Another thought is this: many music stores have their own specs, and since these both came from your area, presumably, the music store that sold them may have required this set-up as well. It is a very common for music stores to ask these specs be met, or it was...like Frank's, and Drum Closet. They all ask for certain specs that distinguishes the gear they sell. It could be so that when someone trades, or for warranty purposes, or regional preferences, you name it, they exist. Could have been something the territory salesman came up with for his customers, all sorts of possibilities.

I live in the St Louis MO area, so there certainly seems to be alot of Apollo's around here, craigslist, pawnshops, etc. Probably because Apollo was St Louis Music's brand, if I am correct. So I am sure many music stores back in the day, in this area, carried the Apollo brand.

Jonnistix, I believe, your theory does make good sense,too, yet all it does is add confusion to us "researchers" trying to pin down the manufacturer. When I bought the Champ set from a Goodwill it came with an 8x12 that had the flat bracket mount on the tom. I sold it on ebay awhile back, since it didn't "go" with the set. Maybe it was the original tom for this set and some one replaced the L-shaped mount to fit this 9x13, that was suited for the L shape mount. It just does not seem that an 8x12 would go with a 14x22 bass and 16x16 floor tom originally.

Star is, without a doubt, the builder. It is the L-arm that does not make sense. Now, that 12 could have been used with a snare stand. The reasoning I am using on the L-arm vs. clip is this: Those plates are very big, and the bolt pattern would never match up with these types of mounts, so it is either a replacement or was changed in the production. Since there are no extra holes....There are many specs out there.

As an example, let's say we want to start u "JonniStix Custom Reproduction OldSchool Drum Company". I have access to a Chinese drum builder right now that I can either buy off the rack identical copies of Gretsch Catalina Birch, with our name silk-screened on the front heads and nicely engraved brass badges or, alternatively, we can go to the parts bins and use whatever hardware we want. And you just won't believe what I can buy a 40' container of them for....with any spec shells and hardware we want. And guys, they are making some badazz shells over there. Look at some of the nicer cheapo stuff the next time you are in the drum store. I am not promoting these kits over our own, just making a statement, and I can buy a container full for what a few kits cost. I will not discuss any of this on the forum. If you have the backing, and would like to look into this, PM me.

'... It just does not seem that an 8x12 would go with a 14x22 bass and 16x16 floor tom originally. ...'

Studying the Star catalogues, you are mainly right, but indeed they made sets with 13" tom plus the smaller 20" bass drum. So one cannot exclude a combi 12" plus 22" as also being original (my opinion).

Reference: http://www.tamadrum.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=6&now=3

Ralf

I was looking at the Apollo catalogs on the Vintage Drum Guide website, under Japanese drums. (Great site). They were selling sets with both the L-shaped mounts and the flat mounts. So.....maybe there were buying from both Star and Pearl at the same time?

http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/japanese_drums/catalog_apollo-complete.html

Just wanted to say how sweet and clean these two kits look - really nice work! Sure they sound great- taken care of so well.

Thanks, It's sometimes amazing how just a bit of good elbow grease really brings these things back to life. I use 0000 Steel Wool, and Meguiars PlastX.

Here is a new pic with matching snare.

OMG, I hope you don't use the 4ot on the chrome, it will dull it. Use the rubbing compound and a rag. You may not notice at first, until you do one that you don't use the steel wool on, then you see how it changes the suface. It looks like a haze on the chrome when you use steel wool. Take from someone that has made every mistake you can. Steel wool and chrome do not mix.

However, those are very pretty drums...flowers2

Jonnistix, I looked up your posts on the Restoration Thread. Thanks for the advice!