Restoration Services
From a quick cleaning to a total rebuild, we offer a variety of restoration services to suit many needs. Whether your drum is part of your private collection, your player arsenal, or a museum display, our shop has the necessary knowledge and skill to keep your instrument in top shape without negatively effecting the value. Armed with decades of expertise in woodworking, vintage and antique finishes, and preservation techniques, we always aim to keep the original builder's intentions while preserving and protecting your valuable vintage instruments. Why entrust your valuable instrument to a nationwide chain or local hobbyists? Bring your instruments to Mattoon and give them the respect they deserve.
Services we offer include:
We care for your instruments as if they were our own. All customer's instruments in our care are fully insured from the time they enter our shop until the time they reach your hands once again. We proudly pack instruments professionally and ship fully insured.
Services we offer include:
- Bearing edge maintenance, re-cutting, leveling, truing.
- Complete rewraps in high quality Delmar plastics
- Wood finishing in period correct materials
- Metal cleaning, plating, polishing, lacquering, engraving
- Machining hard-to-find parts
- Museum-quality preservation
- Complete restorations
- …and more!
We care for your instruments as if they were our own. All customer's instruments in our care are fully insured from the time they enter our shop until the time they reach your hands once again. We proudly pack instruments professionally and ship fully insured.
-A Sample of our Work-
1917 Stromberg Invincible Orchestra Snare, Before
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1917 Stromberg Invincible Orchestra Snare, After
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1917 Chas. Stromberg Invincible Orchestra Model 4X14
Charles Stromberg started his professional career as a cabinetmaker in Boston, Massachusetts just before the turn of the 20th century. In the 1890's, he was employed by Thompson and Odell, crafting snare drums until 1905, when the company went bankrupt. At that point, Stromberg began his own company producing a variety of instruments as the badge states: "drums, harps, and musical instruments". His instruments are a fine testament to his skilled cabinetmaker's hands, combining exceptional wood selection and the best joinery of the early Boston manufacturers. This Invincible Orchestra model is no exception, featuring a veneered single ply shell with three-ply reinforcing rings, separate tension lugs and an elegant throw off, and an original set of Geo. Stone snare chords.
Like so many restorations that come through our shop, this snare arrived with a poorly applied coat of black lacquer over the original finish, although the structure itself was in excellent condition with no modifications. All hardware was removed, cleaned and hand polished. The black lacquer was removed. Thee original finish, still existing below, was also removed due to scratches created during the previous refinishing. A few small delaminations were fixed, and a one part varnish was chosen to refinish the shell as chemical analysis of the original finish suggested a varnish was the original material used. The drum was then reassembled with the vintage calf heads that came with the snare, still in very nice condition.
Charles Stromberg started his professional career as a cabinetmaker in Boston, Massachusetts just before the turn of the 20th century. In the 1890's, he was employed by Thompson and Odell, crafting snare drums until 1905, when the company went bankrupt. At that point, Stromberg began his own company producing a variety of instruments as the badge states: "drums, harps, and musical instruments". His instruments are a fine testament to his skilled cabinetmaker's hands, combining exceptional wood selection and the best joinery of the early Boston manufacturers. This Invincible Orchestra model is no exception, featuring a veneered single ply shell with three-ply reinforcing rings, separate tension lugs and an elegant throw off, and an original set of Geo. Stone snare chords.
Like so many restorations that come through our shop, this snare arrived with a poorly applied coat of black lacquer over the original finish, although the structure itself was in excellent condition with no modifications. All hardware was removed, cleaned and hand polished. The black lacquer was removed. Thee original finish, still existing below, was also removed due to scratches created during the previous refinishing. A few small delaminations were fixed, and a one part varnish was chosen to refinish the shell as chemical analysis of the original finish suggested a varnish was the original material used. The drum was then reassembled with the vintage calf heads that came with the snare, still in very nice condition.
1925 Leedy Marvel, Before
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1925 Leedy Marvel, After
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1925 Leedy Marvel 6X14
In 1925, Leedy introduced the Marvel throw off. The system features a set of snares held in tension on a rod suspended under the drum that, when activated, lifts to meet the resonant head in parallel fashion. The marvel throwoff was offered on both wood shell and metal shell drums for a short period of time, discontinued after a cold reception from players of the time.
This rare snare drum came to our shop ridden hard. The hardware was coated in silver lacquer, the single-ply maple shell showed evidence of multiple layers of paint applied over the original finish, and there were impossible-to-locate parts either missing or broken.
