So many months after I bought them and many months after I began the slow process of stripping the drums down to the shells, cleaning and polishing hardware, and reassembling into working drums, then futzing around with different heads, last week I FINALLY got to play my old Pearl Wood-Fiberglass kit at a gig. I'd been using them at rehearsal for several weeks but this was the first time I got to hear them mic'ed up.

In our rehearsal space they were punchy, as expected. For giggles I installed Pinstripes, heads I haven't used in twenty years, on the rack and floor toms. Standard clear single-ply heads on the reso sides--I think an Evans G1 on the 13" and an Ambassador on the 16". I haven't gotten a sound I'm satisfied with, but the sound guy was able to round them out a bit and they were great when mic'ed up.

I've tried an Evans EMAD on the kick and a clear, unported Ambassador on the reso side. It sounds great both mic'ed and unmic'ed! This is the first time I've used an EMAD, and while it wouldn't always be the sound I'm looking for, it really works well in this instance, where I wanted to avoid as much visible dampening paraphernalia as possible. No complaints from the sound guy on the lack of a port, by the way, which was the same way the drummer for the headlining band, The Men, was playing his old Standards.

As good as they sounded, though, they looked even better. I can't tell you the last time I had as many people come up and talk to me about a kit. I believe we settled on this being from the early '70s and the wrap as Gold Oyster Pearl (from the thread last November after I got them: http://vintagedrumforum.com/showthread.php?t=24702 ). I've attached some pix of the drums set up in my garage--it was so bright outside they kept getting washed out when I tried to do it on a prettier setting.

I haven't finished the 14" rack tom but hope to get back after it soon. I'd love to put a Jupiter snare with it but the Tama Imperialstar Mastercraft 5x14 works great with it until then. I also have an original hi-hat stand, kick pedal, and two cymbal stands I need to clean. Always more to be done, but thought I'd share what I've managed thus far.