I had a John Grey Broadway kit when I was a kid in the 70's it was given to me. I had the same exact problem could not get a head to fit the 12" tom. Ended up tossing it which was a shame.I have been a Ludwig guy ever since. I wish you luck. I remember them being pretty well made. They were white marine pearl.

I'm guessing that the tom hoop is a five hole? I have a set of those and they will only accept the 12" heads that are made for pre '67 Premier. I think the John Grey toms are pretty similar in size. Remo makes about 5 head formulations for those older Premier shells----they are about 3-5.00 more than a standard head. An Ambassador is around 25.00 retail. If you want the part #'s P.M. me but they are already in a couple of threads here---can't remember which ones.

Hey Folks,

Here's an update on the 12" Tom head from my John Grey Broadway set - unfortunately, I don't have good news.

I got a Remo metric/pre-international (11 and 7/8") size head on a special order. I was sure this would fix the problem. Then, I went to set it in the rim and it still doesn't fit. It fits much better than the 12" head, but there is still a portion of it that will not sit in the rim. The head fits on the shell perfectly.

So, I'm at a loss now. I checked out the resonant side rim and head that were on there and that head is jammed in the rim really tight too. So, I'm guessing the problem is the rims are just a tad too small for the heads.

Besides ordering a custom head, any suggestions?

And, does anyone know how much a custom head costs these days (approximately)?

Here's a few pics pic of how the new 11 7/8" head fits.

Those 11 7/8" heads do not always fit. Some of it has to do with a slight bit of out of round, some of it has to do with imperfections (poor finishing---sometimes casting marks ) on the inside of the counterhoop skirt, and sometimes the aluminum hoop on the head is a little fat. Usually, if you file or sand some material off of the aluminum hoop, you can get 1/8" or so relief and that should solve the problem. I think a lot of people putting the Remo 11 7/8 heads on have faced similar problems.

About a year ago , I rebuilt a Beverley kit and fitted it with all cast hoops. The 11 7/8" tom got John Grey 5 holes and the heads are very snug in them but they work.

Broadway:

Try Calfheads suggestion....try grinding down the rim. Or:

You can also try an old, old trick I discovered that usually works:

Get a cheap, regular size 12 inch rim. In this rim, put a regular 12 inch head.

Then, take the lugs off the tom. Get a bunch of very thin rubber washers, and when putting the lugs back on the drum, place the rubber washers underneath. This will "raise" the lugs and the tension rods away from the shell to allow for the extra "splay" from the standard 12 inch rim. This should work...experiment with more or less washers under the lugs to get the splay just right, but this should allow you to use a standard 12 inch rim and 12 inch head, that (believe me) will save you headaches when you want to replace the head in the future. Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

Wow, what a hassle. Been following this thread, as I picked up an orphan Aristocrat not long ago, that came with only one hoop. It was pretty cruddy, and the wrap is in pretty rough shape, but the shell seems fine. Set it aside, mainly due to the 5 lug factor, and also, the t-rods are very different from the US, and MIJ that I have, and seem to be a larger diameter, (though I haven't confirmed this). Seems to me that finding a five lug hoop might be difficult enough, let alone finding t-rods for the lugs, though there are probably some forum members that could accommodate. Some good suggestions here though. Hope it doesn't end up being a costly nightmare in the end.

Well - here's some good news - filing down the 11 7/8" remo head rim worked! I was a bit impatient and so I didn't file it down as much as I probably should have. But, i got it in the damn hoop and back onto the drum. I used a medium-coarse mill file and just started working around the edges of the head until it popped in. Its in there very tight, and i'd probably need pliers to get it back out. But, it's in there.

Thanks to all of you for the help!

And to the gentleman who is thinking about restoring the Aristocrat set - good luck. I think the shells its worth a try if you can find another 5-lug hoop.

FYI - most of the screws and threaded hardware on my Broadway set have turned out to be metric. So, that's something to keep in mind

The problem with changing the hoops to conventional stamped 5 hole hoops(I have seen them on Taiwanese drums) is you would be destroying an otherwise fine drum. Autocrat and even Broadway were exceptional drums. John Grey was one of only two companies that used diecast hoops on both their premium line and their mid-grade line. Sonically, those drums, when headed well and tuned properly will be superb. The only real option would be to get a Gretsch 5 hole 12" hoop.They look almost identical to the John Grey hoops. I don't even think you would need to shim the lugs. There is enough play in the receiver nuts to splay the 1 or 2 degrees necessary to get the 1/16" per side required.

Calf: I know what you mean, but the idea was for him to be able to use the drum and be playing it. The Gretsch hoop idea is a good one too, they are excellent hoops. hopefully that will work for him.

I have a set of 1957 Sonor "Melodies" that are Pre-International sizes, and Oh what a hassle it was at first. But the washer trick works great and allows the use of standard heads. Of course, you have to change the rims, but you only buy them once and head replacement is now easy. Those Sonor shells are warm and resonant as can be, too.