George Way Aristocrat Snare Drum Restoration

This George Way Aristocrat 15x8 Snare Drum is part of my personal collection and recently underwent a full restoration. While the drum was structurally sound, 65+ years of age and use had left it in need of a thorough cleaning.

The process began with a complete disassembly of the drum. The original wrap was carefully buffed to restore its shine, removing a layer of surface grime and even lightening some of the nicotine discoloration that had developed over time. The hardware was then hand-polished to bring back its luster, and each lug was packed with cotton to eliminate unwanted rattle. Once cleaned and polished, the drum was reassembled with new heads and snare wires to complete the restoration. Overall, this was a relatively simple yet rewarding project.

Here is a write up from the 1959 George Way Drums Catelog.

You are now looking at photos of Drums that have been proclaimed by many prominent professionals to be the last word in the modern "look" and the very tops in the "sounds of today, with smooth-as-silk playing ease. As for the high quality materials and workmanship - we can afford to employ no other. Our personnel is composed 100 percent of men and women who have spent most of their lives in making drums and accossories. These instruments are strintly "Cadillac" models which will boast the players' morale and enable them to relax and do a finer job of "lifting" their rhythm sections.

Source: https://drumarchive.com/Camco/georgeway50.pdf