1956 WFL 4pc in Red Sparkling Pearl - Page 1

NOTE: THE SUPRAPHONIC SNARE DRUM, SNARE STAND, CYMBALS, FLAT BASED CYMBAL STANDS, PEDAL, THRONE, BASS DRUM ANCHOR, AND PEARL ISO FEET ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SALE.

Asking $1550.00 USD firm. No trades. This kit goes up on eBay early Sunday evening.

Up for auction is an incredibly pretty 1956 WFL drum set in Red Sparkling Pearl. I do believe that this kit is the oft-cited (but rarely true) Buddy Rich Outfit. The kit is in EXCELLENT+ condition, and is almost 100% original. The sizes are:

9x13

16x16

14x22

Matching 5.5x14 snare

I can't imagine that this kit was ever gigged out much. The original owner had it for 40 years before letting it go. The second owner had it for 15 years before he sold it to a friend of his. The friend stripped down the kit and polished the shells before selling it to me in 2011. The set came to me disassembled: I cleaned up all the parts and put it back together. I played it for about 4 months before storing it in padded drum bags - WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN THIS SALE - in a climate-controlled room. The toms and bass are in H&B DrumSeeker bags, and the snare is in a Kaces bag.

The 9x13 is all original, save for a few tension rods, and its original muffler is intact and works well.

The 16x16 is all original except for the reso side rim; the original nickel-over-brass rim was cracked and was replaced with a '60's Ludwig chrome-over-steel rim. (The original cracked NOB rim WILL be included in the sale). The push button/clip-style leg mounts work well. The legs currently have Pearl ISO feet on them, but they will be removed and the original feet will be put back on them. This drum was never drilled for a muffler. It has a red date stamp of Sept 26, 1956, but it is very, very hard to see against the mahogany interior.

The 14x22 has 2 cymbal L-arm holders: one is original, and the other is a non-chromed reproduction. There was one tiny nick in the wrap on the top of the drum which was filled in with matching red glitter. There are two tiny holes in the drum near the spur mounts. The original owner wanted to be able to angle the drum a bit higher, so he drilled the holes and moved the mount a bit. The mounts have been returned to their original position and small chrome screws were placed in the extra holes. The hoops were touched up a bit with black paint. The original clip-style tom mount that attaches to the rail consolette will be in included, along with a large WFL bass drum muffler that clips to the hoops. One of the original L-arm cymbal holders is also included. The Pearl ISO feet on the spurs are NOT included in the sale.

The snare is original to the kit. The wires that came with it were non-original and the strands were bent, so I replaced them with a set of PureSound Vintage wires.

The toms and snare have Aquarian Texture Coated batter heads and Aquarian Classic Clear reso heads. The kick has a smooth white Remo Emperor batter head and a custom designed Aquarian smooth white Ambassador-style head that was printed by the good folks over at DrumArt.com

Overall, the kit is in excellent+ condition. Seriously. There is no fade or spotting on the wrap. For a kit this age, it's about as close as you can get to showroom quality.

ONE LAST NOTE: During this time period, WFL used two-sided wraps on their drums (i.e. - one side of the wrap would be red sparkle and on the other side it would be blue sparkle). It's one of things that makes these Sparkling Pearls really pop. When you take the heads off these drums, a tiny bit of the blue sparkle can be seen near the bearing edges. See here for more info:

http://www.vintagedrumforum.com/showthread.php?t=22592&page=2

Shipping will be $150 within the continental US via UPS Ground. The kit should be able to ship in 2 boxes without a problem, but it may be in 3. Insurance is included in the shipping price. If the buyer would like to pick them in the St. Louis metro area, that would be fine. All that I ask is the funds be received via PayPal first, and that we can meet in front of the Guitar Center in Crestwood, Missouri during their normal business hours for delivery.

I will only accept PayPal. I WILL NOT SELL NOR WILL I SHIP TO INTERNATIONAL BUYERS, FOREIGN NATIONALS THAT HAPPEN TO BE LIVING AND/OR WORKING IN THE US, BUYERS FROM ALASKA OR HAWAII, OR BUYERS WITH APO/FPO ADDRESS. There are no exceptions to this rule, so please, do not ask.

Thanks, and PM me for more info.

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