Thanks Guys!! While we're on the subject of Pearl Valencias.......how good or bad are the snare drums? Do they stay in tune? Can they be made to sound good? many thanks.
If you work it, it can sound pretty good. Tear it down, completely. Sand the interior smooth, tape the holes from the outside, lacquer the interior with 2 coats. Smooth or recut the edges. If they are roundover edges, sand them very smooth bofore lacquering, then coat the edges as well. If there are no snare beds, sand some in. If the edges are like Gretsch edges, this is the perfect candidate for a lesson in hand cut bearing edges, at least sand over the collar to allow the collar of the head to slide over easier. Or, you can send it to me and I'll do it. All these 3 ply shells should be sanded and lacquered. It adds strength to the shell as well as allowing them to resonate better.