Hi all,
Thought I'd move this thread over to the restoration section.
The drums arrived! They look just like the photos in the original thread, so no surprises there. The wrap on the kit is a complete basket case and it's only being held on the shells by the hardware.
Bad news:
The wrap is FUBAR. No tags inside. (Late 50's kit so no tags expected!) Micro-sensitive needs the throw arm.
Good news: It's a One-Nighter!
[IMG]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n632/PurdieShuffle/1961-gretsch_drum_set4.jpg[/IMG]
The shells, bearing edges and hardware are in excellent condition! No extra holes anywhere. They're 3-ply Brooklyn shells! (Yee-ha!!!) And as you can see by the badges, they are -50's- round badge drums. All original, the hardware has never been removed.
After I detail the hardware and re-wrap the shells, this kit is going to be a stomp-down killer. It has the 5.5" snare too, which I am most happy about. The guy I bought them from is 75 years old. He bought the drums in 1960 "used" from the original owner. The kit never had a floor tom. It was advertised and sold as a 3-piece club-kit.
I have already started stripping the bass drum shell. The wrap just fell off. Light sanding and I'm done there. I have settled on Tangerine glass wrap. Mostly because of how great Dolfan's kit came out. As soon as I saw how great his project kit came out, I was sold. Classic tangerine is the way to go with these.
Before photos below. Enjoy. I'll post regular progress reports for the Gretsch geeks...
John - Very happy camper!