Leedy Capri/Fiesta Kit

Please click on each image for a larger view. Shots are grouped to focus on an individual drum or to show contrasts.

Kit Background

Acquired from original owner. Initial claim was early 1960s (62), but conflicting claim of late 50s as well. The original owner claim is not in dispute, but the dates are. This kit is in interesting sizes for a circa 1962 kit: 22x14, 13x9 and 16x16 with a 14x5.5 Shelly Manne model snare drum.

Bass Drum

These shots show the main flaws in the finish and condition of the hardware. The shell seems to be solid with no issues, and like the other drums appears to me mahogany/poplar/mahogany with maple reinforcement rings:

Snare Drum

The finish is vivid and the hoops are definitely chrome over brass. This drum needs to be cleaned up, but plays beautifully. The second photo showing the snares depicts the snares untensioned. I did not tune or tweak it, and when I tested it out the sound was startlingly beautiful. There are touches of corrosion on some metal parts, like the throw handle, but the shell looked perfect (this is a Shelly Manne model).

Toms

The rack and floor toms have no real flaws that I could detect during a cursory inspection. Both have chrome over brass hoops and intact mufflers with no additional holes in either drum. Both need to be cleaned up - and the crap under the floor tom's batter head is foam that someone long ago put to attenuate the resonance. Clearly, that drum will need new heads and a good detailing. Neither has a badge, however. These drums are believed to be circa 1962 and if I am not mistaken Leedy (and Slingerland) toms from that era did not have badges. I could be wrong.

The rack tom has the same beautiful burgundy color Capri (or fiesta) wrap as the snare and bass drum. There are no issues.

Oddly the wrap on the floor tom has a golden tone to it that does not match the bass, rack tom and snare. I cannot fathom why this is so - sunlight? Purchased separately?

Hardware and Cymbals

The drums have the original circa 1962 hardware that was purchased with them (although most of the stands are Ludwig from the era). It also comes with a set of naugahyde cases common to the era, but with no brand names. It even comes with a leather stick bag with an assortment of old sticks and brushes. There is an interesting aspect of the hi-hat stand: it has Shelly Manne misspelled as Shelley Manne, which may have been issued like that for a single year before it was corrected. The stand is missing a clutch and a few other parts.

Before posting photos of the odds and ends, a description of the cymbals is in order. This kit came with two 20" rides and pair of 14" hats.

The first ride is a small stamp A. Zildjian that weighs in at 2155 grams. This looks to be hand hammered with block style lettering in the stamp (I did not have a decent magnifying glass with me). If you play jazz then you know (and treasure the sound.) The second 20, while a great jazz cymbal, was heavier at 2495 grams had a large A Zildjain stamp. As heavy as it was it had nice undertones and was a dream to control. The 14" hats were New Beats with an ink stamp and were heavy enough to be deemed from a much later era. The top weighted in at 1020 grams and the bottom at 1542 grams.

Here are photos of the odds and ends: