Thanks for your quick reply, ninefingers!
Good question about the thru-lugs, etc. I started thinking about that before I even had the drum in hand, but right now I'm actually digging the one-side only tuning, while I experiment with tunings.
If I do swap out the thru-lugs, I wont drill any new holes right away; I'll get double lugs (like these), and even if they want two holes, I'll use just one at first. Of course I'd need a new set of tension rods.
Given that the drum was $165 with shipping, I don't want to put much money into it; I could've hunted down a nice Holiday instead.
ANOTHER QUESTION: what about a batter head? It has the original Rogers heads, which are beat-looking but usable. I'm getting a new Ambassador Bass for the reso, just for looks. Any suggestions for the batter? I like the vintage sound and I play folk-rock and Americana. Right now I'm using a small pillow just touching both heads. But I really like a good open sound like John Convertino of Calexico gets with his 20" Ludwig with no muffling.
Thanks!