I have a premier kit that the wrap is litterally faling off. The wrap was installed using the tape method. it was extremly easy to get the old wrap off. I installed the new wrap using the glue gun we use at my shop. We spray contact adhesive with a 2 gallon binks paint pot. It worked really well. I used the hybond tape on the overlap of the wrap. These Luddy standards came with a nice pair of hi hats that I am sure are worth more than I gave for the kit. I am just wondering if the drums are worth the price of the wrap and all the work involved in restoring them. Polishing all the lugs, rims, new heads etc........Not to mention rounding up 5 badges. I will also have to decide which finish I want and shop around for the best price on that. Ludwig called this kit The Standar S-330 Twin Tom 5 Drum Outfit. In 1969 this kit cost $426.50 new without Cymbals. Using a inflation calculator, this kit would cost $2,538.53 today.

I'd rewrap them in the very reasonable flame wraps that are on Ebay these days.Not completely authentic,but "period"correct.I'd even use generic screw on grommets til I fell into the badges cheap.Or just park em' till someone has a sale on wrap.

I've removed hi-bond tape before.Luckily it came off the wrap and stuck to the drum,so I could carefully remove it with a razor scraper,about 1/4" at a time.Those are good American shells.

All of the Standards I have removed wrap from have been glued on. If you are lucky, they used hide glue, which is easily removed with alcohol.

While some members are against the alcohol, I restored furniture for years using alcohol to crystalize hide glue, the bond then easily breaks and it can be removed. Never had ANY problems with wood drying out. The moisture content is so low in these pieces, it doesn't make much of a difference. Don't leave the alcohol on for days, though....

Worth it? Yes. Cost effective? Probably not, depending on the cost of the wrap. If you want to increase the value, and increase your total output, swap the lugs to classic lugs and put on a sweet correct sparkle wrap (gold!) and pick up some repro keystone badges. The value increases, as does your output. You will always be low due to a rewrap, but it will become easier to sell with the upgrades.

Try this: http://www.drummaker.net/1-800-NEW-DRUM/www.drummaker.com/FMPro?-db=dm_products.fp5&-format=detailpop.htm&-lay=cgi&-sortfield=name&Category=Covering&IDName%20=Pearl%20FULL&-max=15&-recid=33677&-token.0=3758109749&-find=

Or this: http://www.drummaker.net/1-800-NEW-DRUM/www.drummaker.com/FMPro?-db=dm_products.fp5&-format=detailpop.htm&-lay=cgi&-sortfield=name&Category=Covering&IDName%20=Pearl%20FULL&-max=15&-recid=33673&-token.0=3758109749&-find=

Not bad price for era correct and pretty cool color to boot.

These shells have Ludwig's granitone acoustical coating. It would be hard to pass these off as anything else to a real drum collector, and I dont think that would be very cost effective either and its a little dishonest I think. Have you priced classic lugs lately? I bought some lately for my 69 silver sparkle sexto plus kit. they are around $5 each X 68 = $340 + 5 badges (repro)@ $26.50 = $132.50 plus wrap around $300. Now I'd have $772 invested. that would be the most expensive drum kit i own then lol. I think ill park em and wait for a sale on wrap and leave the badges off unless I find a good deal on original badges

I just found these on ebay 60's repro keyston badges, buy 4 for 19.95 and get on free. $80 for 5 badges. I also found some ludwig rocker badges pretty cheap. These standard have the same lugs as rockers, but im not sure about the rockers, I dont know much about them.

I didn't say nor did I infer anything remotely dishonest. I would NEVER advise a person to pass something off like that. Please don't attach that garbage to me. Ethics are paramount to me.

With that said, I was describing work that ive done to kits. I upgraded a Standard kit with classic lugs and it got WAY more interest than it did before the upgrade at sale. I also used repro badges on a gold sparkle rewrap and they looked nice and helped the sale due to having a more complete look.

Nothing more nothing less.

Repro blue/olive badges would be more appropriate on those standards if doing a conversion to classic lugs since most of those did get the granitone interior finish as well. I don't see how it would be a dishonest thing to do as we have all already established that the shells Ludwig used for the standards are the same as the "classic" shells. The bolt holes are the same for all the hardware, its all Ludwig, so what's the harm? If they were mine, I'd re wrap them in a basic 1970's sparkle color, try doing a deal with someone to swap the standard hardware for classic hardware (and maybe a few $$ as well, depends on the person doing the swap with you of course) and get some repro blue/olive badges and grommets and bang! Your done. $1500 kit (in the right finish of course)

Thanks guys,

I wasnt aware the "classic" shells had the same finish on the interiors as these.

I have another 1969 double bass kit with 6 toms that the inside of the shells have been painted black. Is it possible to reproduce that acoustical finish?

I found some of the keystone repro badges on ebay that would definatly be more economical for this. Where can I find repro b/o badges? I really like the idea of converting these, but i have read threads about people trying to pass a drum kit off as something it really isnt, and seems like I remember some of you guru's not liking that idea.