How many plies is this ? 3?

[steambent]

I know this is an important from maybe the 90s. I see 3 plies. Kinda pretty and sounds decent.

 

[steambent]

It’s 6 1/4 inches deep, not 6 1/2, odd.

 

[jptrickster]

I think these shells are 5 ply but since I’m dam near deaf and blind it’s really hard to say

 

[SKSMITH]

That is an Artist Series from the Gretsch-ownership period (HSS - Slingerland).
Per DrJCW - Artist Custom shells were 5-ply with Canadian maple inner and outer plies and three plies of mahogany in the middle. Besides the shell composition, matching lacquered wood bass drum hoops were a feature that differentiated the Artist line from the Spirits, which used metal bass drum hoops. Hardware fixtures were essentially the same on both the Spirits and Artist Customs.

 

[steambent]

That is an Artist Series from the Gretsch-ownership period (HSS - Slingerland).
Per DrJCW - Artist Custom shells were 5-ply with Canadian maple inner and outer plies and three plies of mahogany in the middle. Besides the shell composition, matching lacquered wood bass drum hoops were a feature that differentiated the Artist line from the Spirits, which used metal bass drum hoops. Hardware fixtures were essentially the same on both the Spirits and Artist Customs.

Thanks. But shells if not the whole drum is from overseas?

 

[jmetatual]

Yes, made overseas with wood sourced from North America per Dr. Wenk.

 

[SKSMITH]

Yes, made overseas with wood sourced from North America per Dr. W

Thanks. But shells if not the whole drum is from overseas?

Correct, made in Taiwan with wood from North America. Here's a photo of the Artist Classics that I had back in the 90's. My old guitar player still has them. 13/16/20/24 with a 6-1/2X14 snare. The 20X20 had wood hoops. Bought from Fred Pierce Drum Studio in St. Louis in 1993 and were the set that was set up at the winter NAMM that year. There is also a photo in the Modern Drummer coverage of the NAMM event.