If you do anything to remove the original paint or hardware or anything else on these drums there will be about a thousand guys on this site looking to give you a beat down............but that's just my opinion.

Exactly. If you don't like the drums, then sell them and use the money to buy the set you really want. If you change a single aspect of the originality of the drums then the value to a collector drops to ZERO. The only remaining value would be as a "player's kit". To alter it is to diminish its value. You can change the drumheads and keep the old painted head somewhere safe (because there are collectors for those, too!), but my advice is to leave the paint alone and don't drill any holes in anything or replace old hardware with new hardware.

well i plan on playing them, not selling them. i'm sure people might want to "beat me" as the usual attitude goes with any forum, whether it be cars, drums, whatever. That doesn't bother me. I am sorry if people think it's a big faux pas, I really can appreciate that, and half-way expected an answer like that.

I really hate to be "that guy", I really do. They are not going to be sold, they stay with me. I don't want to sell them to some collector who has a room full of these things, I want to take care of them myself (although taking care of them may involve not painting them). The monetary value of these drums is pretty much irrelevant to me. I should say that I love old cars, especially european ones, and especially old VWs. It pains me to see one of the few botch up by some moron who has no idea what he has. So I can relate to your attitude.

I have been told by a guy who builds drums for a living and collects old kits that drums like mine had valuable paint, but that my particular drums did not have such paint. Anyway, if you really really think that repainting them is a terrible idea (other than lowering the resale value, which I don't care about) then I will hear you out. People here know more about this than I do, that is why I am here asking for advice. Though please don't be abrasive with me, I'm only asking. Anyway, the first thing on my list is to buy new heads for it. I won't throw out the old ones, that's for sure.

Also, I don't plan on drilling any holes, I don't see any reason why I would have to do that. And I didn't mention that there is a patched up spot on the bottom of the kick, My grandmother told me that he used to have a light bulb in there, but took it out and filled it in.

Thanks

The preservationist in me kicks in here as well and (trying not to be abrasive) maybe an interesting route to go would be to find a couple of second hand toms (could be modern) that will work for you on a playing level - and then get them duco painted to match.

This, by all accounts, is not a particularly outrageous process and car painting shops can handle it if you don't go to one of the specialist drum guys.

Ignoring all the critical purist comments you will get I think you'll find you will one day actually kick yourself when the vintage drum market kicks (sorry about the pun) off and you've got the substantially altered drums.

I'm personally not a fan of the duco finishes but I can see how a particular finish can grow on people. I thought Butcher's Block sucked and now I think it's about to be the next big thing.

David

LOL! Nobody meant to say anything "seriously" about beating anyone! That's just the way that internet typing can come across sometimes. We are a group of vintage drum enthusiasts (thus the forum name), that's all.

The bottom line is that they are your drums to do with what you will....but you DID ask for advice and so it's likely that the advice you will get here will be to preserve the original nature of the drums as much as possible.

Painting the drums will have no effect on the sound, but will completely ruin the historical and/or collectible value....Therefore, since you are just going to use them as a player's kit, then why not just put some new heads on them and leave everything else alone? For one thing, in order to do the job the right way, painting them would be a lot of work.

"Duco" ("Dual Color") paint jobs are unique among drum finishes. they come in several different color schemes. Although your particular color scheme may not be the most valuable of the Duco finishes, it's still an original one.

There are SO many drums out there these days....most of which have little-to-NO value as collectible or historical drums. They are "player's drums" ONLY. Conversely, there is a diminishing number of "legitimate" and original vintage drums -and ESPECIALLY drum SETS all the time. See what I'm saying?Burger Kin

My comment was made in jest, as others have stated in this thread.....

I agree they are yours to do with as you wish, but as you have stated ,you hate to see vintage cars chopped up. The same holds true for vintage drums for many of us. I just bought a set of '66 Ludwigs with a good deal of rust on the chrome, but the main reason I paid what I did was because the shells and finish are in great shape without one extra hole or any dings. The chrome I can always polish but a hole is a hole, even if repaired professionally.

Nice drums by the way

John

Yes, I wasn't trying to be a jerk myself, sorry people.

Well, thank you for all the advice! I've been thinking it over and I've decided NOT to paint my drums after all. I think if their condition got really bad, maybe, but for now I think I may update some of the hardware while holding onto the old. I won't be doing anything major like drilling, so if something requires it I just won't do it.

I've seen some Ludwig toms on eBay every now and again from about the same year, so I may invest in some when they come around. Probably just a hi and a floor. Then get a better ride, and maybe a crash.

new heads, and I think I'll be set!