I think it is generally assumed that to re-wrap a drum shell you must remove the original wrap...at least in my case this was not necessary. I just installed JamminSam's Gold Sparkle on a 1961 Ludwig Pioneer I purchased on ebay. The original white pearl wrap was tight with no cracks or separations and it was inter-lapped under the final wood ply about 3 inches. I installed the new wrap per JamminSam's instructions, but without removing the original white pearl. I was careful to get it as tight and straight as possible. After the new wrap was on I went around the edges with a small piece of 220 grit sand paper to lightly round over the sharp edge (burr) so the new heads (Remo Emperor) would not have something to catch on. I also lightly applied paraffin wax on the lower inside edge of the head rims to insure they would not stick to the wrap. The heads slipped on in a normal manner, they adjust easily and the drum looks and sounds great.
Before you start ripping off an original wrap that is in good condition, do a "dry fit" to see if it needs to be removed. With all hardware removed from the shell set on a head and hoop, place the new wrap around the shell and see if you can slip it between the head rim and the shell without force. If you want to do a test before you purchase the new wrap use two credit cards on opposite sides of the drum. If they will slip in the gap between the head rim and the shell chances are the new wrap may also. See if the gap is slightly wider where the existing wrap ends. If so, that's where to put the seam of the new wrap. Or, you might have to cut out a ½ strip on each edge at the seam as shown in Sam's instructions regarding tight fitting heads. In any case it's worth checking. You might save yourself a lot of work and spare the shell a lot of abuse.