After a through documentation and disassembly, all hardware was bathed in solvents to loosen and remove the paint. Once clean, hand polishing followed to be careful not to remove any original plating. The shell had lacquer applied over the original enamel paint. Fortunately, lacquer is softer and easier to remove than enamel, so the layers of finish were removed with great care to reveal the original, complete white enamel finish. Finally, we machined the steel rod that connects the two sides of the throw off from new stock to original specifications, one tension rod was machined and plated to match the originals, and we repaired the throw off side of the system with new rivets.
In 1925, Leedy introduced the Marvel throw off. The system features a set of snares held in tension on a rod suspended under the drum that, when activated, lifts to meet the resonant head in parallel fashion. The marvel throwoff was offered on both wood shell and metal shell drums for a short period of time, discontinued after a cold reception from players of the time.
This rare snare drum came to our shop ridden hard. The hardware was coated in silver lacquer, the single-ply maple shell showed evidence of multiple layers of paint applied over the original finish, and there were impossible-to-locate parts either missing or broken.
After a through documentation and disassembly, all hardware was bathed in solvents to loosen and remove the paint. Once clean, hand polishing followed to be careful not to remove any original plating. The shell had lacquer applied over the original enamel paint. Fortunately, lacquer is softer and easier to remove than enamel, so the layers of finish were removed with great care to reveal the original, complete white enamel finish. Finally, we machined the steel rod that connects the two sides of the throw off from new stock to original specifications, one tension rod was machined and plated to match the originals, and we repaired the throw off side of the system with new rivets.
1930 Stone Master Model, Before
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1930 Stone Master Model, After
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1930 Geo. Stone Master Model 5X14
Geo. Stone and his son, Geo. L. Stone, were builders, players and teachers in Boston, MA, in the early 1900's. These snare drums were the pinnacle of their line, with a three-ply maple shell, 12 lugs per side, and an elegant throw off.
This snare came to the shop with a great history, but the original black lacquer finish was removed and replaced with a low quality urethane and the original nickel plated hardware was poorly lacquered in gold. The hardware was stripped and polished, and a new black lcquer finish was applied to the shell and counter hoops. This drum is ready for another 100 years.
Geo. Stone and his son, Geo. L. Stone, were builders, players and teachers in Boston, MA, in the early 1900's. These snare drums were the pinnacle of their line, with a three-ply maple shell, 12 lugs per side, and an elegant throw off.
This snare came to the shop with a great history, but the original black lacquer finish was removed and replaced with a low quality urethane and the original nickel plated hardware was poorly lacquered in gold. The hardware was stripped and polished, and a new black lcquer finish was applied to the shell and counter hoops. This drum is ready for another 100 years.
1960 Slingerland Super Krupa, Before
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1960 Slingerland Super Krupa, After
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1960 Slingerland Super Gene Krupa Snare Drum, 5.5X14"
Slingerland Drum Company was a giant of the industry, delivering tens of thousands of instruments to professionals and amateurs alike. One of their most popular drums was the Slingerland Radio King, later to be known as the Super Gene Krupa model. This drum features a single ply of maple, steam-bent and glued in place with two single-ply reinforcing rings. For decades, that single ply shell has produced some of the most iconic sounds in music, and is sought after by collectors and players for its uniquely warm tone and bulletproof construction.
This particular drum came to us with a badly damaged wrap, dirty hardware and in need of some structural attention. The entire drum was disassembled, the hardware cleaned and degreased, and the shell stripped of the heat-damaged wrap. A small area of delamination between the reinforcing ring and the shell was fixed, and the original bearing edges were trued and leveled, but not recut. After the shell was cleaned, a new piece of Delmar sparkling green pearl wrap was installed and drilled, and the reconditioned hardware was reinstalled. The original badge was missing, so a new/old stock 1960 Slingerland badge was located and installed, along with a new/old stock brass grommet. Original snare wires still in very good condition and a set of vintage heads completed this restoration. This snare sounds fantastic, and is ready for another 80 years of service!
Slingerland Drum Company was a giant of the industry, delivering tens of thousands of instruments to professionals and amateurs alike. One of their most popular drums was the Slingerland Radio King, later to be known as the Super Gene Krupa model. This drum features a single ply of maple, steam-bent and glued in place with two single-ply reinforcing rings. For decades, that single ply shell has produced some of the most iconic sounds in music, and is sought after by collectors and players for its uniquely warm tone and bulletproof construction.
