Last year, after much anticipation, the Slingerland brand officially returned to the scene. Launched not as a reimagined modern version, but as a deliberate effort to reconnect with the brand’s original construction methods, materials, and tonal concepts that have helped define American drumming for decades. For this month’s Product Close-Up, we’re taking a close look at a Slingerland Radio King Outfit in Blue and Silver Lacquer, paired with a 6.5 x 14 matching snare drum.  Specs  The Radio King Outfit is a three-drum shell pack consisting of a 9 x 13 rack tom, 16 x 16 floor tom, and a commanding 14 x 24 bass drum with wooden hoops. The drum shells feature a traditional three-ply mahogany/poplar/mahogany construction, reinforced with steam-bent maple re-rings, and finished with rounded 30-degree bearing edges. The hardware is nickel-plated, including the Stick Saver hoops on the toms and snare, which feature an inward-beveled flange to reduce stick wear. The 13-inch tom has an isolation mount which can be used on a tom stand or placed on a standard snare drum stand. The floor tom sits on three high-quality half-inch diameter floor tom legs which include memory […]

February 2026 Issue