Good questions.

Dig around a google search on this website for pitted problems.

1) It will change the sound a little bit but how finiky you ear is -that is what matters.

2) I'd recommend going full monty and sanding off all chrome if you decide to get paint off- (labor intensive with a dremel or otherwise i.e. sanders).

Polished aluminum looks really cool in my book. It will look like early ludwig acrolites did.

What ever you decide, just make sure the bearing edges are not pitted.

Cheers and welcome!

http://slinkzdrums.awardspace.co.uk/painted.html

Thanks for your response. I may wait a while on going 'full monty' on it. I may trying using the snare at a few gigs and see how it does. I have an 69 acrolite that I use frequently that has that polished aluminum look you are talking about. I love that drum and was looking forward to trying out this supra 400.

I recently had a badly pitted 1971 400 shotblasted then powder coated, and finished off with 3 coats of Audi black pearlescent paint.

Looks and sounds pretty good - sort of Black Beauty-ish and looks good with my restored 72 Gretsch Progressive jazz kit

Pictures here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/116410754577390367293/RobbieSKitRestorationProject

Do what it is worth, there are a lot of custom finished Supra's out there whether polished aluminum or some sort of paint finish. I have a 400 that has a black automotive finish. It may sound a touch more dry or it may just be psychological. Regardless, it is still a great sounding drum and it is no longer embarrassing to take on a gig.

Great responses. Keep them coming. From you comments I think I am going to leave the drum 'as is' and leave the paint job on it for now. I used the drum at rehearsal the other night and loved the sound. I also have an acrolite and a black beauty but had always wanted a supra. Even with the paint job, i already love the snare. Each has their own sound. Will be fun to try the Supra out at different venues compared to the other snares.

It's funny - I have been playing drums for over 40 years (yikes) and for probably 30 of those years I had one snare - a steel Pearl 6.5 inch. Somehow I got by! Now I have an embarrassment of riches of snares!

This is a shell I bought off ebay that was badly pitted, chrome flaking off. My first choice was to polish it up but the sand blaster never seems to be working at my job. So I had the paint shop guys at my job sand it smooth. I filled in the pits with very small amounts of body filler. Rattle can primer and finish coat. I also had a friend do a mock florette pattern. Sealed it with several coats of clear lacquer. With shells like this almost anything goes. I play it regularly and it sounds very good. I don't own a supra, so I don't really have anything to compare it to other than my acro which is more open and a sensitone which is a little less open.

Fathertime, I came across your post when I was searching for info on refurbishing Supra's. Very nice! Do you know if the sound of your drum changed much from before you refurbished and then after?

I could not say because I only bought the bare shell. All the other parts were purchased after I refurbished it. I would think that the work I did probably does change the sound somewhat, Maybe a more focused sound with the layers of paint.

So maybe the paint keeps you from having to put that one or extra moongels on the snare! :)

I often read that one difference between a supraphonic and a acrolite is that the acrolite is a little more 'focused'. So maybe the paint makes the supraphonic sound a little more like an acrolite?

John