Well, it's dated '65, when Buddy was still with Rogers. He still had 2 other companies to go through before even getting to Slingerland later in the '60s.

The "Buddy Rich" metal plate looks a lot like the ones that a guy named Mike Prete makes, in order to con people. He lives in Westchester County, NY. He's done a number of Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich drums that look very similar, and sells them for thousands of dollars. He's also made some fake "GK" engraved A Zildjians. Every once in a while I get someone asking if their Buddy or Gene snare is real, and it's almost always one of Mike Prete's fakes.

mlvibes!

Thanks for this bit of information. I was not aware of this, so it's good to know there are people like you familiar with this.

Mark

I was looking at that drum last night wondering the same things. :) If A) was it real and B) was Buddy with Slingerland then.

Mark!

Thanks to Bill for responding in my absentia!... and he is indeed correct... but allow me to flesh it out a bit more:

True!... in 1965 Buddy was still with Rogers, and happily so. His Slingerland endorsement didn't formally start until 1968, and that was indeed after brief stints with Trixon/Vox and Fibes, both of those taking place in 1967 and also in that order. So... this particular Slingerland "Artist" being a 1965, well... there is NO Buddy Rich connection despite the "custom" brass badge that says Buddy Rich. As a side note, Slingerland never badged Buddy's drums with a personal/custom badge such as is on this particular drum. That badge was added quite after the fact, and is COMPLETELY bogus. No doubt to try and SCAM some people into paying way more for the drum because of it... exactly as Bill has stated. Interestingly...

... the seller claims that this was a drum given to BR in 1965 to try and lure him away from Rogers. In all my decades of research into Buddy and his drums/endorsements, I can't say that I have ever seen any record of that taking place.

Tommyp

tommyp!

Good to hear from you! Thanks for what has already been posted, plus your additional information. I feel that the seller is relaying what he honestly believes to be true. I pointed him to this forum so he can read it for himself.

Again, thanks!

Mark

Tommyp - no problem! Normally I'd never, ever answer any kind of a Buddy question without deferring to you, and I humbly bow to your vast knowledge of all things BR! In this case, though, I felt like there was a danger of someone actually paying big money for that drum, so I felt obligated to jump in.

Thanks for the very informative (as always) answer!

-Bill