What about the Ludwig Black Panthers? The 3 ply kits were wrapped in naugahide, and it did indeed inhibit resonance. However, if you are looking for the visual effect, I would use the thinnest leather you can. The thicker the material used will have more detrimental effect to resonance.

Fourth or fith person to caution that,...noteable advice,..I know next to nothing about acoustics, and apprechiate any and all thoughts. That`s why I wanna be able to remove and re-install it if I like it or not.

I'm not so sure just using thinner leather will make much of a difference. The best wraps are thin plies of specialty woods on the outside. Then there's the wrap glued to the shell, as if it's a thin ply of wood ... hence DW gluing it in the ply stage. Slipping something over the shell ... thin or thick ... will kill the drum. If you want to see the effect, do it on the 13 and see what you will see.

Leather is soft. Drum wrap is hard and rigid. Leather is also porous, unlike vinyl that is nonporous. Interesting.......

The black panthers are a extremely thin vinyl covering. Naugahyde is actually a brand name that set the standard in the industry a long time ago. Everyone calls any vinyl Naugahyde. The BP wrap is a unbacked vinyl like covering. I would really like to know excatly what Black Panther wrap is made of. I have some vinyl that has a identical grain as the black panther wrap, but it was a knit back and is stretchy, similar to leather.

I E-mailed SONOR yesterday morning,..got a reply today !!

I asked about fully adhearing and stitching the 1/8 leather to the drums, Then asked if it was a bad idea, cuz I have little knowlage about acoustics.

The reply was,

Thank you for your email request,

In general we have no information we could give you reguarding the change of resonance if you apply leather covering to the shell.

Maybe it is not a bad idea, especially for the look of the drums and it could work, sound-wise, if you apply the leather completely to the shell without any spots where the leather is not applied on the shell

Best reguards

David Schulz

Ptoduct manager-SONOR drums-Gmbh&Co. KG

Well, It`s still look`n like I`m gonna do it. But now I`m think`n fully adheared, without strip`n the wrap. Maybe I`ll do both , one with the 13, and one to the 14, see wich one I like,...I could always change up.

I wrap things with rubber roofing all year long,...I have no fear of wrapping fully adheared with contact cement,...plus I have ways to remove the glue if I need too !!

Remember, these are Concert Toms, I like to deaden the kick and floor anyway. Sometimes my drums don`t have time to resonate before I hit it or another again !!

Yup just as i thought i seen it all. lmo if your looking for attention with a kit like that. im sure your kit will draw all the attention u need.differrent unique i like it in a strange way