Slingerland TDR 100 - 12 lugs, White

TDR 100 stands for “Total Dynamic Response 100 Percent.” The TDR 100 was an instant success when it was introduced to marching drum lines in 1971–72. Its crisp, articulate response and gut-punching power made it a top choice of championship DCI Drumlines during the 1970s. The TDR was king until the advent of free-floating shells and Kevlar heads.

Slingerland produced the TDR with ten lugs or twelve. This drum is the 12-lug model, which allowed for a finer and tighter tuning than the 10-lug models were capable of. This drum is missing one of the snare gut strands. It can be replaced with a new gut which is available from a variety of sources. (Some people use weed-eater line or tennis racket strings as a replacement.)

This 12x15-inch drum features a cream-white wrap with stick-saver top and bottom hoops. It is missing the leg rest. The two holes where the leg rest attaches can be seen next to the strainer in the photos. I included the angle reduction bar, but it is not connected to the drum because there is no leg rest. The drum is in very good condition showing typical scratches and nicks of moderate wear. There is pitting on the strainer finish, but it functions as intended. The shell and hardware are sound, and the bearing edges are like the day it was made. All of the batter side tension rods have been replaced with new rods. One of the bottom snare side rods is new, and the remaining 11 are the best-condition originals. The serial number is 560124 – the mid-1970s.

It has new heads: The batter head is a black dot control sound Remo. (I played on it for a few minutes after I put it together and tuned it, so the batter head has stick marks, sorry, I could not resist.) The snare head is a clear Remo Ambassador. I selected the CS batter head because it was a popular favorite among drum corps in the 70s. The drum sounds excellent, but it does ring. A plastic tone control ring takes care of that. The snare bar on the butt side features adjustable blocks, allowing each snare gut to be individually fine-tuned using a screwdriver. (NOTE: Do not put Kevlar heads on a TDR, they will break the tension lugs.) 

Here are the Slingerland TDR selling points from their catalog pages: “Unique hand-crafted 5-ply maple shell. Beveled micro-edges, top and bottom. Tri-plane snare bed. Multi-coated hot lacquer inside. Snare articulation and definition at all playing levels. Triple air-vented for the fastest possible pressure release. Anti-twist gut snares fully extend across the shell for 100% contact on the snare head. Model 981 Strainer designed for quick, easy tuning. Sound projection to the highest seat in the stadium.”

Thank you for considering this beautiful, historical drum.

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