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12 x 5.5 Deep Forest Walnut

12 x 5.5 Deep Forest Walnut

12 x 5.5 Deep Forest Walnut

12 x 5.5 Deep Forest Walnut

Overview

Here's a late entry into the "absolute unicorn" stable, spotted on a random eBay search in very late December 2022.

Nearly set the keyboard on fire typing a message to the seller asking for the usual permission to use their photos, but more importantly to check the provenance. I know that comes across as overly suspicious, but I have spent rather too much time staring at old Mapex catalogues and trawling through pages on the WayBack machine trying to track down all the Black Panthers and I have NEVER seen a 12” Deep Forest of any depth listed anywhere.

As an aside, it was listed as 12"x5" but if I’m honest I'd put decent money (and this catalogue entry!) that it's a 5.5”, due to the distance between the oval lugs. There are no 5” shells with low-mass oval lugs as there’s not enough clearance - but I’m happy to be proved wrong. Indeed, the cracking between the lugs on the outer ply is pretty common on the Deep Forest series, even with the 5.5" spacing – more so on the Cherry ones. Anyway...

Because it’s an absolute unicorn of a snare, I asked the seller about where they got it from. I genuinely wasn't casting doubt on its authenticity – it looks completely correct, even down to the holes for the missing Black Panther badge - but chasing the provenance of these one-offs is always tough and any further information always helps. To be fair they got back to me quickly, and stated that they were an endorsee who was given in in 2010, but as they now play another brand they were letting it go. Nice one!

I put a link on the Facebook group page and someone snapped it up within an hour: sometimes I love the Internet! 

So there you go - one more unicorn on the site. Hopefully the new owner will send more shots - you can never have too many, especially of these rarities! 

Main photos courtesy of the original endorsee (who wished to remain anonymous). Thanks a million!

Other photos from its new owner Mark Zivilik who's going to give it some TLC (watch this space). Cheers Mark!

Specifications

  • Shell Size:
    12" x 5.5"
  • Shell Construction:
    Walnut
  • Shell Thickness:
    5.1mm
  • Shell Finish:
    Wax Natural
  • Bearing Edge:
    45˚
  • Hardware Finish:
    Black Chrome
  • Lug Casings:
    Low-mass oval
  • Number of Lugs:
    8
  • Hoops:
    2.3mm Powerhoops
  • Air Vents:
    1
  • Snare Wires:
    20-strand
  • Snare Throw Off:
    Mapex Orion Standard Strainer
  • Shell Size:
    12" x 5.5"
  • Shell Construction:
    Walnut
  • Shell Thickness:
    5.1mm
  • Shell Finish:
    Wax Natural
  • Bearing Edge:
    45˚
  • Hardware Finish:
    Black Chrome
  • Lug Casings:
    Low-mass oval
  • Number of Lugs:
    8
  • Hoops:
    2.3mm Powerhoops
  • Air Vents:
    1
  • Snare Wires:
    20-strand
  • Snare Throw Off:
    Mapex Orion Standard Strainer

Rarity (on release)

Unique
Unique
Given to an endorsee in 2010