[COLOR="DarkRed"]Usually, yes. But occasionally...rarely...a stencil pops up in really nice wood. I had a DelRay snare once which was a birch shell...it was kick#ss !

That's pretty cool...do post some pics ![/COLOR]

We once sold new Royce drums. One kit was kept in one of the drum studios because it sounded so good.

Are you sure the Royce set is from Japan? I dont think I've seen a Royce badge that says Made in Japan. I believe most Royce drums out there are Taiwanese. The badges looks similar to a MIJ badges, they are oval, but all the MIJ badges do say either 'Japan' or 'Made in Japan.'

Post a few pics of your drums, if you can.

My Royce set is PROBABLY around '78,and is MIT with almost all hardware bootleg very early 70's Pearl.Despite all the negative press,I really like it.Lauan shells,which I sealed with a grey primer similar to actual Pearl drums of that period.I use an early Pearl Export bass for gigs-convenient 7/8"pipe mounts.

Hello. I am new to this site. I am building a white double bass drum set. How are Royce drum sets? Are they made out of mahogany and popler shells? - Drummer 57

Also, I might be looking for a bass tom mount arm for a Royce drum set. Does a pearl one fit? Please does anyone know? - Drummer 57

yeah man I just picked up a 5 piece Royce (snare was newer percussion plus chrome) and the shells appear to be birch or a coarser grain maple as opposed to the usual Lauann wood (called Phillipine mahogany) found on such so-called stencil kits. it sounds great with Remo emperor heads on it as do many stencil kits of this era. I really think that as the wood dries out they sound better and better. I don't remember my 1st Majestic kit from the early '70s sounding so good, but same kind of kits I found in later years sounded great. maybe I never put good heads on it or maybe it's the aged, dried out wood, not sure but I know they sound as good as my '70s Ludwigs. maybe better...

it appears that the Royce kit my guitar player gave me (he found it in the trash) is a special one. the bass drum has ten lugs and appears to be made of something other than lauan (phillipine mahogany) or poplar. the grain runs around rather than up and down the shell and it's too dark to be poplar which is almost white. the toms are the same wood. the kit is so pristine (after good cleaning) that I know it has not been altered or modified. it's got model D506 or something close to that on the badges which all match. I can't find any web reference at all to the Royce Procussion company except for Westheimer corp. even though the badges say Royce Procussion since 1960. I remember seeing this brand at local music stores way back in the mid '60s. this one is more recent perhaps '80s since it has power tom sizes and modern tom mount arms/base. the ten lugs on the kick drum and using better wood shells show that they were trying to make a more professional kit. mine sounds great with Remo coated heads on it. I have to say it sounds a lot like my '70s Ludwig super classics except the toms ring longer probably because of the power tom dimensions. I say again kids, even a cheap kit can sound great with good quality heads top and bottom. that bottom resonant head is important too. recently I've discovered that I like using aquarian classic clear single ply for rez heads on my toms. for whatever reason they enhance whatever batter type you use. I use Remo Emperors right now but have also used Pinstripe, Ebony, Evans EC2 and others but they all sound better with that Aquarian rez head installed.

Pictures please! Interior, exterior, hardware and badges. Pleased to meet you.