hat according to the Ludwig catalog, but the name has kind of morphed over the years into Top Hat and Cane, a nickname of sorts that has become accepted by the vintage drum community as a pardonable mispronunciation. I still catch myself calling it Top Hat and Cane...  I took the pictures below at Fork's Drum Closet. - George Lawrence)

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THESE DRUMS, PLEASE CONTACT GEORGE LAWRENCE AT (330) 338-6035 OR BY EMAIL AT GEORGE@NOTSOMODERNDRUMMER.COM.

About Jack 'JR' Zdvorak: Jack has worked as a drummer in L.A. and Las Vegas and as a Screen Actors Guild actor in movies and tv shows. He also worked as a crew member for TWA for twenty five years. He is also a devoted teacher and mentor to his students.

 

For Sale: 1975 Ludwig Black Oyster Drum Set

This is a well used but well cared for kit - 12, 13, 16, 22. They have usual funky wrap seams and the 8x12 tom has a wrap patch - but they sound great and play great! The 12,16, and 22 are matching granitone, the 13 has a maple interior. I'm selling the 3 toms, bass drum and double tom holder only. No snare, hardware or cymbals are included. I'm asking $800 plus shipping from San Diego area. Email Toby for more details at tobyahrens@cox.net.  Please email George Lawrence, publisher of Not So Modern Drummer if you need a reference - george@notsomoderndrummer.com.  

From Basket Case to Beautiful

1929 Lavender Pearl Slingerland Artist Model

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Restoring vintage drums can be challenging and reversing decades of use and abuse sometimes proves nearly impossible. I’d like to tell the story of a recent restoration I performed that nearly ended in disaster. In 2012, I purchased a 1920’s Slingerland Artist Model snare drum that was in terrible condition. The drum was missing many hard to find parts and the shell had been painted over with multiple coats of thick black paint, even over the badge! Since the drum did have several valuable parts, I was planning to use the drum as a “donor” for other Slingerland projects. Due to the condition of the drum shell, I even considered disposing of it, once the remaining parts and badge were removed. Before doing anything drastic, I decided to apply a small amount of paint remover in order to see if there was a pearl finish under all that paint. After a few minutes, I wiped away the paint remover and a bit of color began to appear. Assuming that the finish was probably just common white marine pearl that had faded to yellow, I did not feel it was worth the trouble to attempt to completely remove the paint.

But out of curiosity, I continued to wipe away the layers of black, sticky paint and I realized that the exposed finish had a decidedly “pink” color to it. Pink? That could only mean one thing…..Lavender Pearl!
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Lavender Pearl is one of Slingerland’s most rare finishes. First introduced in 1929, this beautiful Pyralin (pearl) finish was only offered for about two years. Realizing that I had a potentially very special snare drum in front of me, I began to proceed with caution by applying a citrus based paint stripper to small areas at a time. The black paint was very stubborn and required several applications just to break through to the lavender. It became a case of “Catch 22” in that a lot of chemical stripper was required to remove the paint, but that also exposed the lavender pearl to its caustic affects. Nitro-Cellulose based Pyralin is somewhat fragile and can melt if exposed to strong solvents for more than a few minutes. At times, the pearl did became very soft and dull and I was beginning to think this was a hopeless case. The more paint I removed, the worse it looked. More than once I nearly catapulted the drum out the window. However, since there were no windows close by, I persevered. After nearly twenty applications of the paint remover, most of the black paint was gone. Unfortunately, the once gorgeous Lavender Pearl had turned to a lumpy, ugly, pink mess.

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Failure! After several days of a very messy, frustrating, paint-covered operation, I was beginning to think that this drum would indeed end up being a “parts donor”. This once magnificent looking, eighty-five year old Lavender Pearl snare drum now looked absolutely horrible. Since I had nothing to lose, I began experimenting with “wet sanding”, a technique used primarily on automotive paint. Normally, I would not attempt to sand a drum’s finish but drastic measures were needed. My plan was to start with a relatively coarse 600 grit sandpaper, gradually working my way up to 1500. To my surprise, the sandpaper was smoothing out the very rough looking pearl, giving it a much more uniform appearance. After sanding, an automotive rubbing compound was applied, followed by a polishing compound which brought the finish up to a very nice luster. There were still a few black paint remnants that stubbornly refused to come off, but given the condition of the drum when I started, the difference was remarkable. This was starting to look like a drum!

With the finish looking its best, I turned to the task of finding and installing the correct hardware. This 1929 Artist Model snare drum originally was equipped with imitation gold hardware known as “Artgold”. But because the remaining parts were in such poor condition, I decided to use Artgold parts that I already had in my collection. The golden toned hardware really contrasts nicely with the Lavender Pearl.

The last step of this restoration was the installation of the Tone Flange, calf heads, and heavy brass double flanged hoops. The Tone Flange is a round metal device that resembles a hubcap. It rests on a metal ring and several flat wood screws, which are screwed into the top bearing edge. Slingerland’s Tone Flange was first introduced in 1928 and was supposed to improve tonal quality by reducing overtones and increasing projection.  Special oversize calf heads are required to fit over the flange. Whether or not the Tone Flanges improved the sound of Slingerland’s snare drums is open to debate but by the mid 1930’s, very few Tone Flange drums were being produced. They were however, still listed as an option in the 1936 Slingerland catalog.

