# 1 color would have to be W.M.P....Mikey

I'm not knowledgeable enough to vote, but wouldn't this be more like a fact than an opinion? Not that it matters perhaps :p.

Anyway, why not put the wrap on it you like best yourself? Popularity isn't everything.

I can give my opinion on what wrap I personally like best, though. That would be the black diamond pearl. White is cool too, but lately I like the black a tad better. But I don't think that was the "most popular" wrap back then. Also not sure whether that's what I'd put on a Radio King (if I had one :p).

All four of the choices look odd on vintage kits these days. The manufacturers don't make the wraps the same as they did back in the day, so there's an "offness" to them.

The gold is too yellow and the silver is too metallic looking. The WMP and BMP are both very different looking. You have to choose between a straight repetitive pattern or an anemic small chip version, both of which look lousy to my eyes.

I would hover around a glass version of a sparkle and would absolutely steer clear of anything named Marine Pearl.

It's not going to net you authenticity, but it will certainly be better looking than the original four choices.

Well the plan is to fix it up and sell it. So what would you advise the most original looking rewrap to be. Know any websites?

The choices in 55 were slim. You had Sparkling Pearls (Red, Green, Silver, Gold, and Blue), White Marine Pearl, Black Diamond Pearl, a couple of Duco Lacquers (Blue, Silver, Black, Gold), Marble Lacquer, and the ever-popular Knotty Pine.

I doubt you could pull off the Marble or the Duco's without some serious Bob Villa type help. So, that leaves you with Knotty Pine and the Pearls (wasn't that a doo-wop group back in 58?). You could do the outer wood ply thing, if you feel so inclined. Not sure if the overall girth would prohibit a good head fit, but it would look sweet.

So, back to the Pearls. I've given my two cents on the White Marine and Black Diamond Pearls. They suck these days. I have yet to see one that even comes close to the big chip beauties of yesteryear.

Sparkling Pearls it is. If you consider what was produced during these years, you would steer clear of the Sparkles of today. They are not the same animal.

If, however you venture into the realm of GLASS ... well, now that's a horse of a different color. The original wraps were glass and had a full richness to them. The catch is, by 57 a couple of these were moving away from glass and into the realm of confetti. That's why I chose to stay in the 55 range. They were much prettier.

I wish you all the luck and necessary fortitude to pull this off. Post pics of the progress and allow us the typical drool factors.

Many many many dealers throw out glass finishes. Be cautious of the shades. The Blue was a lighter (almost) aqua. Do your homework and pick a year. Go crazy and have fun.

It's not an exact match for 1950's Slingerland WMP (nothing available nowadays is), but I like the Antique White Pearl shown on Precision Drum's web site:

http://www.precisiondrum.com/html/wrap.html