Well if you go by your time frame 1950-1979' I would say 50%

I am not sure how you would be able to tell but I gauged it by what I own in that era.

7 out of the 9 kits I have are unmolested as you say. But I am thinking that is higher than usual. Until we see what others here might have, I might change my mind.

If you based it on just what I have it would be about 75%

It would be interesting to see what other's percentages are from the forum.

But I still think because we tend to buy unmolested it might be higher % wise than a realistic number that is actually out there.

Wayne

Seven out of eight for sure ... I have a feeling the silver sparkle was rewrapped.

Al

I have eight sets. One is modified.

STOP DRUM MOLESTATION!

Those people are sickos. My Star kit still has nightmares about her badges being ripped off.

I spent 30 years as a manufacturer's rep in the music business. The 27 years representing a major guitar and amp manufacturer taught me that damn few electric guitars and basses live to be a couple years old before someone decides that the manufacturer of the instrument didn't use the "right" components to make his or her instrument. We have a fair idea of how many companies there are that exist only to offer doodads to alter the drums that some other company built. That number is tiny compared to number of companies that exist solely to "correct" the "mistakes" that Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, Gretsch, and every other guitar maker have made in the millions of instruments they have sold.

Five of the six vintage drum sets that I currently own have some type of modification ranging from an added cymbal mount to a rewrap. My 1963 Leedy Shelly Manne set came to me with original heads as well as completely unmolested shells. I chose to keep the other five sets because I like them just the way they are. I sold off several 100% original vintage sets because I did not need them, and I could sell them at considerable profits. I have never obsessed about the correctness of every tension rod on a snare drum or tom. I also don't obsess about the screws that hold the lugs on the shells and other unseen fasteners.

I've owned 14 vintage kits in the past 10 years .... all 60s kits

Rogers

Ludwig

and Gretsch

only one was modified ... one of my Gretsch RB kits had extra holes in the bass drum ... thats it

My 1966 Rogers Headliner kit is unmolested! My 1967 Slingerland kit was part of a Duet outfit, with a virgin bass drum. The other bass drum and rack tom were already sold and I didn't want to put the existing rack tom on a stand, so I added a Maxwell rail mount, with the addition of 2 holes. My 1971 Slingerland Modern Solo is unmolested! Does the replacement of missing bass drum hoop inlays count?

-Mark

I have several unmodified Radio King shells that may have been reassembled with period-correct streamline lugs, legs, hoops, and mufflers, mostly attached with the correct screws and washers as well. However, some tension rods and mounting screws are difficult to verify if they are genuine or the proper manufacturer, but they look correct. Also, Radio King tom shells are virtually identical from the mid 30's to the mid 50's. So in my case, I have an aluminum cloud badge bass drum, which were produced from 1942 to 1947, and two floor toms with legs, which started production in 1947. I'm 99.99% sure the kit was not "born together." But do I have an "unmodified" 1947 Radio King kit? I say yes. You are free to disagree with me, but I'm not selling at a discount if you do. :)