Beautiful set! Too bad about the badges...Cool Dude

Thanks bro, yeah, I guess, I can live with these SSB drums until, I can find the one I'm really searching for... but if you and I continue searching for the RB one, I'm sure one day it will show up! So let's keeps our fingers crossed.

Also, I have a cool little 18/12/14 SSB kit (below) with a two point W&A rail opposed to the four point rail mount found on my 20/12/14 SSB kit pictured above.

I'm telling you these 1970s SSB kits are not all that bad... they often get a bad rap because of those monster mounts found on later ones but these early to mid-1970s kits don't sound bad... they are really good kits and will rise-up in value in 5 to 10 years from now.

Really Really Nice !!!

Lacquered SSB are my favorite Gretsch, especially with the transitional edges.

Those a both really nice kits. Are the bearing edges different from those found on the round badge drums? Is that the mount used by Slingerland or is it a Ludwig? It looks as if it uses a diamond plate like the floor tom leg mounts. Is that correct?

To answer your question about the rail mount... this mount system is not Ludwig, Slingerland or MIJ... it's a genuine short-lived designed Gretsch rail mount typically found on 1972 to 1974ish SSB kits.

IMHO, the four point rail mount is very strong and can be adjusted without any problems, etc. But, I have always been very curious as to why these four point rail mounts disappeared so quickly?

I do know they replaced the two point W&A rail mounts that were pretty common site during the RB era and into the SSB era as shown below on my early SSB 18/12/14 bop kit which, I believe was made in 1971.

*Gretsch did move manufacturing facilities and could be linked to why they started or stopped using the four point rail mount?

FYI: The "ball mount" followed right after the four point rail mount... which was followed by "Techwear" which is still in use today by Gretsch on all their lines.

Thanks, I like natural maple too.

On these two particular SSB kits the bearing edges are the same as RB drums... no difference... the best kept secret in the world!

I posted a better picture above showing the four point rail mount.

As much as I love the RB, I also love SSB's too. No problem for me. I think they look great. In fact setting the physiology of knowing these are younger drums aside, I might prefer them.

Then again I'm a bit partial to Ludwig B/O badges too.