Agree with all the above. I believe in disclosing any changes even if period specific. Any of my drums that I have, if a part is missing or needs to be replaced is always done with OEM parts from the same period and I log any changes made in a spread sheet I keep for my collection. I would personally never modify a drum and try to sell it as original without disclosing the changes and will hunt for a few years to find the replacement part before going to aftermarket or a replacement part that is non OEM. Just my 2 cents.

How the heck can you be sure a 50 year old plus drum has not had it hardware changed ?

You don’t , your guessing so there fore your as bad as any saying it’s original unless you bought it brand new

Pretty much settles the question of ALL ORIGINAL in any sale. Unless you are first buyer, no one knows if every nut and bolt is original. Unless it has original heads, than it is not 100% anyway. Period correct makes no difference.

If a buyer requires 100% original, then they must not be planning on playing anyway.

If you go around swapping parts, you need to have extensive knowledge of vintage drum design and history. Just because something fits without drilling doesn't mean it's correct for that particular drum. Not everybody can tell a nickel-plated Ludwig lug that gets mixed in with a bunch of chromed ones, or the difference between an early or late version of a 1980s Tama Superstar tomholder. Either one will look correct to a novice restorer, but the wrong part will throw off a collector who uses such details to study the development of their favorite model or to date it precisely. If it's EXACTLY the same part, there is no harm done, but that is restoration to be disclosed.

You still don’t get it

How can you tell when u buy a kit if it has been molested , you don’t and we long timers here know the difference between chrome and nickel

not too many here do tama

[QUOTE=jaghog;441650]You still don’t get it

How can you tell when u buy a kit if it has been molested , you don’t

Molested is extra holes, incorrect era hardware, non original re-wraps etc. It has been established that replacing bad parts with OEM period correct originals is not a molestation.

Sorry for the wrong terminology I meant hardware only

>>>How can you tell when u buy a kit if it has been molested

After repairing/restoring several hundred sets, I can usually tell if something's been worked on, as opposed to untouched from the factory. There are clues like lighter wood under a washer, a screw that's either shinier or rustier than the others, marks where a screwdriver slipped, etc. On a typical run-of-the-mill old drum, such minor points don't really matter. But sometimes it does, and it's usually possible to tell.

And I myself freely mixed chrome and nickel lugs on my first pieced together Ludwig set, 30 years ago. That's why I used that example. If that set turns up today, it wouldn't make a difference to 95% of drummers out there, but you "long timers" will know.

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I wouldn't call it a true "modification" which IMO would mean a change from the original manufacturer's design. In this situation, I would call it more of a "restoration". In any case, it should be disclosed to any potential buyers.