This particular drum came to us with a badly damaged wrap, dirty hardware and in need of some structural attention. The entire drum was disassembled, the hardware cleaned and degreased, and the shell stripped of the heat-damaged wrap. A small area of delamination between the reinforcing ring and the shell was fixed, and the original bearing edges were trued and leveled, but not recut. After the shell was cleaned, a new piece of Delmar sparkling green pearl wrap was installed and drilled, and the reconditioned hardware was reinstalled. The original badge was missing, so a new/old stock 1960 Slingerland badge was located and installed, along with a new/old stock brass grommet. Original snare wires still in very good condition and a set of vintage heads completed this restoration. This snare sounds fantastic, and is ready for another 80 years of service!
1935 Frank Wolf Monarch, Before
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1935 Frank Wolf Monarch, After
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1935 Frank Wolf "Monarch" 2-to-1 Snare 6.5X14
Frank Wolf drums are hard to come by, but the metal shelled "Monarch" snare is rare by any standards. The owner of this drum intrusted our shop to restore this drum to factory condition, partially because of our work and partially because of the special place these drums have in my personal collection.
This snare had multiple dents and dings in the metal shell, and the shell was out of round. Fruthermore, the original lack of any protective lacquer left the shell dull and tarnished like an old penny.
After disassembly, we removed the dents and brought the shell back in round with classic automotive bodyshop techniques. The shell itself was cleaned and polished by hand, leaving some scars from the obviously long life of this classic instrument. The hardware was cleaned and polished, and missing parts were obtained from our personal stash. New calf heads, tucked over vintage flesh hoops, completed this amazing project.
Frank Wolf drums are hard to come by, but the metal shelled "Monarch" snare is rare by any standards. The owner of this drum intrusted our shop to restore this drum to factory condition, partially because of our work and partially because of the special place these drums have in my personal collection.
This snare had multiple dents and dings in the metal shell, and the shell was out of round. Fruthermore, the original lack of any protective lacquer left the shell dull and tarnished like an old penny.
After disassembly, we removed the dents and brought the shell back in round with classic automotive bodyshop techniques. The shell itself was cleaned and polished by hand, leaving some scars from the obviously long life of this classic instrument. The hardware was cleaned and polished, and missing parts were obtained from our personal stash. New calf heads, tucked over vintage flesh hoops, completed this amazing project.
1934 L&S Master Tension, Before
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1934 L&S Master Tension, After
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1934 L&S Master Tension, Interior View
1934 Leedy & Strupe Master Tension 6X14
The L&S Master Tension snare drum was developed by Leedy and Strupe in Indianapolis, Indiana in the 1930's. While U.G. Leedy had passed and his son, E.H. Leedy, was monetarily at the helm, this company and indeed this drum was really the brainchild of Cecil Strupe, former Leedy engineer and superintendent. The lugs are machined from solid aluminum, and hide a small tympani-style mechanism inside each one. Two T-handles extend through the shell and thread into a spoked hub in the center of the drum, controlling the overall tension of the top and bottom heads independently. The idea was to be able to raise and lower the pitch of the snare with a simple adjustment on the fly, to compensate for calf head slackening and to change the color of the snare as the piece of music dictated. Well engineered but complex, this snare had a short marketed life of just two years and minimal number were produced.
This supremely interesting snare came into our shop covered in black contact paper, the original heads plastered in hand drawn band logos, aged hardware and dull lugs. However, under all that was a very well preserved drum. Disassembly was careful and well documented. The contact paper was removed to reveal a perfectly intact original black lacquer finish. We removed any adhesive residue and polished the original lacquer back to a factory finish by hand. The solid aluminum lugs were in great shape although oxidized from years of life. Polishing these lugs brought them back to a chrome-like original sheen. All other hardware was cleaned and the drum was reassembled. Clear heads at the customers request were installed to showcase the engineering marvel hidden inside the shell. Now fully playable and still very much original, this drum will live on for another 90+ years.
The L&S Master Tension snare drum was developed by Leedy and Strupe in Indianapolis, Indiana in the 1930's. While U.G. Leedy had passed and his son, E.H. Leedy, was monetarily at the helm, this company and indeed this drum was really the brainchild of Cecil Strupe, former Leedy engineer and superintendent. The lugs are machined from solid aluminum, and hide a small tympani-style mechanism inside each one. Two T-handles extend through the shell and thread into a spoked hub in the center of the drum, controlling the overall tension of the top and bottom heads independently. The idea was to be able to raise and lower the pitch of the snare with a simple adjustment on the fly, to compensate for calf head slackening and to change the color of the snare as the piece of music dictated. Well engineered but complex, this snare had a short marketed life of just two years and minimal number were produced.
