I'm thinking of parting with a ton of drum stuff and these drums may be part of that decision.
If I do put them for sale I'd want to feel good about what $$$ I get but I also want it to be a good deal for a buyer.
I'm thinking $1500.........so far......but it would be nice to get some feedback before I go with this price.
THE DRUMS
BASS DRUM
24" Gretsch 3ply 1949 - no extra holes - with most of the original hardware including the badge. I replaced a few parts....and had to custom build eight 5" T-Rods for the batter head.....they were missing and just impossible to find 5" (measured from under the collar to tip) t-rods. I found some 40's single tension....the long ones....on eBay and cut them down. You'd never know they were cut down unless you looked very hard at the ends. I cut new threads to match the existing T-Rods.
FLOOR TOM
Rare 16" 1947 6ply.....yes a 40's 6ply!....no extra holes. Most of the hardware is original including the badge.
The leg supports are original but they've been redrilled for newer plastic thumb screws. One was stripped and I had a machinest put a new steel shaft in it and had it rethreaded - works way better than a new one....tough as nails.....no cheap either. The drum came to me with the original Gold Glitter wrap but it was so badly damaged I did not feel guilty by removing it.
SNARE DRUM
1948 6.5x14 no extra holes and original hardware including the badge. The drum came to me with a highly suspect what appeared to be a Poly finish. The finish was too nice compared to the hardware to have been original.....so again....I removed it.....= no guilt.
RACK TOM
9X13 mostly original hardware including the badge - except for the rims which I replaced with era correct die-cast. The drum came to me with a non-factory black lacquer finish.
I tucked calfhide on all the drums. The snare drum calfhide batter has a metal flesh-hoop...the rest have wood.
THE FINISH
Gretsch Burnt Orange-like Satin
I had a local paint supplier matched a Gretsch Burnt Orange swatch that the Gretsch factory sent to me. I have the Nitrocellulose Clear Gloss coating but decided to leave the drums in a Satin finish.
I could take the drums apart.....spend some time pricing the parts out on eBay....and 'part out' the shells and hardware....but I'd rather not do that.
These 40's floor toms are very scarce. When I did find it and it arrived I saw it was 6ply and thought maybe I was scammed (maybe unknowingly by the seller too). I thought that because I know Gretsch 6ply shells are from the late 50's into the 60's and beyond. However, when checking the drum out thoroughly, with the help of some of the Gretsch experts (via email/facebook) it turns out the drum is a 40's 6ply.
The wrap was an original Gold Glitter - the drum had not been altered. It is probably either a prototype, made for a special order or one that Gretsch made while testing/experiementing with different plys....which they were doing in the 40's and into the late 50's.