It's just a guess, but maybe the Flat denoted Tower (Sta-tite strainer/standard butt) and Gloss denoted Powertone (Swivomatic strainer/Swivomatic butt) to the assembly line workers.

-Tim

An interesting hypothesis! Hmm...was it really that easy?

-Mark

I agree, probably just a feature of the individual models.

I will add that Luxors and Towers are both fantastic drums. Just depends on what sound you are looking for. I don't really hear much difference between a Tower and a Powertone. Perhaps the Tower is slightly more open.

The hardware works just fine on all 3 models whether it has a statite or swivo strainer. They are not that different in the way they work.

The workers in the assembly department probably didn't know and/or control the product production schedules/quotas.

Imagine sitting on the line with bare wrapped, drilled and painted shells being dropped off. How would you know if a shell drilled with 8 lugs and the same strainer/butt pattern was to be a Powertone or Tower? The difference was either Flat or Gloss paint. If it had Flat paint, you'd install a Sta-tite/standard butt. If it had Gloss paint, you'd install the Swivomatic style.

It would be nice to know how the assembly line ran from start to finish. For example, when was the tag installed. That would've also helped the assembler know how to build the drum.

Of course, this is all speculation. ;)

-Tim

Well the obvious answer in regard to the paper tags is that..... it was put on by the assembler before it got headed. That is why you see crossed out tags, typed in tags, penciled in Holiday or Powertone.

I've had both. Like someone stated earlier, it depends on what you're going for. Tower had much greater tuning range and was more sensitive but the Luxor had more personality. Luxor was super ringy, but when muffled it has a fat crack I couldn't duplicate with the Tower. Must be the 6 lugs thing. So Tower was a better drum, but I'd personally take a Luxor. Always felt Slingerland ruled the wood snares. Their student line 6 luggers will tear your head off and the Hollywood Ace records better than almost any other snare I ever played.

The glossy paint inside the Powertone was to alter the sound. They felt it would be more crisp and bright and help to differentiate it from the Tower a little more than just the strainer and butt would.

Powertone marching snares also had this feature.

The maple Dynasonic also had a glossy finish inside in order to brighten the sound and add sensitivity.