More info:

It is listed as:

Vintage 1966 Slingerland Sparkling Silver Pearl Snare Drum.

Serial number: 126303 - **** (NOV 66, November 1966, & Pearl "P" Stamp on the inside of the shell.)****

Black and Brass Niles Oval Badge is original and untampered. Made at the Niles, Illinois Plant, USA

Size: 14"x5.5"

Condition: Excellent. Wrap is in Very Good condition and Chrome hardware is Excellent

The Sparkling Silver Pearl wrap is in Excellent condition with very little fading. No Cracks or scratches

Drum shell is constructed of 3 ply of Mahogany/poplar/mahogany. No structural problems.

Rounded bearing edges will cut down on the crispness. The African Mahogany inner and outer will keep it dark and low. The throw is average. The wrap is unspectacular but still cool. The price is about average ... maybe a bit on the higher end, but still good. Six lugs will allow it to ring out more.

It's really up to you. Sounds like it should work for you quite well.

As an alternative, I would look for a deeper snare.

I've got a same vintage student model Slingy in WMP. Same setup as yours... The snares don't rattle but I also tune it up kind of tight. I like the tone of the thing. I drag it out on occasion.

I agree with mcjnic: Tuned low, it's going to be pretty dark.

Maybe do find a 'real' concert snare for the tone your looking for. I have a 15 X 8 Slingerland snare that sounds like a cannon if you whack it. Played lightly it has some incredible qualities. Ludwig made a 14 X 8 concert snare I seem to remember. Can't help you on the rattle though.

Well, this brings up a good question for me. Should I go for a high tech new concert snare (Ludwig, Black Swamp, Pearl, Grover....) there's a bunch. They seem to have infinite adjustibility of the snares, and die cast hoops etc.

Or a drum similar to the vintage Rogers I've been using for years.

I could definitely use more low volume sensitivity (which I assume the high tech new drums have) and a good quiet throw off. The die cast hoops and new construction would seem to ensure a good round drum.

I don't think there are any drum shops in the area that have these kinds of drums.

And of course, I've always played vintage drums and do love them.

My current drums:

Alloy Orchestra standing Junk Kit:

26" Ludwig blue sparkle, 70's Bonham

14, 15, 18 Ludwig Vistalites (the small toms are barber stripe red and yellow)

14" Rogers Luxor Snare (or Peace 6.5 maple snare - green)

Junk - Horseshoes, plumbing pipes, bedpan, pots and pans, air conditioning duct, bird and animal calls, acme slide whistle, galvanized metal sheet, truck springs, misc bells, etc.

Tillie's Nightmare - Ragtime Kit

26" Slingerland single tension 30's mahogany - calf heads

16 Ludwig marching mahogany snare (20's) (used as floor tom) with one calf head

14 Ludwig pioneer mahogany snare (50's) - calf

14 Leedy Universal (1920) with renaissance head.

Lo Boy - 1910? (6" high high hat)

Wood block, temple bells, vintage Ludwig cow bell

That quote right there makes me think one of these old Slingerland student model six-luggers is right up your alley. The rounded edges and mahogany interior give them a very warm sound. Definitely not "too sharp" or "in your face". Also, six-lug drums, to my ears, tend to sound a little bit more "open" than their eight- and ten-lug counterparts.

But this particular drum... It's definitely priced on the high side. I'd expect to spend $100-150 for a nice Slingy student model, if it's all original and in good condition. This one has a replacement strainer, and even if it works better than the original, aftermarket replacement parts almost always have a negative effect on a vintage drum's value.

I wouldn't go for a true concert snare for drum set use, mostly because the gut & cable snares typically used on concert drums tend to be too dry. I have a Slingerland Sound King I use as a concert drum -- it's not not ideal, but I'm not exactly gigging with the New York Philharmonic. With Evans Strata heads and Grover wires, it sounds great behind a wind ensemble. It sounds really weird behind my kit set up as a concert drum, though. If you're concerned with snare response, you can get dialed in with your choice of wires, choice of resonant head, and tuning. If you're worried about wires rattling or buzzing at low tension, maybe a narrower set of Puresound Customs, like 14- or 16-strand. I'm thinking less wires, less buzz. (I use 16's on a few of my drums and still get plenty of snare response and sensitivity.)

Thanks for all the advice. I should say that I'm not really an orchestral drummer, nor a drum set player. I play this odd (huge) stand up percussion kit, along with a second drummer. We play live accompaniment to old silent films - and therefore play every style imaginable. It's not really Old-Timey music, but it shouldn't sound too modern (which the bright snappy new drums seem to sound to me).

We tour extensively, and I have played millions of different drums over the years. I always gravitate to the older ones.

I do find that the snare tends to be too loud, and in your face (compared to the other stuff we're playing). So, I have been using an old Rogers wood drum, with Renaissance top head, and a 15 strand strainer.

I do also play some drum set (I'm not so good with my feet), mostly old blues, old time country and other mellow (quiet) older music.

I've got a variety of vintage snare drums which all sound great, but have problems with the strainer release letting go in the middle of a song (or ridiculous amount of snare buzzing).

I"ll see if I can talk they guy down on the price, and perhaps just go for the Slingerland. Then I can take my time to check out some different options of concert drums (the hugely adjustable snares on these things would seem to be something that I could benefit from).

You can't have too many snare drums.

Don't pay too much, thats an after market throw!

200 is way too high for that drum.The wrap is faded to a light ginger ale(although some like that) and i would ask if there are extra holes drilled in the shell to mount that non original strainer.Any time you alter a drum or use non period replacement parts ..you severely compromise the resale value of the instrument.It dosen't make a difference is you"improve"the playability of the drum.Vintage is vintage...original parts...no extra holes.The way it sits...120-130 would be tops.The seller sees Slingerland and old and thinks big dollars.Not that drum.and really...don't pay more than 130.Good luck....Steve B

Agree 130 to 140 tops. They are interesting drums, I have one. Took me awhile to get it dialed in and I'm still not 100% there. There are a set of Japanese snare wires on it and I'm suspecting replacing them will make a difference.

Keep looking if you want that particular drum, there are a lot out there.

Regards

Don