Does your Supra have the Pits?

So your Supraphonic Snare Drum has the pits? Well, I'm sad to say there is absolutely nothing you can do to the shell to get rid of them.

So as the bearer of bad news I should at least give you a little more information. Your Supra is pitting because the metal that Ludwig used and the process of chroming did not work.

Here is what a shell looks like with the pits. Click on the red circle to see a close-up of the shell.

photo courtesy O-Lugs

What is happening is the chrome is peeling from the shell. So the best you can do is just leave it alone and live with it. The other two alternatives will change the value and one will cost more then what the drum is actually worth.

So, many people remove, sand or scuff the chrome and paint the shell with spray paint or powder coat. This will change the sound of your drum, how much depends on the finish you apply.

The other options involves taking it to a professional re-chromer to remove the finish and apply new chrome to the shell. I guess if you play the drums and have chroming shop it will be worth it to you, but for the majority this is not an option.

So if you have a drum and you think it is brass and you see just one pit, it is not brass. Brass shell drums do not pit.

There are however Ludwig Supraphonics that are not brass that also do not have any pits to the shells.

- The Drum Experts