As regular readers know, the boy who helped me build my first band
organ some fifty years ago is now building his own, from the innards
of a Mikune 125 band organ that was no longer in use.

I've sent him everything except the bass and snare drums.  The U.S.
Postal Service says the box I want to ship them in is _one_ centimeter
over the limit and I'll have to ship it by ocean freight.  The cheapest
quote I got was $341 plus $200 for a wooden crate which is required for
ocean shipment.  Of course there is no way we can afford to do this.
The snare drum and its beater mechanism (that I had packed inside the
bass drum) is small enough to send by mail.

Would anyone by chance have an unused bass drum 50 cm in diameter and
25 cm or so deep?  The depth is no problem but the diameter should be
50 cm [20 inches] or less.  We will be extremely grateful if someone
has an old drum gathering dust in a corner somewhere.

The cabinet is built but cannot proceed without knowing what size of
drum will eventually go on the beast.  MMDers are always so helpful
that I am sure we will be able to locate something somewhere that won't
cost an arm and a leg.

Thanks for your help.

Vic Searle in Tokyo,
working with David Kern near Dallas, Texas