I got in touch with him last week and asked if he wanted to sell the pad. We agreed on a price and yesterday it arrived.
I had one of these pads when they first came out and used it in my studio lessons back in the day, until a student slipped it under his coat when my back was turned and slipped out with it.
Vic Firth still offers both the Stockpad and the Slimpad, but they are different today. The rubber used is a nylon and gum rubber blend, rather than the pure gum rubber surface used in the earliest edition of these pads. The nylon-gum rubber blend has a different feel and response, slightly more sluggish than pure gum rubber offers.
The nylon was added to the mix to keep the pad affordable. But it is different.
Here's the first generation Stockpad, with 1/4" gum rubber surface.
It is lighter than the current edition. A lighter wood base was used, and while it has pock marks and paint chips from years of use, it's still solid.
Today's base is wooden particle board, and when it chips, dents appear right away. Over time, particle board fatigues dramatically around the edges; solid wood holds on a bit longer.
And the playing?
Well, it feels more organic, with a livelier response than the newer versions of the pad.
And the first generation of this pad is very, VERY hard to find.
Which is why I was very glad to find another one and buy it.
I made a quick and dirty video while I played it the first time.
The fellow who sold this to me is still looking for a first generation Slimpad, with its thinner 1/8" gum rubber surface. If you know of one, drop me a note in the comments, include contact info and I'll pass it along to him.
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