This supremely interesting snare came into our shop covered in black contact paper, the original heads plastered in hand drawn band logos, aged hardware and dull lugs. However, under all that was a very well preserved drum. Disassembly was careful and well documented. The contact paper was removed to reveal a perfectly intact original black lacquer finish. We removed any adhesive residue and polished the original lacquer back to a factory finish by hand. The solid aluminum lugs were in great shape although oxidized from years of life. Polishing these lugs brought them back to a chrome-like original sheen. All other hardware was cleaned and the drum was reassembled. Clear heads at the customers request were installed to showcase the engineering marvel hidden inside the shell. Now fully playable and still very much original, this drum will live on for another 90+ years.
1923 Leedy Multimodel, Before
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1923 Leedy Multimodel, After
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1923 Leedy Multimodel 7X15
This early walnut shell has all the hallmarks of great Leedy craftsmanship in the early 1900's. The single ply shell is perfect and in-round, the counter hoops are strong and a design ahead of their time, and the self-aligning lugs were innovative and soon to be copied over and again by every major company. This particular drum originally came with a simple Utility strainer, and the Marvel throw-off system was added around 1925. The hardware on this drum came to us corroded and dirty, parts of the throw-off system were missing, and heads and wires needed to be replaced.
We started by disassembling the entire drum and cleaning everything with a mild detergent. The hardware was cleaned and polished, and the shell was given a special wax-based treatment to add some moisture to the very dry shell and preserve the original lacquered finish. The throw-off lever was missing, as were the associated rivets. A brass lacquered handle was located, stripped, nickel plated to match the rest of the hardware, and installed. New calf heads were tucked on the original steel flesh hoops, and new gut snares were added to the snare bar to complete this period-correct restoration.
This early walnut shell has all the hallmarks of great Leedy craftsmanship in the early 1900's. The single ply shell is perfect and in-round, the counter hoops are strong and a design ahead of their time, and the self-aligning lugs were innovative and soon to be copied over and again by every major company. This particular drum originally came with a simple Utility strainer, and the Marvel throw-off system was added around 1925. The hardware on this drum came to us corroded and dirty, parts of the throw-off system were missing, and heads and wires needed to be replaced.
We started by disassembling the entire drum and cleaning everything with a mild detergent. The hardware was cleaned and polished, and the shell was given a special wax-based treatment to add some moisture to the very dry shell and preserve the original lacquered finish. The throw-off lever was missing, as were the associated rivets. A brass lacquered handle was located, stripped, nickel plated to match the rest of the hardware, and installed. New calf heads were tucked on the original steel flesh hoops, and new gut snares were added to the snare bar to complete this period-correct restoration.
1930 Barry Professional, Before
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1930 Barry Professional, After
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1930 Barry "Professional" Snare Drum, 4X14
Barry was a drum manufacturer in Philadelphia, PA, in the 1920's and 1930's. Their claim to fame was the folding bass drum - a strange drum that folded in on itself to finally resemble a football-shaped tube, aiding the working drummer in transporting a standard 28" bass drum in a much smaller package. The bass was accompanied by a 3X13 piccolo snare drum and a collapsible bass drum pedal, all of which nested inside a small drum carrying case. Most of Barry's drums were cast aluminum, with simple separate tension tube lugs and aluminum counter hoops. They also specialized in traps for the working drummer and movie house sound effects.
This professional model snare drum came to us covered in aluminum oxide. The shell and counter hoops had corroded due to improper storage, the bearing edges were rough with pitting, and the calf batter head was essentially bonded in place due to the corrosion. Once completely disassembled, we began the labor intensive process of carefully removing as much of the oxidation as possible. This included the bearing edges, where the cast aluminum was carefully milled and leveled to reveal a smooth, factory bearing edge under years of oxide and hide glue residue from the calf skin. All parts were appropriately cleaned and polished, and the drum was reassembled. This restoration also included the machining of two reproduction tension rods and two reproduction rim clips, which were then plated in nickel and chemically treated to match the original hardware in look and feel. Finally, new Remo heads were fitted to the drum for playability, and the original silk wound snare wires were installed for that vintage, dry sound.
Barry was a drum manufacturer in Philadelphia, PA, in the 1920's and 1930's. Their claim to fame was the folding bass drum - a strange drum that folded in on itself to finally resemble a football-shaped tube, aiding the working drummer in transporting a standard 28" bass drum in a much smaller package. The bass was accompanied by a 3X13 piccolo snare drum and a collapsible bass drum pedal, all of which nested inside a small drum carrying case. Most of Barry's drums were cast aluminum, with simple separate tension tube lugs and aluminum counter hoops. They also specialized in traps for the working drummer and movie house sound effects.
This professional model snare drum came to us covered in aluminum oxide. The shell and counter hoops had corroded due to improper storage, the bearing edges were rough with pitting, and the calf batter head was essentially bonded in place due to the corrosion. Once completely disassembled, we began the labor intensive process of carefully removing as much of the oxidation as possible. This included the bearing edges, where the cast aluminum was carefully milled and leveled to reveal a smooth, factory bearing edge under years of oxide and hide glue residue from the calf skin. All parts were appropriately cleaned and polished, and the drum was reassembled. This restoration also included the machining of two reproduction tension rods and two reproduction rim clips, which were then plated in nickel and chemically treated to match the original hardware in look and feel. Finally, new Remo heads were fitted to the drum for playability, and the original silk wound snare wires were installed for that vintage, dry sound.
1935 Frank Wolf 2-to-1, Before
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1935 Frank Wolf 2-to-1, After
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1935 Frank Wolf 2-to-1 6.5X14
In his New York City drum shop, Frank Wolf built these great snare drums with 12 lugs on the batter side and 6 lugs on the resonant side. The idea was to stiffen the batter side counter hoop to focus the energy into the shell, creating a dryer, more defined sound than could easily be produced by single flanged rims of the time.
Any Wolf 2-to-1 is a special drum. This snare came to us with multiple layers of hard paint over an uncatalogued green glass glitter wrap and missing parts. After disassembly, the hardware was solvent washed and the yellow enamel was removed. Hand polishing followed to clean and shine the hardware without removing original plating. A replacement throw off system was located and set aside for installation.
The multiple layers of paint were painstakingly removed to avoid damage to the original wrap. Layer by layer, enamel was removed until only a thin film of paint residue remained. The shell was then wet sanded and buffed to remove the remaining paint and bring life back to the original wrap. A few battle scars remain, including holes from an aftermarket heating element, but such is the living history of this instrument.
In his New York City drum shop, Frank Wolf built these great snare drums with 12 lugs on the batter side and 6 lugs on the resonant side. The idea was to stiffen the batter side counter hoop to focus the energy into the shell, creating a dryer, more defined sound than could easily be produced by single flanged rims of the time.
Any Wolf 2-to-1 is a special drum. This snare came to us with multiple layers of hard paint over an uncatalogued green glass glitter wrap and missing parts. After disassembly, the hardware was solvent washed and the yellow enamel was removed. Hand polishing followed to clean and shine the hardware without removing original plating. A replacement throw off system was located and set aside for installation.
The multiple layers of paint were painstakingly removed to avoid damage to the original wrap. Layer by layer, enamel was removed until only a thin film of paint residue remained. The shell was then wet sanded and buffed to remove the remaining paint and bring life back to the original wrap. A few battle scars remain, including holes from an aftermarket heating element, but such is the living history of this instrument.
1930's Leedy tom, with head removed
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1930's Leedy tom, with new tacked head installed
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1930's Leedy Tacked-head Tom:
We are experienced in tucking and tacking all manner of calf heads, including this really nice 1930's Leedy tom head. This drum came to our shop with a ripped calf head, and since the owner wanted to make this drum playable again, we recommended replacing the calf with a new piece for better tone and resonance.
The bottom head was removed, the tacks and metal inlay strip carefully extracted and set aside to be reused. A new piece of calf of the appropriate weight was selected and softened, and when ready stretched over the drum. Strap clamps held the head in place while the natural calf hide glue set, and the tacks and inlay were reinstalled. These drums can be made very playable again with new heads, and they sound surprisingly good!
We also tuck conga, djembe, bongo, doumbek, and drum set heads regularly. If you have a drum that requires natural heads, contact us today!
We are experienced in tucking and tacking all manner of calf heads, including this really nice 1930's Leedy tom head. This drum came to our shop with a ripped calf head, and since the owner wanted to make this drum playable again, we recommended replacing the calf with a new piece for better tone and resonance.
The bottom head was removed, the tacks and metal inlay strip carefully extracted and set aside to be reused. A new piece of calf of the appropriate weight was selected and softened, and when ready stretched over the drum. Strap clamps held the head in place while the natural calf hide glue set, and the tacks and inlay were reinstalled. These drums can be made very playable again with new heads, and they sound surprisingly good!
We also tuck conga, djembe, bongo, doumbek, and drum set heads regularly. If you have a drum that requires natural heads, contact us today!