Wow Kona!! You are one talented fellow!! From these pics they look gorgeous!! I can't help with the time line though,sorry, but they do look old!!

Cheers,BigE

Wow, congrats on the tucking job, that was a close one! I'm just getting into calf heads and this tucking buisness, I must say I'm intruiged... Anywho, the logo you posted is a WFL logo, made from 1948-1955. From top to bottom, it used to read: DOUBLE STRENGTH WHITE CALF W.F.L. DRUM CO.

Hope this helps!

LevonPurdie

i wonder if you try wetting them next time they will expand a little if there real skin !!!

Thanks - Yes - I can bearly make that out on there but it looks like you nailed it.

This is so cool because the hihat stand and SpeedKing pedal that came with the drum kit (bought in the early 60's by former owner) both have WFL footplates! The hi hat stand is the 1123 (the model that Ringo used with the Beatles). The Speed King pedal with the WFL footboard made its appearance in 1950 & the WFL footboard was changed to read Ludwig in the early 60's.

So I have a Reso head that fits with some of my Vintage Ludwig hardware = nice!

I will be setting the kit up in my drum room today.

I've got another head to tuck today....on my 1953 16" floor tom. I'll also be "tacking" a reso head on that drum - I'm just waiting for the tacks. I can't find the original tacks - or it's proving very difficult so far at least. So I've decided to use the Gretsch Logo "center pins" instead. These pins will be a little diffiult to use but will be a nice touch as the toms have this center pin in the logo...so it will look pretty nice close up anyway. The pins are too long & I don't think I want them to go right through the shell - the original tacks did not. I will have to cut and resharpen all 70 or so pins! That might be easier than finding the original pins or even pins that will fit. I've tried everywhere - no luck yet.

Jaghog:

The skins are definately natural. They were difficult to tuck for two reasons:

1) I cut them too small (diameter should have been at least 24 to fit the BD larger hoop thickness)

2) There did not seem to be much natural "glue" left in the old hide - they did not stick to the wood like new hides which have a tendency to stick to a wood hoop. There may have been other factors involved there but none that I recognised with my limited experience.

UP-DATE on the "not-pretty" calfhide tucking job:

After everything settled out the drum sounds good - even with those nasty wrinkles around the wood hoop. Ahhh, maybe that gives it some added character?

I've also tucked a new calfhide on the 16" 1953 Gretsch floor tom (Duco finish). It's in the mix as well & sounding pretty good even though it has only one head so far - I will tack the reso head. It's a sharp looking drum with the Gretsch Gladstone era leg supports. I could buy a "pig" skin for it but I'm opting to have it calfhide all around.....I'm using the 6x10 1947 Gretsch tom off my hats and I tacked a calfhide on that one as well. That little drum had miles of tone!

The kit as it sits now: not the greatest photo light-wise but fairly close to correct colour

Looking real good!! I don't see no stinking wrinkles!!

Are you going to put a thinner reso head on ? I forgot the name (slunk?)but they are used on the snare reso usually? Or go with a regular calf head like on top.

Cheers,BigE

BigE - The wrinkles are there believe me.

They're from the fighting & gluing session I had while fitting these old calfhides on the bd. There was lots of cursing & wrastling at time but in the end....they went on and they're sounding good - so far.

SLUNK:

No - I've been putting slunk calfs on my snare drums - snare side - nice heads.

I'm going to use one of the old heads I got on eBay.....the ones I cut down.....to tack on the 16" tom reso side. It's a little thicker than the new American White I tucked on the batter - I think it will work out fine. There will not be the problem of trying to "tuck" it like I had with the bd heads. I've developed a way to tack heads and it seems to be working great so far - at least I'm happy with my first two go-arounds with it.