The Fibes Drum Company offered some quite unusual finishes during its heyday. This finish, called Red Fivel, was certainly one of them.

The finish was actually sprayed on the shell. This particular kit had been sitting in a drum shop for a number
of years before I purchased it.

The original snare drum was sold by the shop owner separately from the rest of the kit.

Drummer Bob Grauso and chemical engineer John Morena started the Fibes Drum Company in 1966. The drums were made of fiberglass and were wrapped in a variety of finishes. They also offered a line made of clear acrylic.

The drums made quite a splash when they were first introduced. Buddy Rich used the SFT 690 snare drum while endorsing Slingerland!. This kit is wrapped in a brown marble wrap, some might call a wood grain. The snare is wrapped in a chrome finish.

As I mentioned, many players used these drums, among them Alan Dawson, Jack Sperling, Billy Cobham, and Grady Tate.