Very nice, nice finish congrats on fulfilling the teenage dream

Those are beautiful !!! You definately have two of the classic, and classiest wraps "in my humble opinion" of all time in the WMP and Champagne. My first real professional set was a 1971 Silver Sparkle Ludwig Hollywood set I bought the summer before 9th grade at Corder Music Company from Jim Corder years before he had "Corder" drum company. I still have the Supraphonic from that set. Unfortunately the other drums were lost in a club fire in 1981.

I've posted before that the three wraps I never liked in all of my gigging years were WMP, Silver Sparkle, and Champagne Sparkle. Why did I not want any of those wraps? Because those were what all of the old guys played. Well, in my maturing process, I've become one of those old guys. All three of those drum wraps now appeal to me. You might wonder about unwrapped shells. I have a recent affinity for old and retro two tone Duco paint jobs, but have never liked "natural" or stained shells.

Marty!

That is just a beautiful kit! I know that you're a lefty, but just for the heck of it, would you consider taking more pictures with the kit set up for a righty?!! You would make my day!!

-Mark

Sure Mark, I can do that....The kit is crammed in my very small "Man Cave" right now, since I haven't played a gig since January. But I'll take it out to the garage this weekend or next, and "turn it inside out" to righty-configuration, and take a few pics.

Thanks for your interest in my interest!

Regards, MB

Ahhh, SILVER SPARKLE! Never mind Ginger Baker, Ted Bluechel and others....Silver Sparkle was THE MAN, Joe Morello!

My best friend and I helped him tear down his Super Classic kit after a Dave Brubeck Quartet gig in Buffalo when we were 16 (1967).

When the gig was over and everyone was filing out, I noticed that Joe came back onstage with his drum cases and started tearing down his kit. No roadie. I walked up to the foot of the stage and asked "Mr. Morello, would you like some help?" "Sure boys, c'mon up."

As we scrambled up over the lights onto the stage, the Security man came came running down the aisle, but Joe waved him off. "They're OK; they're with me."

It was a golden few moments, handling his drums and cymbals and hardware, as we made awkward small talk. It was only after we were done, and we all stood up straight...and he shook our hands, that I realized his glasses looked like the bottom of coke bottles! I wonder if he could even focus on our faces.

Cheap thrills for a beginning drummer who had never even touched a Ludwig kit, let alone THIS Ludwig kit!

I always think of that experience whenever I see a Silver Sparkle kit.

Regards, MB

That is an awesome story! And by the way your drum set is pretty awesome too! I always wanted a champagne sparkle kit.

Back in high school, I played a Hollywood kit in gold sparkle. Pretty much the same year as Marty's champagne kit. It was around a 1967-68, as it had the same tom holder. I was even allowed to borrow the kit for personal use! Ahh...memories!

-Mark

Nice kit, Marty. I'm not big on the black logo head or built-in-muffling type of batter heads on a vintage kit, but to each his own.