The Closest Thing to a Late-'70s Slingerland
The Stone Custom Drum Niles shell pack has the heart and soul of a late-1970s Slingerland drum kit. In fact, it's a dead ringer. That's because the Niles' 5-ply shells are formed in the same molds Slingerland used for over half a century. With maple and poplar wood coming from the Great Lakes area and authentic reinforcement ring-less construction, they sing with the same brilliant attack and rich, open tone as the originals. They even look the part thanks to Slingerland-style appointments — Stick Saver hoops, bullet lugs, and amber-finished shell interiors. You truly won't find a production kit that comes as close to a classic Slingerland as the Stone Custom Drums Niles shell pack.
Related Videos: Niles 5-ply Maple/Poplar 3-piece Shell Pack - White Pearl - 22", 16", 12"
The spirit of Niles, Illinois
Stone Custom Drum owns the original tools and molds once used by Slingerland. Owner Bernie Stone refurbished the tooling up to twenty-first-century standards, complete with microprocessors to control heat and duration. This gives the Stone Custom Drum Niles shell pack a look and tone that's reminiscent of your favorite Slingerland kits of antiquity.
Authentic 5-ply shells
Early Slingerlands were famous for their 3-ply shells, stabilized with reinforcement rings. These features gave Slingys of the '30s–'40s their signature round tone. But later in the game, Slingerland began building shells out of five plies of wood, without reinforcement rings, and with sharper bearing edges. From the latter is where the Stone Custom Drum Niles shell pack derives its build and tone, which is louder, bolder, and more "modern" sounding than kits from the bop era.
Sourced from Great Lakes timber
Stone Custom Drum sources its woods from the Great Lakes area when possible. Trees in this region have predictable growth and dormancy patterns, which creates the precise rings Stone drums are known for.
Proudly American, proudly Indianian
Like Sweetwater, the Stone Custom Drum company is proud to belong to Fort Wayne's celebrated heritage. Stone and his team of drum-smiths build every shell in-house right here in Indiana. All woods are hand selected by density and grain pattern before they ever make it to your door. So when you buy Stone Custom Drums, you're not just supporting a local company, but a piece of Fort Wayne itself.
Stone Custom Drum Niles 3-piece Shell Pack Features:
- The heart and soul of a late-'70s Slingerland kit
- Built from the same molds and tooling used by Slingerland
- Authentically sized: 9" x 12" tom, 16" x 16" floor tom, 16" x 22" bass drum (depth x diameter)
- 5-ply maple/poplar shells are louder and bolder than bop-era Slingerlands
- Stable re-ring-less construction
- Complete with Stick Saver hoops, bullet lugs, and amber-finished shell interiors
