This brand was distributed by S & T Adams and Son Auckland. The label reads "S & T Adams & Son Auckland" and is pasted on the inside of the shell.
From my online research I have been able to determine that Super Tone was an American brand name for instruments distributed by Sears & Roebuck. This Drum was manufactured in 1935 (marked in pencil by the maker inside the shell) by Leedy and Ludwig and imported into NZ.
Shell is 2 ply mahogany with 3 maple reinforcing rims, counter hoops are of maple.
The tension rods are Leedy and Ludwig and are bright nickel plated.
The drum is fitted with one calf skin and one mylar Tympani skin.
I believe that this drum could form tha basis for a 1930's style vintage drum "trap" set up or make a unique coffee table, lamp or illuminated sign.
I bought this drum many years ago, whilst on tour with the Jews Brothers, at an antique shop in Napier. The drum had been painted in light blue enamel with white painted counter hoops. It featured one original calf skin and one later calf skin of lesser quality.
I loaned this drum to my son when he was still at secondary school and together we created a kit from a variety of second hand components. He got 5 years of good use out of it before he returned it to me with some minor modifications. He had refinished the drum with an old "Lotto" decal left over from the old Team NZ Americas Cup campaign (of which he had been a member).
This was how the drum looked when it was returned to me.
After much scraping sanding and oiling, here's what it looks like now.
I had the tension rods re plated which has lifted the finished article to a whole new level.
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