This snare drum is testimony to the perils of drinking wine while browsing snare drum auctions on eBay, which is how I got the shell. When the shell arrived I had no plans. Sobriety sets in when something you didn't really want or need arrives at your doorstep.
I did have the good sense to see if I could salvage the purchase, so I started by taking hole spacing measurements. Next I jumped to Best Drum Deals because all lugs, strainers, butts, etc. have measurements in the descriptions. I discovered that the Worldmax TU-100 lugs (which also fit most modern Ludwig snare drums), and the S-9X throw and associated butt, were exact fits. I had a set of brass die cast hoops laying around (another eBay + wine thing), so I placed an order. The result is this beauty:
The finishing touches were Remo Coated Ambassadors on top, Remo clear Diplomats on the bottom and 16-strand Pursound snares.
While I normally don't care for die cast hoops they work beautifully on the Sensitone steel shell. I get a lot of crack from rim shots, and almost no ringing that most steel shell snare drums exhibit.
Sometimes a little wine while eBaying isn't a bad thing.
Unix 6.5x14 Stave Shell with Champagne Lugs
5x14 Vaughncraft maple steambent with Pacific hoops
Spaun 5.5x14 ply shell with wood hoops
Italian knockoff of a 1930s Ludwig Super model, which has regular snare wires under the bottom head, set up like the Super Sensitive models, as well as snare wires that are under the top head. Both sets of wires can be engaged or disengaged.
With the top head off showing the wires that engage under the batter head:
6.5x14 Ludwig Supra (LM402) - It was too redundant, so let her go at a more-than-reasonable $260.00.