The Slingerland Lavender Pearl Artist Model snare drum was definitely the most difficult, frustrating and challenging drum restoration I have ever undertaken. However, I am delighted with the results and feel great satisfaction in knowing that a nearly discarded relic from the past was saved. So the next time you encounter an old drum whose finish has been painted over, it might be a good idea to look closely. You never know what’s hiding under that paint!

 

An American Minstrel Drum

Maker: J.W. Pepper & Son Circa: 1911 Dimensions: 6" (h) x 16" (dia.)

An incredible piece of American black memorabilia, this rare and one of a kind minstrel drum also speaks volumes as to the changing role of the drum from one of military communication to that of an exclusive tool of entertainment. Formally part of a large "Black Memorabilia" collection, this drum was indeed part of an early 20th century minstrel show. It was accompanied by a tambourine featuring the hand-painted, exaggerated face of a black male character known as "Tambo," that covered the entire surface of the calf skin head. No doubt just part of the show as the average performance consisted mostly of music and comedy. Beginning in the 1830's, the blackface minstrel show was the first distinctly American theater form and was at the very core of the rise of an American music industry. In the early decades it provided a window for white America to view black America. But in the end, early minstrel music and dance was not the true black culture: it was merely the white reaction to it.

Seven of the eight panels are hand painted with the face of a "darky" stock character in classic "black-face" make-up with shades of blue, white, yellow, and red. Of particular note is the panel painting of the stock character of a civil war soldier clad in blue, echoing the free black soldiers' many contributions of service at a time of great change in the relatively young American country. It also seems to beckon forth thoughts of a time of reconstruction as well as of the growing freedoms and changing attitudes that would culminate in what would become jazz music and beyond.

The other panels present a variety of clownish characters, all in cartoon-like images and vivid color suggesting that this drum was played in a carnival like atmosphere with parades and bandstand performances.

By the turn of the 20th century, the minstrel show was starting a gradual decline as vaudeville began to replace it in popularity. However, it still managed to survive into the 1920s as a professional form of entertainment, with amateur performances continuing well into the 1960s.

The condition of the drum is one of restoration with some parts still unaccounted for and the skins left un-repaired. The shell is in very solid condition and is made of a single ply of ash wood, typical for drum makers in this part of the country. The counter-hoops are solid maple and are augmented with sheet metal to protect the wooden hoops from the abuses of honest stick wear. Ten single tension, slotted metal tuning rods are reminiscent of an earlier, well established style of rod modified with a thumb screw attachment. A few of these thumb screw rods have been lost or are broken off at the top and have been temporarily replaced with period slotted tuning rods that use a specific key or a flat head screwdriver to adjust until the correct replacement parts are found. The metal tension rod mounted leg rest is missing, but the top hoop mounted belt hook is still present and in good condition, confirming the drums versatility from bandstand to parade ground. Some of the snare adjuster is missing but the scroll patterned thumb screw is in perfect order and is still attached to a set of wire snares which were to be considered as something relatively new at the time.

Inside the drum is a paper maker's label identifying James W. Pepper and his son, Howard E., as the makers of this drum. The label reads: "J.W. Pepper & Son / Manufacturers of / Drums, Musical Instruments, Music and Musical Merchandise / Thirty Third and Walnut Streets, Philadelphia, PA." The label has some small cracks and a few small tears but is fully legible and shows its age. This address and the style of hardware suggests the circa of this drum to be about 1911.

There is really no definitive evidence that the J. W. Pepper & Son Company actually made this drum as they were known to market drums made by other builders and have their label affixed to those drums at different times.

We may also never know who painted or played this incredibly unique piece of American culture, but what we are left with is a partial record of evidence of the history of the music and percussion of this country. Crossing the lines of collecting between vintage drums, black memorabilia, and American history in general, this drum will always be in great demand as it changes hands over the years and will always be a great investment. Coming at the very end of the American victorian era, it is reminiscent of a time of great change that helped to make drums of music more common than Drums of WAR!

From Lancaster County, PA Thoughts from the shop....

-Brian Hill

 

Nokes & Nicolai American Drummer 5

Over the years, I seem to have bought and collected almost every drum catalog I could find. Not only are they great resources for parts and information, but they are also pieces of American history (I have Premier and other British catalogs, too!). Today, we journey back to Beantown, to Boston, once a mainstay of percussion building. For about 15 years, one of the recognizable companies was Nokes & Nicolai and also seen as Nokes and Nicolai. They were in a direct line of three companies that were connected with the same strainer design that resurfaced decades later. First, there was the Harry Bower Company and that begat the F.E.Dodge Company and that begat today’s organization, whose nickname was “No-Nic”. When this catalog was published, the three firms, in this direct line, had been in the drum business for 48 years.

