Oh - and of course - if you have something to offer (sale) - indeed share that with me too!

If your in Dickinson, your in the sticks.

Me = ND native.

Might want to try here ,BisManonline.and NewsDakota.com Free classifieds

Come on you guys - really? Is the majority flow from CL and garage sales into our collections - never to leave?

I don't know about using an MIJ set to play gigs with a band. I certainly wouldn't trust a kit like those for gigs...they won't last. Min

i have to say the old pearl kit i had was crazy amount of plys and i played every rut gut bar in chitown threw them around and had those 4 point drum key, lock down bolts , for 3years and then sold them for 125 and it worked for me shot gun with oil heads had a great sound played all the classic rock and blues ...of course it was in the 80's

Of course that was the 80s.....and we know how the environment is so much more harsh now!!! (NOT)

Thanks Jaghog for defending the reliability of MIJ drums. It is all in how you use them. I have been gigging MIJ kits for years and am aware of their 'inferiority' when it comes to hardware and general lack of toughness. Tama drums seem to be about the most durable tanks in the vintage drum world....but unfortunately I am not interested in any Tama - since they lack visual appeal to me. Now STAR is another story.

I am seeking a pre-67 MIJ (thin shells with rerings) and will deal with the shortcomings known about them.

They are call reinforcement backing plates, bass drum anchors, RIMS mounts.....alot of ways to deal with the issues.

All truth be told, I know where to get some of the shells I am seeking, and may end up just 'building' my own with a re-wrap project. Not sure until I can take a look at what the band has (that I will be working with).

Still open to offers though.......

Would you really spend money on precision wrap to cover an MIJ set?? To me, it makes no sense.

I am not sure where I would buy the wrap, many choices.

One thing is clear (IMHO) that it makes no sense to you because you evidently have not discovered a great sounding MIJ kit. The shells in question are the thinner ones with rerings, which resonate more, are easier to tune, have a fuller sound to them, and even can produce fatter and punchier BDs. With the right heads, good edges, good tuning, these old thin MIJs can sound amazing. I have read MANY drummers expressing the same sentiment about their MIJs. These days, so much has changed (dried out seasoned shells, knowledge about edges and tuning, head technology) that these MIJs can be made to sound WAY better than they ever did 30-40 years ago.

There is a growing segment of vintage drum fans out there who have discovered this and this is still a very active debate that never seems to go settled. At the same time, I, for one, will NEVER sell certain kits of mine - purely on the quality sound I get from them - and presently ALL of my kits are vintage MIJs.

The shells in question for this project are these thinner shells complete with about 90% of their hardware. I would not hesitate for one second to use them to build a touring kit, wrapped in new wrap, over buying a modern kit. Why? Simply because I know what I can get out of it (from experience); compared to many modern kits that I have seen (and owned) that are frustrations due to their disappointing sound.

In a related story - I once took about 13 shells to a drum builder - who spent about 7 hours with me and my shells.....it changed EVERYTHING once new edges were cut and perfected. ....but that is a whole different discussion.

An interesting point of view, I come at it from a different direction. I don't like beating up my vintage Slingies so I ONLY gig with old MIJ kits. If they fall apart (45 years so far never seen that happen) I haven't lost much. Am I crazy?