As the MIJ i just completed is my only point of reference, I'm certainly not an expert, but I love the results...so here's my:2Cents:

Drum prep

Lightly sand & laquer(2 or 3 coats) the drum interiors to seal and promote projection, per jonnistix. Definitely effective!

Heads

(jonnistix recommended the z100 and they are not only cheap, $9.50/14" & $12.25/12", but they sound warm and wonderful)

Toms:

Batter- Aquarian single ply texture coated (z100 coating)

Res- original Remo Soundmaster single ply coated

Bass:

Batter- Remo Encore single ply clear

Res- Remo Ambassador

Snare:

Batter- aquarian texture coated

Res- Remo ambassador snare clear

Muffling:

Bass- 3" felt strips, verticle orientation, off center, both heads. Moon Gel on batter for xtra muffling at night.

14" Tom- moon gel

12" Tom- none

Snare- internal muffler, moon gel if needed

(Moon gels, though space age rather than vintage, provide better quality and more precise muffling than anything else I've used. They can be cut in 1/2 or smaller for different levels of muffling am

Nd different size heads)

Tuning

Tips from the drum tech at my local drum shop that work really well, though not very scientific. Always tune res side first then match the batter side.

1. Crimp around the sides of any coated head to separate any stuck coating from the rings before mounting.

2. Make sure the head is centered in the hoop before putting on t rods

3. Finger tighten t rods until just tight all around.

4. 1 full rotation of the t rods with your drum key, tightening opposite rods and moving around the drum side to side. This is the star tuning pattern...I'm sure there are other names.

5. Push down VERY firmly with the palm of your hand in the center of the head to stretch before tightening further. Use two hands together on the bass heads.

6. 1/2 turn on each t rod in the star pattern I mentioned above, then tap the center for your tone, but you should be close to the sweet spot for the drum. Continue with 1/8 - 1/4 turns around the drum if the tone is still wobbly.

7. Tap your drum key ~1.5-2" in from each rod to find the "best" sounding tension. I found these sing best tuned slightly loosed than my PDP kit. Use the star tuning pattern to match the tone on the rest of the t rods.

8. Muffle as desired and smack some skin!

Snare tuning is similar, but I was told to tune the res side higher than the batter head, and to de-tune the 2 rods adjacent to the snare wires 1/4 turn on both sides of the drum, to maximize the depth and fullness of the snare voice. This tip works for me.

Good luck and happy drumming!

Brian

BTW, for what it's worth, there is no way I could afford an American made vintage kit even in crappy condition, but I get a VERY authentic vintage sound on my affordable MIJ kit. Love to own a '68 Ludwig kit someday, but no hurry. Maybe another MIJ when I win the lottery. ~B

Agree to all - especially the last sentences - the only really good reason other than sentimentality for choosing MIJs over quality drums. What should be notes that just like prices for heads will be the same, so will the price or time in any kind of renovation - and it will presumably be lost in a later sale.

I kinda like them too - but if you have the dough, buy european or american instead.

Regards

Jon

Rogersling,

Thanks for the heads up on the Polyx oil. I have only used tung oil in the past so would like to try this out. I still have the rest of a Pearl Bollero kit to finish.

I don't sense any "hardening" of the tone or increased attack of the drum after treatment with tung oil just a more aggressive, brighter response from the Luan.

kellyj

Isn´t a "more aggressive, brighter response" pretty much the same as a ""hardening of the tone and increased attack"?

The way I use these words, it is more or less two sides of the same coin....

Anyway, all four are what I would expect from a drum treated on the inside.

As Jonnistix stresses, you get too much of the effect if you put on a thick layer of polyurethane - much less if you use a couple of layers of a hardening oil such as linseed oil or tung oil. Anything in between gives results in between....

Regards

Jon

Jon,

Drum tuning really is subjective and wording is as well.

You are correct in saying that aggressive response is more attack.

What I meant to communicate was that none of the "warmth" of the aged Luan wood is lost with the very light oil/poly treatment I applied. The fact that I only used two very light coats of tung oil could have something to do with this. My intention in treating the wood was simply to give slightly more response as well as bringing up the wood grain (a great visual enhancement to the shell) without altering the already great qualites of resonance this wood possesses.

This treatment was used as well on my 1968 Premier 303 kit (another thread). The shells are 3-ply African mahogany with beech re-rings. Again, two light coats of tung oil brought out the nice wood grain but did not completely seal the shell. I think sealing the wood fibers completely will significantly increase "attack". whether or not that reduces the warmth of the sound I'm not certain, but don't want to find out either!

Gave the same treatment to a low-end Mapex entry-level kit made of 6-ply Basswood. I had to lightly sand the bearing edges of each drum. Two coats of tung oil later with a change out to better heads and the inherant "warm" sound of the basswood took on slightly more attack yet retained the boomy, mellow warmth. If you ever want a vintage sounding "new" kit, the entry level kits offered in Basswood fit the bill. The wood fibre density of Basswood is similar to Luan and Mahogany which gives the shells their open warmth.

I think the treatment worked well!

-kellyj

It seems we agree!

Yes, wording sound is difficult. Shouldn´t stop us from trying, though!

I too would think that a light treatment is the way to go - otherwise you will end up have something sounding like a Hayman, an acrylic kit - or those Pearl kits from the eighties, heavily lacquered. MLX, was that the series?

All attack and no wood left in the tone.

Jon

In this case, less is more...

Excellent post! - In my experience, it is also a good idea to determine if your hoops are flat and round. 1) Lay them on a formica countertop or other very flat surface. Older thin hoops may be bent. They can be brought back to flat by applying pressure over your leg. 2) if they are not round, it may be possible to stretch them back into round by hand. If all else fails, replace them.