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Gracy Drums Yet Again!

Posts: 1685 Threads: 529

Hey Everybody!

I took inspiration from D.B. Cooper and wanted to post my new "find", which are also Gracy Drums. Oddly enough, I hadn't checked this forum in a while and I bought these before I saw D.B.'s post and thought "Wow, two recent Gracy finds/threads!".

Like D.B. said, they are just cool and have tons of mojo. I know the MIJ drums will never be 1/100 as valuable/collectible as the USA stuff, but that doesn't make them any less cool or fun to play! I'd rather buy "affordable" vintage drums that I can enjoy and gig with then a USA vintage kit that would be so expensive, it essentially turns into a museum piece!

These are in great shape! The wrap is virtually perfect, and the wood bass hoops (yes real wood hoops-not chrome- on an MIJ!) are good, but the black can easily be repainted where needed. It has Grestch round badge era copy lugs, t-rods on the bass and the "slide on" rack tom mount (Is there a "correct" name for those? I always have called it a "thumb" mount, 'cuz it looks like you are sliding the tom on a chrome "thumb"). By the way, how many rivets/screws does it take to keep that mounting plate on the rack tom?!?!? The floor tom has the straight legs (again, round badge era similar) and it has the "stick saver" hoops, which come pretty high off the drumhead compared to modern hoops. I know the front bass head has a Dixie logo (yet another MIL "stencil") and nicely drawn Playboy bunny logo (ha ha), but the badges all say "Gracy Drum MFG Co." Also, ironically enough, it's the weird MIJ strainer that was started a few threads back by awc380! I agree, these are very odd. There is one on each side.

Everything appears to be original, right down to the Remo Sound Master Orchestra Drum Batter heads! I'm guessing Late 60's early 70's. I am going to replace the heads and non-bass hoops, and I will probably re-paint and lacquer the wood bass hoops (covering up the inlay while painting/lacquering, of course). I will probably replace the floor tom legs as well (too short for me) but I plan on leaving everything else as is. By the way, as D.B. probably knows, the bass has some seriously long ass spurs! What you see in the photos is maybe 15% of their length!

Specs:

9" x 13" Rack

14" x 14" Floor

14" x 20" Bass

5.5" x 14" Snare

Let me know what you think drummming friends!

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b12/vyacheslav13/?action=view¤t=Gracy01.jpg

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b12/vyacheslav13/?action=view¤t=Gracy02.jpg

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b12/vyacheslav13/?action=view¤t=Gracy03.jpg

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b12/vyacheslav13/?action=view¤t=Gracy04.jpg

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b12/vyacheslav13/?action=view¤t=Gracy05.jpg

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b12/vyacheslav13/?action=view¤t=Gracy06.jpg

Posted on 13 years ago
#1
Posts: 4715 Threads: 299

Very Nice! I have done some research on Gracy and it seems they were an "assembler", more so than a real drum maker, in that they bought most parts from Pearl and some from Star and just assembled the parts together. Most of their stuff seems to be early to mid 60s as I have only seen them with the thin, 3 ply shells and the clip style mounts. What sizes are yours?

When going for new heads, consider the Aquarian Z-100 coated single ply. These seem to be a very good match for these old thin shells.

"Ignorance may be overcome through education. Stupidity, however, is a lifelong endeavor." So, educate me, I don't likes bein' ignant...
"I enjoy restoring 60s Japanese "stencil" drums...I can actually afford them..."I rescue the worst of the old valueless drums for disadvantaged Children and gladly accept donations of parts, pieces and orphans, No cockroaches, please...
http://www.youtube.com/user/karstenboy
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coffee...16613138379603
Posted on 13 years ago
#2
Posts: 657 Threads: 40

Just beautiful, man, beautiful. I love black diamond pearl, and love the matching snare. Looks fantastic. What a great find!

By the way, I think you may have an adjustable butt end on the snare, a great and useful feature.

I'm with John, the Gracy line seems to be a close cousin to Pearl's stuff of that era.

Posted on 13 years ago
#3
Posts: 1685 Threads: 529

Thanks Guys! I updated my original post with the specs. Sorry about that. I haven't messed around with them too much, but ther shells are thin, with reinforcing rings. I'll have to play with that strainer and see what I can do!

Posted on 13 years ago
#4
Posts: 713 Threads: 76

Wow! Them are some sweet looking drums. Have they been re wrapped? How do they sound?

Posted on 13 years ago
#5
Posts: 1685 Threads: 529

Thanks. It is the original wrap. A lot of the stencil brands used the exact same black diamond pearl wrap; I had a Whitehall kit with the same exact wrap. It's cool up close, it almost looks three dimensional in a way. I haven't had a chance to bang on them a whole lot yet, but they sound good! Granted, I haven't tuned any of them, I imagine they'll sound even better when I do so.

Posted on 13 years ago
#6
Posts: 802 Threads: 149

Nice set, guy!!

Very classy looking. You might really want to tackle the bearing edges tho. Thats the difference between those stencil sets sounding ok or great.

And jon is right about the aquarian z-100 heads.....sound great with those thin shells.

Posted on 13 years ago
#7
Posts: 112 Threads: 7

From vyacheslav

Thanks. It is the original wrap. A lot of the stencil brands used the exact same black diamond pearl wrap; I had a Whitehall kit with the same exact wrap. It's cool up close, it almost looks three dimensional in a way. I haven't had a chance to bang on them a whole lot yet, but they sound good! Granted, I haven't tuned any of them, I imagine they'll sound even better when I do so.

Ok! The answer is probably, yes like all the stencils, but just to be sure,

is the shells are made of asian mahogany?

Posted on 13 years ago
#8
Posts: 4715 Threads: 299

From giger.t.

Ok! The answer is probably, yes like all the stencils, but just to be sure,is the shells are made of asian mahogany?

Yes, this set is a set made from EARLY thin shells of whatever "Asian mahogany" we settle on. And they are the Pearl shells, not the Star shells. So they will have a medium low fundamental tone. Star 3 ply shells have different, although similar, yet lower, tone. Z-100 heads are going to make this kit all it can be. Roy is on us, and I can assure you, they what we need for these shells.

10mil, lightly stretched....great for these drums. I can tell you they are not as "stiff" as Remo Amb....

"Ignorance may be overcome through education. Stupidity, however, is a lifelong endeavor." So, educate me, I don't likes bein' ignant...
"I enjoy restoring 60s Japanese "stencil" drums...I can actually afford them..."I rescue the worst of the old valueless drums for disadvantaged Children and gladly accept donations of parts, pieces and orphans, No cockroaches, please...
http://www.youtube.com/user/karstenboy
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coffee...16613138379603
Posted on 13 years ago
#9
Posts: 112 Threads: 7

From jonnistix

Yes, this set is a set made from EARLY thin shells of whatever "Asian mahogany" we settle on. And they are the Pearl shells, not the Star shells. So they will have a medium low fundamental tone. Star 3 ply shells have different, although similar, yet lower, tone. Z-100 heads are going to make this kit all it can be. Roy is on us, and I can assure you, they what we need for these shells.10mil, lightly stretched....great for these drums. I can tell you they are not as "stiff" as Remo Amb....

Thanks john, you sure know your stuff

I saw your threat about the z-100, very interesting, i'll probably give them

a try. (on my fuji, if only i can finish the resto project...Hurting)

Posted on 13 years ago
#10
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