Magnus, switched to a coated ambassador like you suggested and man does this bass drum sound amazing! Fat and deep and tone for days. These teardrop kits are fantastic. BTW, I figured out this set is a 6- ply. I can only see 3, but measured the thickness and found them to be 6 millimeters. Others on this forum have said their 3-ply are 3 mil thick so obviously I was wrong, tho I can't imagine shells any thinner than the ones I have. The 3 -ply must be pretty fragile. Thanks again people for helping me out, this place is great. Hope to post some pics soon.

Not so much fragile, but you can put them between your hands and distort them. like a white bucket strength !!

Hi,

Great to hear that the Ambs worked out for you. Yes, the 3-ply shells are almost like balloons, very very thin. My bass drum kind of breathes when I play it, expanding and contracting with each beat, like an extension in wood of the heads. And the bass drum shell flexes visibly around the tom mount, as I hit the tom-tom.

All in all, even though I had to pay a drum builder to repair all shells in my kit (except the snare, which I found separately and which was in good condition), the kit has held up for over 50 years. But I would say yes, these shells are pretty fragile.

/Magnus