Call it Leroy. You do realize that the only real value on the drum set is the expense in materials, time, and effort that you will spend. No mattter how great the finished project looks, the drums will always be low priced and low quality Asian shells that have been fitted out with components and cosmetics that will cost you much more than the drums could ever sell for if you ever decide to sell them. Have fun with them. I have a project set that will never recoup half of what I spent on it while having a great time cutomizing the drums to my taste.

This is not about value, they are for my personal use, what it's about is what do I call them.

And I disagree with your assessment of the shells. That cheap luan Mahogany after 30 -50 years undergoes a dramatic transformation, as the oils in the wood dry out they become harder and more resonant. The sound of these drums is fantastic once you put decent heads on them, especially if you like a dark warm sound. In any case, even top quality brand new Keller Maple shells are a relatively small portion of the expense involved in building a drum set. You can get a great set of Keller Maple shells for $250. It's nothing, yet they tend to be the basis for many, nay, most high end custom made drum sets.

Even top of the line DWs are based on standard Keller maple shells, and right now C & C is basing a line of high end sets on get this, luan shells, two kinds. Luan-maple-luan, and pure Luan.

Let me put it another way, you are certainly right in that I'll be spending a lot more on these than "cheap" asian shells would warrant. I might as well spend another $200 and get Keller shells instead. Problem is, I'd have shells that don't sound the way I want them to, and would have spent an extra couple hundred dollars for the privilidge.

It is the quality of the sound and overall set that determines it's value, not labor, not materials. That's why people pay $6000 for a high end set of DWs or custom made Tribes or C & Cs, even though they could get a set of Pearls based on the same shells for a fourth of the price.

Additionally,

Mute - about all you could ever rightfully call them is; customized MIJ's. Leedy is correct and only trying to put you wise to the fact that, you'll never recoup your investment on a resale. If these are keepers for you, then spend all you want to putting them exactly the way you want em. Leedy was only giving you a heads-up about a (commonly made) erroneous assumption as to the resale value of 'custom' drums.

You have big-love for your MIJ Luans... I like that. I'm passionate about drums too. Do your kit up just the way you want and then please post pictures for us so we can check them out.

Have fun... it's a gas 'creating' a drum kit.

John

John:

Thanks for properly interpreting the message that I was trying to get across. I get a kick out of some online ads to sell drums that are are "CB 700 drums that have been custom modified to look just like Risen drums". And, they are asking only $1700 for all seventeen pieces (six drums plus stands, accessories, cheap cymbals, wood block, cowbell, and sticks).

MutantMozart,

If your intention is to resell this kit after the mod, I would say that you should be VERY clear with any potential buyers stating that it started out life as a MIJ stencil kit.

Barry

No it's not my intention to sell these, these are my personal keepers, however I do consider them prototypes for other sets I'll build in the future, except those won't be based on used shells. Those will be based on high end Luan shells from C & C or African Mahogany shells from Keller. The objective here is to prove that you can produce a killer set based on Mahogany shells, even so called "cheap asian import" shells.

I mean what greater way to prove such a point than to build a set based on these shells and show that it sounds terrific? I've only been working with drums for 38 years, but in my short time as a drummer and drum customizer, I have come to really appreciate those old Luan shells. As I happen to be a scientist of sorts, I'm prone to make my decisions based on empirical evidence rather than conventional wisdom.

I've found through testing that these shells perform as well or better than say my old vintage small R Rogers or my Slingerlands. But I have also found that original mounting hardware seems to severely reduce their performance. In other words much of the bias against these shells is based on how they sound attached to a rail mount drum set. Put them on isolation mounts and they really sing. They have as much or more resonance than my Slingerlands (not an easy feat) yet with a smooth dark warm tone that all my other drums lack.

Ideas? Just one really. I'd coat the interiors with fiberglass resin. I'm not thinking as much of the acoustic benefit (it will aid projection and give you more attack) as much as I am thinking of shell strength. For what I have seen over the years, those cheap lauan shells on vintage stencil kits were laid-up as all vertical grain, probably because it was easier to bend that way, but also renders splintery edges and a very flexible shell. The addition of fiberglass resin, and if you want to go all the way, fiberglass mesh, will go a long way toward stiffening the shells a bit. Hey, it worked for Pearl's Wood-Fiberglass series!

I objected to his tone "Call it Leroy", how offensive. Your comment "customized MIJs" was much more appropriate. I came here looking for constructive assistance and got techno bigotry instead.

In any case I appreciate your comment because it at least makes sense, though I think I'm just going to go with "Custom Prototype based on MIJs". I think that should cover all the bases.

Thanks JR, that idea had occurred to me. I'm still thinking about it, though my concern is that by doing that, I'll wipe out a lot of the warmth these shells offer. That's what I really like about them. Still, I may try it on another kit down the road.