I agree with everyone here, you should keep the set.

As for heads, go to Musiciansfriend.com. Buying heads on the internet is WAY cheaper then from a local store. I know it sucks to wait for them to get shipped, but it is so worth it. If you buy 2 packs of heads you can re-head your whole drum set for less than $100. And I think its easier to tune a drum if you put the new heads on at the same time.

If you want more of a rock sound, I would go with coated emporers over ambassadors, or if you want more of a vintage/jazz sound I'd try coated ambassadors on both sides.

(By the way, is your bass drum a 20 or 22"?)

orange sparkle is very, very good, and IMHO also I'd hang onto them.

As mentioned: for toms and kick a different head combination with careful tuning, and as for the snare, If the snare wires are bent, overstretched, or some are missing then they can cause problems in get a nice crisp pop. I like the snare wires to all be of even pressure and alignment against the reso head. The standard number of snare wires seems to be twenty which can often cause too much snare buzz for some peoples liking, so either cutting the snare wires off symetrically, which requires some care and good tools, or just buying a, say 16 strand snare wire can reduce the buzzy aspect. You might even want to go down to 12 strands or fewer depending on what works for you.

It can help if the reso head is in good order, which is especially important for snares I find. The tension placed on the wires is a factor too- some players like them very tight which almost dampens the reso head, but it does promote a pop. If you tune up a coated batter head, ambassador or more so a PS3 for instance, I've found I can get a very nice pop, especially with rimshots. Shallower snares, but particularly smaller diameter snares such as 13", 12", or 10" can give a really good poppy when used in conjuction with the methods previously described. So maybe the purchase of a 12" second snare would open up some more sound possibilities from the kit? But unless you snare shell is damaged* significantly you should be able to get the sound you want with some experimentation and work. *Ditto on the toms and bearing edges.

Also forgot to add- the clear plastic snare wire holders are better then the string because the string can interfere more with contact between the head and snares.

It's a very subjective area- what sounds good to you personally is "a good sound". But also depending on the application it can be crucial to tune to a listeners perspective, the distance depending the application.

But all these theories are given in detail on Youtube, etc.

Finally, drums are very versatile instruments, and I wouldn't blame the drums on the sound. Those drums you have are very cool, have alot of character, and nothing blows people away like an old "crappy" kit the sounds like a million bucks!

Back in '74, my dad bought me a 4-piece red sparkle Stewart kit. I wish I still had it, today. I only know of a few pics my mom has of me, playing it - need to get those. If you can, hold on to it and perhaps try some of the great suggestions the guys have offered for various heads and tuning. Remember, if you sell it, you may run the risk of feeling like you've lost an old friend, years down the road. Orange sparkle, how cool!!

http://www.tothestage.com/MediaDetail.PAGE?MediaId=177

We all know how to tune, but I find that this exact tuning works for all my MIJ snares, regardless of the heads. I have an Emperor, an Ambassador, a SoundMaster and a Falams III, and using this system works wonders with all mine. I 4 Japanese snares, one very nice, heavy COS, one 7 or 9 ply mahogany lauan and 2 single ply w/re-rings, and until I actually stood at the table and went step by step, frame by frame with this video, I could not get decent sound out of them, and I was a tech for my younger brother for 8 years. Now, granted, it has been a long time since I tuned, and he had American drums during those years, it still works well with all my MIJs. And if you do decide you just can't stand to keep them, let me know. If I am in the position, I would love to have a set of MIJ in Orange Sparkle. What sizes are they?

Here is another tip on the snare. Take the time to work over the edges. If they are even the slightest rough or uneven, it will kake a huge difference. I have been using is the new TAMA StarPhonic edge profile and it works very well. After you get the edges sanded to a good angle, make sure to close the grain with 220 grit and then a good edge treatment. Hope this helps, and ggod luck with your new set. I have some Ludwigs for sale in great condition if you are interested, and might consider a partial trade. PM if you want more info.

i'll have to get that hoop, and resos first. then i will change the batters if need be then, i never really looked close at my bearing edge. so i'll have to do that to. if it is fudged up, do i need a special tool or just smooth it out by hand/block?

also, if i keep these then im gonna want to wrap my other non-stewart tom to match. but i can't find orange sparkle. anyone know where elso to look besides drummaker?

thanks

I would try the tuning tricks Bob shows just to see how even those old heads sound. I used old heads the first time I tried and it made a WORLD of difference, then with the new ones, WOW! If the edges are not really nioce looking, take some pix and post. One of us will be more than happy to walk you thru a proper clean up. If you are the least bit unsure, post pix first and we can help you out. Nothing sux worse than fixing a screw up that could be avoided. I prefer to do mine by hand with sandpaper, unless they are too far out of whack, then you would want to take them to a cabinet shop if you have no experience with a router, or a drum shop if you are lucky enough to have a reputable dealer in your area. As for the wrap, Jaye should be able to point you in the right direction for that, he seems to have a good source.

also ive read that some tune their drumns to note while others just kinda wing it? last time i just winged it, maybe thats a problem??

do i tune tome the same as that snare tutorial??

thanks again.

I tune to what sounds best with the rest of the drums. I don't know anyony that tunes by note. That would be something more like tuning for an orchestra. Most drummers tune to a pleasant tone. What is "pleasant" is more subjective than objective. The tone being more a gently gradient from one drum to the next. If you really want to try something new, go through Bob's video tutorials. You can get some good ground in there. And then there is a little thing called "The Drum Tuning Bible"

http://home.earthlink.net/~prof.sound/index.html

You can get lost in information overload when it comes to tuning, so get some good basics, and take what you already know, add a dash of this, and a dash of that, but any professional hewlp in the form of "Show and Tell" is one of the best ways to learn, and since it can be heard as well, it might make some sense. The sound is noit going to be the \same because these MIJ snares have a sound all their very own. Is this a really thin shelled, or thick shelled snare?

not really sure of thinkness??lol

i did read the drum tuning bible, ya.....lots of info.

after i get my new heads and stuff, i think i should go throught and pull them all apart and re-tune all of them again. hopefully to a better outcome.

i will keep you guys posted

Let's see if this helps. I have a stack of MIJ snares, and one happens to be what I think is a Stewart. I do not know for sure as there is no badge.It has the Slingerland style "sticksaver" hoops that most people associate with Stewart Drums.

The thin, single ply drum has a deeper, fat woody tone, while the thicker shell is not quite a deep, but still very woody and toothy toned. I tuned them both using Bob's video and the sound just came right to them. I was having some difficulty getting a decent tone until I followed it to the frame, and Wham-o! up they came. It truly is amazing how the tuning turned them around.

A) Thin single ply lauan w/re-rings B) Thick 6 ply lauan no re-rings