The Rogers Dynasonic Snare Drum-Big R badge

Perhaps no other snare drum has created as much controversy among drummers as the Rogers Dynasonic Snare Drum. This flagship snare drum of the Rogers Drum Company still is "making waves" some 28 years after the last one rolled off the assembly line. (See blog dated Nov. 17th). Nevertheless, the drum had a good strong run and its place is assured in drum history.

The Dyna was "born" in the early 60's and initially both wood and metal shells were offered. Great drummers, like Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson, played and endorsed it. But in the mid 60's, CBS bought the Rogers company and changes were afoot. By the early 70's, the wood shell model was dropped. The traditional Rogers Script badge was replaced with what is now known as the "Big R" badge. The snare mechanism, despite some minor changes, basically stayed the same.

In the early 80's, the wood shell model was reintroduced and that is the drum you see pictured here. This beauty differed significantly from the 1960's models. Earlier Dyna wood shells were made up of a 5 ply maple/poplar mix. These early models also had reinforcing rings and lacquered inner shells. The pictured drum sports a 10 ply maple shell, no reinforcing rings, and isolation gaskets around each lug. Also, the inner shell is clear. There is no lacquering whatsoever.

This Dyna marked the end of the line for the model. By the mid 80's, Rogers was a shadow of its original self. There have been attempts to revive the line, but only as a budget line, and so far, these attempts have not been very successful.

But perhaps that's as it should be. Rogers drums were never budget line drums. They were the"Cadillacs" of their time. They weren't cheap. They were of the highest quality and Rogers drums are still played and sought after by drummers everywhere.

The Rogers Dynasonic Snare Drum

Perhaps no other snare drum from the 1960's has created as much controversy as the Rogers Dynasonic snare drum. Every drummer who has played the drum has an opinion. And the opinions are varied to say the least. One drummer will claim that the Dynasonic sounds best tuned high and tight with Diplomat heads. Another will say that the drum sounds better with medium to low tensioning with Ambassador heads. And still others, some who don't even know anything about the drum, will say the drum sounds " terrible" in any tuning range. There simply is no middle ground.

To my way of thinking, all of this quarreling is really a " tempest in a teapot." The Dynasonic was designed to be the most responsive and sensitive snare drum of its time. Rogers designers, in particular Ben Strauss, did their best to make a snare drum that was playable "right out of the box." A special sheet indicating how to tune the drum was included with a Dynasonic purchase. As with any product, some Dyna's were better than others. If you happened to purchase a "good" one, you bought a hell of a snare drum. And the drum could be tweaked to no end.

The drum you see pictured is from the mid 60's. This beauty is wrapped in red sparkle and she still sports her original heads. The clockface strainer has a black background around the logo which indicates a pre 1964 vintage. After 1964, the black background was dropped and the shape of the strainer changed somewhat. Every Dynasonic was outfitted with a metal snare bridge that, theoretically, would keep the snare wires flat and in even constant contact with the snare head.

The drum came in wood and metal shells and in 5 x 14, 6 1/2 x 14, and 8 x 15 sizes. The shell was a 5 ply maple/poplar mix and was finished in a clear varnish. Rogers tom and bass drums, on the other hand, were finished with either black or grey speckled paint. Early Rogers Dynasonics came with brass "bread and butter" lugs. This model has the "Beavertail" lugs which replaced the earlier brass ones.

Many famous drummers played the Dynasonic, including Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson. Perhaps because of this association, the Dyna has become a very collectible drum, particularly the wood shell model.

To read more about the Dynasonic, kindly click on the following link

http://www.vintagedrumsandmore.com/media-drum-articles-rogers-dynasonic-snare-drums.htm

Rogers Wood Dynasonic Snare Drum-B and B lug

This particular drum holds a special significance for me. As the reader can see, it's a Rogers Wood Dynasonic with "Bread and Butter" lugs. These lugs were made of brass and they tended to break and crack. It's unusual to find a drum like this with perfect lugs. The drum is also wrapped in the rare wine red ripple pearl. It's difficult enough to find a Wood Dynasonic in any finish much less this wrap. But that's not what really sets this Rogers Dynasonic apart from others.

Many years ago, I went to see Louis Bellson at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Louis would come in every year for a week stay at the club. I would go to every show and marvel at his playing. One time, I decided to bring this drum into the club and show it to him. I was somewhat nervous but, hell I thought, what was the worst thing that could happen.

He saw me come in with the drum and he motioned me over to him. He had big smile on his face and said he wanted to talk to me about the drum, but after the show. Needless to say, I stayed until the last set was over. What followed was one of the most enjoyable times of my drumming career. Louis picked up the Dynasonic and started to recall his time with Rogers Drums and Buddy Rich. In particular, he focused on a drum caravan that toured Japan in the 60's. Buddy, Louis, Philly Joe Jones, and Art Blakey were all part of the troupe. Louis played the Rogers Wood Dynasonic at the time. According to Louis, Buddy was enamoured with the sound of Louie's Snare drum and wanted him to give it to him. Louie quickly changed the subject and the drum never changed hands.

Louie graciously signed this drum for me that night. It was a wonderful night that I will never forget

Rogers Wood Dynasonic Snare Drum

Most drummers have a favorite drum or drumkit that they play or that they would like to play. In that way, they are no different than guitar players, bass players, horn players......all musicians really. For me, that drum kit was made by the Rogers Drum Company and the snare drum is the Rogers Wood Dynasonic.
My first drum set was the Ludwig Super Classic Outfit in Black Diamond Wrap. I still have that kit. My father bought me the set in 1964. It listed for 465.00 dollars and he bought it for 350.00. It has seen many smokey bars and clubs and it has always come through like a champ.

But I was always fascinated by Rogers Drums. Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson played the drums and if they were good enough for them, then I had to check them out. Little did I know about endorsements at the time. The drums sounded great and the hardware was state of the art for the era.

It was many years later that I was able to afford a Rogers drum kit. I wasn't disappointed. I bought quite a few kits in various colors and I tried to get the Wood Dynasonic Snare drum with each kit. The Dynasonic was a marvelous snare drum, but it was finicky to tune and, truth be told, some of them sounded better than others.

Both Louis Bellson and Buddy Rich used the drum in the early 60's. When I spoke to Louis about the Dyna, he waxed eloquently about one particular Dyna he owned that sounded terrific. But even he mentioned that there were other Dynasonics that just didn't have it.

The Rogers Dynasonic has become a highly collectible snare drum, but that only applies to the wood shell model. The drum also came in a metal shell, but it's no where near as desirable or expensive. There are some Rogers Drum collectors who believe the early brass "bread and butter" lug drums are better than the "beaver tail" lug models.
In any case, the Wood Dynasonic is a part of drumming history. These drums are excellent examples of the golden age of American Drum Companies