Yes the new wrap is expensive, with champagne sparkle being the most expensive - one of them is so pricey Precision doesn't list the cost but suggests you contact them.

I would buy the kit and play it for awhile to see if you can live with the original wrap that's on there. If not you can re-wrap or sell and put the $$ toward a kit in better shape.

Mitch

I know now I wouldn't be able to cope with the wrap, I would have to look at re-wrapping. Maybe I would have to look at a different wrap instead of the champagne sparkle.

me again! One thing I did notice was that there was not label in the bass drum. it was fairly difficult to read the serial numbers on the toms, all I could make out was 4116 on the rack and 4118 on the floor. I'm sure thats more of a model number.

Yes, correct they are model numbers.. Nice project you have taken on..

Cheers

John

Not quite taken it on yet. Think its inevitable though.

I think you will find your kit at the link below.. a couple of pages in..

Cheers

John

http://www.gretschdrums.com/ebooks/1971/index.html

Excellent! Thank you!

Looked worse "in person" eh? I think that happens a lot. :)

Yes any finish would look good on those, you could go era-correct or my favourite right now is vintage nickel sparkle [pic]. Definitely get an actual sample to look at before ordering wrap.

If you get the kit that is...

Mitch

My lacquered walnut kit was totally shot - too far gone to restore to the original finish. Eddie Ryan originally quoted me £350.00 using Gretsch quality wrap, but when I got to his workshop and saw just how good his work is, I asked him to do a full restoration, and the kit is now almost as it was in 1971 when I bought it, except it's now Black Nitron. He sourced original die-cast hoops, tone controls, tension rods and various bits & pieces which had been lost along the way, re-cut the bearing edges, totally reworked the bass drum hoops, and replaced all the heads. The drums are absolutely beautiful. The final bill was just over £700.00, and to me, worth every penny.

https://plus.google.com/photos/116410754577390367293/albums/5882622846430542993?banner=pwa

You may not want to go as mad just at the moment, but this can be done any time - £400 sounds pretty OK to me ....

Eddie is here ...

http://eddieryancustomdrums.co.uk/

Have a look at his customer list!

Robbie

The wrap was bad in places, purely where the seems were, looked like some grazing on the tom, presumably from the snare drum. It looks as if the wrap was a bit brittle where it had peeled away so not salvageable. The ink on the serial numbers looked like it had bled, I wonder if they had got damp in the past.

I emailed Eddie Ryan last night about the wrap, so will see what I am quoted.

I think £400 is a good price, obviously that is parting with my DTXpress, but I never play it as I don't like the feel. I'm slightly worried about the wrap cost as I can't afford much right now but its a project so wouldn't be done straight away. The hardware seems pretty much all there so no worries about that.

The only thing thats stopped me is the fact that I am tight with money!