I've decide to send them back. Precision Drum will trim them back 5/8 for 20 + shipping. I'm already way 'underwater' on this drum... in for a penny in for a pound! And/or, May as well hang for a sheep as a lamb!

It WILL be beautiful when they are done. The hardware is in great shap, with very nice cast hoops. Interestingly, they are taller than the hoops on my Gretsch New Classics.

Precision did a great job on the wrap. I wish I had known earlier to ask for the wrap to be set back. Live and learn. I could easily be doing this again sometime...

I had a old Radioking tom that had a calf head on it that was in bad shape and a regular Remo Ambassador head would not fit so I ordered a vintage Aquarion head and it didn't fit either. I put the Aquarian and Ambassador against each other and they were exactly the same. The outer rims were exactly the same width. the same with the pre 60 and modern aquarion.

So I don't get it with those heads. They weren't any larger in circumference.

I am a little surprised that the guys at Precision didn't do a cursory head fit as this seems to be a really common issue with Gretsch shells.

Reading this thread has been helpful to me. I noticed the heads for my 59 Slingerland snare were a bit tight with the old wrap, but I will be installing new wrap. I was talking to Sam (jamin sam) today and he suggested using his marine pearl special because its thinner than the sparkles and way thinner than the glass glitters. So it helped me make the decision to go with his marine pearl special. I know its too late for your problem but just wanted to say thanks for this thread and making me aware. Hope you find a solution.

Jeff C

Jeff -- you may want to have ol' Sam leave the 5/8 at the top and bottom, just to make it easy to fit heads. That's what I'm going to do from now on.

I have no angst about Precision's service. He offeredd to help me with a DYI, with a phone call. No problems with me.

'But I will now always ask for the space at the top and bottom. Who knows? I may do it next time. I know there's plent of experience to draw from here!

Hey - bonus question - there's a site, Olympia Drum, sold a Dixieland, saying it has the Jasper shells.

Tru? What are the shells, if not that?

Understood. I am not casting aspersions on Precision's staff, or maybe I am. Not sure actually. I would just think that this is a common enough problem that it would be worth their time to check. I am quite certain if I were wrapping drums for a living (and that will never happen) I would probably mention that issue up front and the possibility of some additional charges once the wrap was applied. I don't think I would send a shell back to a customer if the heads couldn't reasonably fit correctly. If there are any vendors out there I would be interested in your opinion as well because I have no problem being wrong.

I do recall a well respected member of the vintage drum community that does Gretsch oprhan kit re-wraps that said he would never put a glass finish on a Gretsch shell for that reason.