CARLTON mod. 501, 1959.

In my humble opinion, the charm of British drums is undoubted, yesterday as today. This Carlton mod. 501 of 1959 is a clear and evident example. 20”x12”, 12x8”, 16”x16”, mahogany shells with reinforced rings, die cast hoops, “Counterbalance” di cast lugss. Truly excellent condition, all chrome is shiny, without any defects.

The drums are all equipped with mutes, two for the bass drum and one each for the tom and floor tom.

Arrived with calf heads supplied, at the moment I preferred to mount Remo Renaissance batter and Evans J1 resonants on the tom and floor tom, Remo CS Clear batter and Premier Everplay White resonant on the bass drum. The original skins are obviously included. The sizes are standard, not Pre International, which allows for an unlimited choice of drum heads.

As showed on 1959 Carlton catalog, the 501 model also included a pair of bongos and a snare drum, which unfortunately were lost over the decades.

A truly beautiful, fascinating set, full of style in many details, such as the legs and the stopper of the bass drum, the die cast lugs, the floor tom's brackets...

The sound is very warm, dark, full-bodied but always defined, thanks to the accuracy of the edges and die cast rims. An example, as mentioned before, of the high level of British production.