[ Jack Conway asked, "Is my Nelson-Wiggen 4X snare drum original?"

Dear Jack,  The Nelson-Wiggen company, as you know, was a latecomer
founded by former Seeburg factory superintendents.  Their early
years found them using standard "nameless" pianos with an overlay
"Nelson-Wiggen" plate, bolted to the upper right hand part of the
harp.  A variety of percussion which, included both Liberty and Deagan
xylophones and bell bars, plus a variety of percussion instruments in
the 4X - 7 models, was used as well.

The way your snare drum is mounted, receiving vacuum through internal
channeling, and the mechanism appear to be 100% original.  The drum
itself is most likely original, given the variety or instruments
Nelson-Wiggen used in production.  The original tensioning lugs were
low-tension finger adjusted tuning lugs, and the one-sided snare drum
was a common featured used in Seeburg, Nelson-Wiggen and Coinola
instruments.

Nelson-Wiggen, true to the time of manufacture, didn't use plastic
heads because they hadn't been invented yet; skin heads would have
been all they used -- and if anything your snare drum is probably more
original that the other Nelson-Wiggen that you have seen.  The snares
right behind the one head are standard for Seeburg, Nelson-Wiggen and
Coinola.

Stephen Kent Goodman - Professional Player Piano & Nickelodeon Restoration
Tarpey Village (Fresno/Clovis) California, USA
http://www.mechanicalmusicrestoration.com/