It's a good solid learner kit with round shells but it's a step down from Star and Pearl and their associated stencil brands and not just due to the lack of edges. However, the wrap looks amazing and, oddly, is really good quality and tough. Seriously, you'd be happy if the big names in vintage drums used wraps of this quality.

Bart - it's a saying from somewhere. I wouldn't actually swing a cat in there even if I could, although the dog would enjoy watching:)

Oddly enough - one of my cats would wear bags as capes and he would love to be flown through the house like superman. He was a strange one.

To the drums!

I would agree that it is a good solid learner kit. Many of the MIJ kits, even the low ones, at least had somewhat decent hardware that would break as you tuned the drum, and the drums had the proper lugs. I've seen beginner kits today where lugs break, toms have 4 lugs,floor tom has 4 or 5. Just terrible. If I had that, I wouldn't stay interested for long. Thankfully my first kit ( and I still have it ) was a 5 piece U.S.Mercury in a basic red wrap. Still sound as good as ever, and the wrap is still solid.

As far as the edges were concerned. I personally didn't mean to scare you or freak you in any way. A kit or even a snare such as that is a great testing ground to gain a new set of knowledge and skills. Through the years I taught myself by working on the really crappy throw away drums ( the 4 lug toms ) because even if I made a whoops, it didn't matter so much. And I gained a whole new appreciation and respect for bearing edges and snare beds.

Great job done in the end mate and pleased that you got more room now to swing that poor old cat!!!

Cheers Dave. Cat swinging is actually the country's second most popular sport behind Rugby

Yeah, they have cat swinging festivals here in Oz as well. Very popular out in the sticks...

Those blue Crowns with many lugs are rare, but have been known to pop up every now and then.

Here is the thing.....what's not to LOVE about these old Hoshinos with good solid hardware? I can see the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction (than the thread title here)

What's not to Love?........

.........aside from the need to cut edges.

to be honest John the lugs are not great. They have a threaded steel tongue that sits in the lug. As I found to my peril when tuning up the snare they are easily stripped and they are like nothing else in my spares stock. I really like working on old Star and Pearl kits as they are better than most people think and can be gigged and toured without a worry. This Hoshino, as lovely as it is, is strictly for someone starting out in my opinion. The wrap is excellent though.

I have some of those lugs and never had any issues with the little inserts. My biggest issue is they sit flat against the shell and you need to insert the screw and have it stick out to get it lined up.

Not the exact wrap but got a nice surprise on pick up, drums are 20'',12'',14'' and matching snare plus a 70's ludwig flat base cymbal amongst other h/ware, the usual ''here take the lot'' stuff.It was obviously a stencil kit and the badges have been picked off, but cool little kit. The drums do have bearing edges.

The wrap looks the same to me. Cool that it has edges too. It may never have had badges as I've had one of these before with just grommets in the vent holes. I suspect that was how they were sold new.