Hey moonweasel - no problem, my pleasure. I started off as a guitarist as well and got sucked into the drum world... never really looked back (neither does my guitarist, but that's a personal issue) Ha!

Is till have my prized guitars, some of which are now vintage, and you're absolutely right... you DO NOT touch those finishes. A thing to remember - bass drum hoops are okay to refinish and not hurt value - shells are a different story, treat them as you would your guitar. Same applies, refinish your shells and they are still nice drums, but no longer original, so the value takes a hit... same goes for extra holes and adding extra hardware (like your mount there)... kinda like routing out a Les Paul Deluxe for a full sized humbucker guitar3 ...or in the case of your mount, more like routing the same Les Paul for a floyd rose DOH ...okay, maybe not that bad.

Nonetheless, if by chance or whatever, you started off with a really great kit in terms of the shells, sizes and desirability - good work! Keep us posted with pictures so we can follow along.

Oh, and yes... Ambs and Emps are Remo Ambassadors and Emperors respectively. Evans has their G1 and G2 series as their comparable models. Either brand will do you just fine, but Remo seems to be the head of choice among the vintage circles. I use both.

Beautiful kit man! All that kit needs is some TLC and a complete cleaning. If those were my drums here is what I would do:

1. complete disassembly and inspection:remove all heads, rims, mounting brackets, make a list of missing parts, lug screws, t-handles, washers etc. Anything that is missing can easily be replaced including all rubber feet.

2. clean all chrome with a good chrome cleaner (I use semi-chrome...purchased at your local Harley dealership) Clean the wrap with a mild detergent or a non-phosphorous glass cleaner I use Counter top Magic(the experts will chime in with their favorite stuff). Do not use any abrasives. I usually just dry wipe the shells' interiors.

3. In my opinion, those Luddy's will sing if you use remo coated ambassadors top and bottom on all drums.(You take some of the bark out of the BD with a felt strip on the inside of either head or both)

4. I totally agree with mspratacus: Add a Ludwig Speed King Pedal and Supra snare to complete this classic kit.

5. About the add-on double tom bracket...I would just clean it and leave it. The alternative might be too much trouble.(filling holes,using inserts or chrome bolts etc.)

It may seem like a lot of work for just a "player" kit, but IMHO these drums are worth every dime and minute you spend on them. Good luck and remember that there are guys on this forum that do this every day and they are happy to help.

Regarding the mount - is it just the 4 bolt holes? If so, you can easily take it off and cover the holes with rounded head carriage bolts - quick and easy. If you want to get really fancy, then you can fill the holes and cover them with wrap.

[Edit - Just saw hardbopman's post - I agree that the kit is worth the effort, which is why I'd try to get rid of the mount. that said, I'd go with the chrome bolts as it's the easier fix IF there are no other holes other than the 4. I also agree with the stripping and detailing, but for a newbie into the vintage drum world, it could be a bit of a daunting task. If you're up for it, then I'd say definitely go for it!]

For the hoops, I like Satin finish... looks the most like the original IMO.

Great that you have woodworking experience, this will be a breeze. Primer is always a good idea if you end up down to the wood. Just a light coat.

Ah, the rattle can - just make sure you do it in a well ventilated area, preferably outside.

Hardbopman,

Thanks for replying.

I think taking them apart would be really fun. I am restoring a '65 Ford Mustang and have taught myself brake work (successfully as I am still alive :) :) :) ), so it doesn't phase me to take them apart.

Concerning the Speed-King, what would a 7 or 8 out of 10 cosmetically, but 10 out of 10 funtionally example go for? I saw some on Ebay for 80-120. Is there a particular variant I need to look for? Any identifying marks etc?

Concerning the snare, I guess I should look for an “olive/blue” logo'ed one with no serial to match mine... I don't REALLY care if it is a later one with a serial, but I'd like to keep it correct except for the badge. Did they change later in the 70s? Is there a particular feature set I need to find to match the kit?

