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The editors of Modern Drummer have seen and played them all. Yet in their current April '99 review of an array of contemporary Slingerland drums they hail the instruments as "wonderful", "visually stunning", and "too good." "In fact, everybody at MD had a ball playing it. . . ," says managing editor Ricky Van Horn.

The review and an ever-growing list of modern, high-profile endorsees marks the total rebirth of of a legendary name renowned for it's high-quality, distinctive sounding kits. Dead and gone for nearly twenty years, Slingerland was bought by Gibson Musical Instruments in 1994. First concentrating on the high-end Studio Kings, Slingerland has expanded its lineup to include the "affordable" but still handcrafted, U.S.-made Studio King Touring series and the "budget" Spitfire and Spirit import series whose prices are competitive with other leading, offshore drum manufacturers.

MD reviewed a Studio King Touring Series Metropolitan kit, a Studio King piccolo snare, the venerated Radio King snare drum, and the Tre Cool Signature Spitfire kit.

STUDIO KING TOURING SERIES
    MD says, "Construction quality--especially the bearing edges, is outstanding. Drums have a unique sound: warm, round, and full. New hardware design is innovative and attractive."

Construction
The first thing Van Horne noticed about the maple drums was "how light they are." The toms are 6-ply, 6mm with no reinforcing hoop,. The bass drum is 8-ply, 8mm. "The (Studio King) snare is the thickest drum, at ten plies and 10mm. But with its rolled-steel hoops even it is lighter in weight than most comparable snares, " he says. The exclusive Keller shells require a custom lay-up allowing thin shells that are still exceptionally strong.

Slingerland's bearing edges are hand-burnished to a True Timbre edge. "Along with being sanded and polished to an incredible smoothness," Van Horne says, " the of the edge (sloping into the drum) is less acute than that used by most companies. In addition, the outer edge is more rounded, which allows it to seat well into the collar of a drumhead."

Sound
The bearing edge "tends to promote a warmer, fuller sound--heavy on the low end, with perhaps a bit less emphasis on the attack. . . . (the toms) had plenty of articulation and clarity, but they also offered depth and warmth that I've only heard on other Slingerland drums," MD says. The 16X20 bass drum, "sounded absolutely huge." The ten-lug snare, 10mm shell "was thick enough to promote plenty of highs, but the shallow bearing edges kept the sound warm and full-bodied, " with excellent response.

While praising the drums' appearance, Van Horne singles out the chrome plating "with more reflectivity and 'gleam' than others do. On the drums and the stands alike, Slingerland's chrome finish is deep and luxurious." He also lauds the design of the double-braced Magnamax hardware as "innovative", simple and attractive", and the "way to go."

"If by now you've gotten the impression that I liked this kit," Van Horn concludes, "you're absolutely right. In fact, everybody at MD had a ball playing it."

RADIO KING & STUDIO KING SNARES
    The Radio King snare is the ultimate standard. Modern custom snare drum companies now openly state "the expressed intention of offering snare drums built in the tradition of the Radio King." Van Horne comments. The shell of each Radio King snare is made from a single piece of bent maple with one-piece, wood reinforcement hoops. The "visually stunning" drums feature Slingerland's True Timbre, hand-burnished bearing edge and snare bed. "The resonance and reflectivity of the solid shell translate as increased responsiveness and projection from the drum," Van Horn says. The Radio King is available in four models including two with die-cast hoops. The Radio King Select he played with thinner brass hoops was "earthy" and sounded "very lively and quite a bit bigger than its size would indicate, yet always tasty and a touch mellow. The 6 1/2X14 Super Radio King, on the other hand, packed more of a punch." "More contemporary," he says. "Its depth gave it a throatier overall character, and allowed for a great 'fatback' tuning. Yet it had plenty of drive at a higher tension too."

Van Horne also tried the Studio King 4X14 piccolo snare with "a gorgeous tobacco burst lacquer finish." He concluded, "It performed well in the traditional role of piccolo although without quite as much piercing crack as some other drums. However, it could be tuned down lower--and it produced a warmer, rounder sound, than most drums of its size."

TRE COOL SIGNATURE SPITFIRE
    Get green, get green. "Slingerland--they really make the best drums," says Tre Cool, the drummer for multiplatinum, punk-pop hitmakers Green Day. "They're making a Tre Cool signature kit for me, which I'm totally psyched about. It's gonna be called the Spitfire. . . the drums will sound great. The main thing is that they're inexpensive. I wouldn't have done it at all if a set didn't sell for under $1,000. I'm not gonna tell a kid to go out and play some over-priced stuff. I can't hang with that," he said. "That's my main interest-a drum kit that kids can afford to buy." Manufactured to Tre Cool's specifications, his six-ply kit includes a 16 X 22 bass drum with Tre' Cool logo bass drum heads, a big, rock 'n' roll 11 X 14" rack tom and & 16 X 16 floor tom, double-braced hardware pack with snare stand, hi-hat stand, cymbal stand, boom cymbal stand & heavy-duty, chain-drive bass drum pedal. Toms & bass drums are finished in Tre Cool's own Indica Green wrap finish. All drums are equipped with super-strong 2.3 millimeter Slingerland Stick-Saver Rim Shot hoops.

"The acoustic performance of the Tre Cool Signature kit is as good as any of its ilk," says MD. "I'll admit that the oversized rack tom does give the kit a bigger, more powerful sound than that of most 'budget' kits. . . . The finish is more attractive than those usually found on kits in this price range," Van Horn concludes. "I can recommend the Tre Cool Signature kit as a good value for its list price of $949 (which is likely to be marked down quite a bit by most major retailers)," he says.

CONCLUSION
MD's Slingerland conclusion: "Sometimes you can go home again."

For more information on the Tre Cool Signature Series Spitfire drum kit, contact Slingerland Drum Company toll free at 1-877-258-3477 or look here for an authorized Slingerland dealer near you