Today’s catalog is 100 years old. It dates to 1913, one year after Messrs. Nokes and Nicolai bought the business from Dodge. The company made solid shell snare drums, brass and aluminum shelled snare drums, solid shell bass drums, bells, tympani (1913 spelling), xylophones, traps, Rogers drum heads, and they imported Zildjian cymbals and “genuine Chinese tom toms” Even back in 1912, N&N was able to use a self aligning sleeve for tuning drums—both for a thumb rod and wrench tightened rod. You can see that a number of products carried the Dodge name. And this catalog came out two years before the better known Dodge Brothers, unrelated to F. E. Dodge, built their first car.

I apologize for the marks on each page, they are from clear adhesive tape used by the former owner to keep the now delicate pages from deteriorating more. I think this company is an important ancestor in our American drum history and needs to be included.

I have seen, from time to time, Nokes & Nicolai products on eBay, and we know that, as they ended their business run, the company was sold to Liberty Rawhide of Chicago. Liberty made drum heads and snare drums, at least, for awhile, before being sold to Slingerland. That Slingerland was everywhere! H.H Slingerland Sr. ended up with old Bower/Dodge/N& N/Liberty equipment in 1928, just as they launched their drum division and before they bought Ludwig drum making equipment before their move to Elkhart two years later. A more detailed history of N&N can be found on the excellent website bostondrumbuilders.com. Lee Vinson has done a terrific job in detailing a number of companies and their products. I hope the Northeast is filled with these great drums. The rest of us have to find the estates of old vaudeville players who retired elsewhere or wait for their families to let great-grandpa’s drums be sold on eBay.

I think, for me, the interesting thing is the strainer that dates back to Harry Bower and is pictured with the Dodge name. I saw that strainer design resurrected in the 1980s when custom drum builder Joe Montineri brought it out on his snare drums. I did not appreciate, at that time, how long that basic design, had been around.

So, now, we all know a little more about Nokes & Nicolai, part of our passing parade.

-Harry

 

The Rogers Holiday Set

Holiday Greetings,

It's the Holiday season, and I have a great Holiday drum set to show you this month. Rogers drums are very cool and so collectible. I am always on the search for a nice Rogers set, and love the history of this great drum company. In the beginning this company was a drum head manufacturer. Rogers became the makers of some of the best drums ever made. By the time this featured drum set was made, Rogers drums were the most expensive of all their competitors.

I will tell you how I came to own this set after I describe them. They have script badges. There is a script badge on both sides of the mounted tom. The shells are maple with reinforcement rings. The lugs are Beavertails. The Beavertail lugs were a great improvement over the Bread and Butter lugs which would crack very easily. The Swiv-o-matic tom mount is factory placed in the center of the bass drum. The floor tom has a factory extra knobby. The bass drum is 20"X14", the floor tom is 16"X16", the ride tom is a 13"X9" and the snare is a matching 14"X5" Powertone. The finish is a vibrant gold sparkle. The interiors of the drums are painted solid grey. That indicates that they are early 1960s. The tags inside indicate that they are Holiday Model drums. The Cleveland tag means the drums were warehoused and sold from Cleveland. After CBS bought the company in 1966 warehousing was moved to Dayton. All these drums were made at Covington, Ohio. The Dayton drums have grey speckled interiors. There is no difference in the quality of pre-CBS and post-CBS drums made in Ohio. The factory was later moved to Fullerton, California.

The drum salesman at the music store gave me the number of the man who was selling some Rogers drums. He said he had several Rogers sets and wanted to sell some of them. We set up a time that I could come to see the drums and hopefully get a set. When my wife and I got to his home it was very upscale. To make a long story short, he took us to a room filled with beautiful Rogers drums. There were red onyx, grey ripple, and other beautiful kits in there. I soon learned that none of these sets were for sale. He took us to a cabinet where there were five Powertone snares displayed. White pearl, blue sparkle, gold sparkle, red sparkle, and I'm not sure about the last one. I think it was black diamond.

The guy said he had the full kits to match each of these snares and everything is in pristine condition. I said “great! Let's see them”. He said, “Which one?”. This was most unusual for me. I wanted to see them all, but I could tell he really didn't want to drag out all those drums, so I said “Let's see the white ones”. He said, “Follow me” and we went downstairs and into a closet. He pulled out a case then two. Inside were the tom toms and they were very nice. I said, “You know, I would like to see the blue ones too”. He put the toms back in the case, put them back in the closet, and said, “Follow me” again. I began to feel like if I wanted to go to the next one there was no turning back. My wife was still in the big drum room and I was going on the hunt through the house with the owner. We got to the blue ones, also in a little room in cases. It was the same as before. “Do you want these?” “I would like to see the gold ones.” He packed everything back up and led me away to another room. By this time I was getting concerned about my wife, and I began to think I better pick one or else I would lose my chance. When I saw the gold ones - this set I'm showing you - I said “that's it!.” He was pleased that I didn't have to see them all. We made a deal and I loaded them up. It was really a fun experience.

I hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Keep looking for those great attic finds.

Later, Phil Wilson