Concerning the felt for the BD, can you please describe what you mean more precisely? Like a strip all the way around the edge between the head and the rim? Thanks.

I have an idea for the tom bracket (sadly it must have two larger holes for the posts for the toms as well as the four little screw holes)... The paper labels came with the drums, but they had fallen off with time. I was thinking about getting a local ***elry shop to engrave a rectangular piece of chrome with the date codes, and model numbers... I could then screw it down with some nice chrome screws into the screw holes for the tom mount that are already there.... That might attract MORE attention to it... Maybe I'll just rig a beer holder there into the existing holes. :)

This is turning into a fun winter project!

Thanks again. You should check out my guitar site, it's www.latesixtieslespauls.com . I have done a ton of research on old LP Deluxes etc. If there was some way I could pass some helpful info back your way, I would be happy to.

Hmm, maybe I could mount a Floyd Rose where that tom mount is.... :)

See my previous post, I have a couple ideas for those holes, I pull the mount and post a picture in a bit so we can see what horror awaits underneath. :) I read some posts about buying a trashed donor shell to patch the wrap. I would be up for it (wood worker), but not if a donor shell costs too much... We'll see. I might be able to use the tom mounting posts that came with the kit to make a cow-bell holder, or something useful... hmm...

Thanks for the tip on satin. I asked about the primer because it occurred to me that I have never spray painted anything wood I have built before. :)

Even MORE questions:

1) The little screws on the inside of the shells that appear to hold the "things the tension screws screw into" (sorry guitarist hahah) are in varying condition on my kit. Some are beautiful, some are a bit rusty etc... Is it best to always reuse them, or are there precise, new screws to be had?

2) In terms of bass drum tone, I LOVE Honky Tonk Women. Sort of a dull thud I guess? Always loved Charlie's drumming, even as a guitarist.

1) The little screws on the inside of the shells = [COLOR="Red"]Lug Screws[/COLOR]

that appear to hold the "things the tension screws screw into" = [COLOR="red"]Lugs[/COLOR]

You can either clean them up (recommended), or grab some better used ones. Don't change them to Home Depot type screws... that's just bad form. Some guys here soak them in a bath of Dawn dish soap with a bit of water and get good results. There are lots of automotive type things on the market that will work well. I bet you have something in your arsenal if you're into restoring a Mustang!

2) In terms of bass drum tone, I LOVE Honky Tonk Women. Sort of a dull thud I guess? Always loved Charlie's drumming, even as a guitarist.

I think we all love Charlie's drumming! Bowing

Of course, he's using old Gretsch round badge drums (totally another discussion altogether!). Anyway, definitely experiment with different head combinations and muting methods (including the felt strip... cheap and easy) and you'll get the sound you like.

Thanks for the education on terminology there. :) It certainly makes it easy to do some digging on Google etc when you know what things are called.

Here is a picture of the horror that is under the tom mount. I'm glad I noticed they were machine screws and didn't take all four out, there appears to be a heavy steel something-rather inside the shell to hold the tom mounts straight.

EDIT: I like the idea of carriage bolts.... I wonder if one could take a picture of the pattern on the drum, somewhere else where the pattern is intact, they get it printed on a sticker and simply stick it on... I think I'll try that. Maybe one could, before you put the sticker on the drums, spray over it with glossy clearcoat to make the printout shinier...

EDIT: Added more pics. You can see the nasty screws I as thinking about removing and cleaning in the interior shot.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/mweasel/ludwig/the_horror.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/mweasel/ludwig/SMALLinsidebass02.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/mweasel/ludwig/SMALLinsidebass.jpg[/IMG]

Dang that was a boneheaded thing to do! but in all fairness, I bet there is not one drummer in here who has been playing for 30 years or more who has not done something to a drum that we regret and would never do now.

I know I have. You can patch those holes. I am sure someone here has a little piece of that wrap somewhere.

It's almost always a F'ing Pearl mount that gets blasted into a rare drum,isn't it?Hurtingelectricit:mad: