I agree, I know the hardware has been off the kit because it was put back on so half assed. I believe that the previous owner pushed some wood putty into the old holes and sprayed it with some clear coat. Then he couldn’t keep track of the screws and put some of the long ones on the Tom’s and just added old WFL washers and replaced missing screws with hardware store parts. There’s definitely clear coat on the interiors. Don’t know if the silver sealer was sanded off or not.

Either way, this is gonna be my recording workhorse. I will add the tone controls, the original consolette, cymbal arm and spurs. I’ll just have to plug the pearl spur holes and refinish.

Now what finish…

[QUOTE=jda;473924]

Inside shine of that small tom/ the grain? doesn't look familiar at al But..

That's the first thing that seemed odd to me. It appears to be vertical grain. I don't recall that from Gretsch, but I know very little of that brand.

Yeah just the 12’” looks like a vertical wood grain.

I’m used to them having silver sealer so I’ve never seen the wood grain on 6 ply Gretsch.

Once again, I don't think you can go wrong with a high-gloss piano black applied by a spray paint professional at an auto painting shop. A guitar painter would probably charge you more. Maybe a copper finish a al D J Fontana. Then, you could make your own bass drum reso head like this one that I made.

I’m liking the solid color kit idea too. Maybe a duco..

Beautiful kit by the way!