Royal Marching Snare Drum - 50s / 60s - Made in the Netherlands

Rare vintage Royal marching snare drum, made in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and most likely dating from the late 1950s to early 1960s.

This is a substantial, well-built and largely handcrafted vintage marching drum in very good overall condition.

About Royal

Royal was a specialist Dutch drum maker based in Amsterdam. The drums were produced in the small workshop of Looise and Vogel, where a remarkably large part of each instrument was made in-house, including much of the metal hardware and even the snare wires.

Royal was known for high-quality, largely handcrafted snare drums and also produced instruments in non-standard sizes and configurations. This unusually deep marching snare is a good example of the substantial construction associated with the company’s traditional marching instruments.

Character

These deep vintage Royal marching snares are known for their deep, very warm, well-defined and controlled sound, with a distinctive vintage “big sound” character.

They are also noted for holding their tuning well, even under rimshots. The unusually deep shell contributes to the drum’s substantial, powerful character and sets it apart from a conventional drum-kit snare.

Condition

The snare wires are still present underneath and the snare tensioning mechanism works correctly. The original carrying and support hardware is also present, including the large leather protective flap and the fixed support brackets.

The vintage hard case is included.

Overall condition is very good for its age. For complete transparency, there are two minor points to mention:

There is a very small hole in the top drum head, visible in the photographs.

Some of the rubber caps that originally covered the projecting metal pins are missing.

The shell and hardware remain very presentable, the snare mechanism functions correctly, and the drum appears to be very complete.

Dimensions and weight

● Drum diameter: approx. 35 cm (14").

● Shell depth: approx. 27.5 cm (10.8").

● Overall height including fixed hardware: approx. 32.5 cm (12.8").

● Maximum overall width including projecting hardware: approx. 46 cm (18.1").

● Hard case dimensions: approx. 50 cm diameter × 31 cm height (19.7" × 12.2").

● Drum weight: approx. 6 kg (13.2 lbs).

The photographs form an important part of the description and show the actual instrument offered for sale.

Price (hard case included): €379

Reasonable offers will be considered.

Shipping

International shipping is possible.

Shipping rates shown in this listing are indicative and are based on the rates available at the time the listing was created.

Carrier and shipping-platform prices may change, so the final shipping cost will always be checked before dispatch.

Specific shipping rates are listed for the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. For other European Union countries, a flat shipping rate of €40 is shown as an estimate.

Before shipping, I will verify the actual cost for the buyer’s destination. If the actual shipping cost is lower than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded where possible.

If the actual shipping cost is higher, I will contact the buyer first. The buyer may then either pay the additional shipping cost or cancel the purchase and receive a full refund.

For countries or regions not listed in the shipping options, please contact me before purchasing. I will check whether shipping is possible and provide a current quote for that destination.

Shipping to destinations outside Europe, including the United States, may be possible, but costs can be considerably higher due to transport, customs and import-related charges. Please contact me before purchasing if your destination is outside Europe.

The drum and hard case will be carefully packed for transport.