Slingerland Goes Gold for the King of Thailand's 50th Anniversary

Slingerland has made a custom set of gold-finished drums to commemorate the Golden Anniversary of the King of Thailand's reign.
The five-piece set, designed by Slingerland's Pat Foley and GMI international sales director Rich Germek, features a gold-plated plaque on each drum, engraved with the official commemorative seal of His Majesty's 50th anniversary. The seal also appears on a hand-printed four-color label inside each drum.
The gold finish represents not only a 50th anniversary but also ties in with Gibson's famous Les Paul guitar and with His Majesty's official title, Lord of Life and Possessor of the Twenty-Four Golden Umbrellas.
His Majesty is an avid musician who plays with his group each week in the palace.
King Bhumibol Adjulyadej is a direct descendant of Rama I, who became King of Siam in 1782. (Siam changed its name to Thailand in 1939.) His Majesty was born in the U.S. in 1927 and educated in Switzerland. He ascended to the throne on June 9, 1946, after his brother was shot and killed under mysterious circumstances.
Gibson Musical Instruments' distributor in Thailand, Boonlert Benjawanish of Petch Siam Sound in Bangkok, ordered the custom Slingerland set along with a custom-inlaid Tobias Signature bass (still in progress). Benjawanish also commissioned a guitar inlaid with His Majesty's crest, in 1994 but has been unable to present it yet. When he receives the drums and bass, he will approach His Majesty's secretary, display the instruments and then be awarded a calendar date to meet with His Majesty.

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