CB700 snare drum: an underrated gem

Although I’ve pared down my drum holdings considerably, I still hold a place in my heart for CB700 drums from the late 1970s and early 1980s, the period of time when I was in high school. CB700 drums were a common fixture in many school band rooms back then, because they were solidly built and affordable by school districts. For awhile, CB700 drums and parts were made in the same factory as Pearl drums, but their manufacture jumped around a bit over several decades. The latest generation of CB drums were made in Taiwan, and then in China.

The CB700 drums came with beautiful lugs that came to be called “wristwatch” lugs for their shape. The center of the lug was finished with a shiny panel that came in silver, blue or red, with silver being the most commonly available. 

I acquired this CB700 snare drum a couple of years ago, put it in the closet and promised I’d get to work on cleaning it up. I finally pulled it out last month. I took it apart, tightened all the bolts, cleaned up the shell and the lugs and replaced the heads and snares. As I went around the lugs, I noticed that some of them were missing the polished aluminum dots. 

I reached out to a friend who’s a CB drum enthusiast and collector, and asked him where I might find some replacement dots.

He cheerfully replied that he’d be happy to send me some. He apparently knows how to cut them from aluminum sheeting, and polish them in the process so the polished side shines. He had a bunch and slipped some into an envelope. They arrived a few days ago, carefully wrapped in blue painters tape and sealed in a cardboard sleeve. He advised me to clearcoat the shiny side to protect them before installing them.

The weather here had been quite cold, so I thanked my friend and advised him I’d have to wait until it warmed up enough for the paint to dry.

Yesterday, the temperature warmed up to the high 50s, so I laid out the dots on the tape, sprayed a light clearcoat and let it dry overnight.

This morning, I applied the new dots to the bare lugs using a tiny drop of super glue for each one. They’re dry now, and the drum is complete. And beautiful.

Not bad for a drum that cost me twenty bucks.