Unfortunately in the world of open forums, one can only convey intent, inference, emotion, and opinion with the written word. There is no additional indication of body language or tone to inform the reader with one's intent. To that end I found Calfskin's comments very informative and quite interesting and took it as only that.
His comment of "cheap, cheap, cheap" was correct and I did not find that to be a derogatory statement regarding these particular drums but instead a reference on the market value of the product and their cost of production. The fact is that these drums were cheap knock-offs of successful American drum companies and were never considered high quality nor even mid level quality at the time. The fact that the shells have cured over time, that their wraps were often very innovative and that many drummers started on these kits have given them a rightful appeal.
As said many times before, MIJ drums are a great way to get into restoration and collecting. There is nothing wrong with that. We all have seen the Coffeehouse Recreation kits and they are marvelous and what Jonni does with that from a charitable standpoint is extraordinary. If you are not familiar with his work you should delve into the forum archives and see for yourself. Very cool indeed and I am sure there are several young drummers that owe their skill to Jonni's willingness to give.
That being said, there are also a lot of guys that see those drums as being cheaply made (whether regarding cost, quality or both) knock-offs that flooded the market and were instrumental in the eventual failure of companies like Slingerland and Rogers. For them to "look down their noses" at these drums is also very understandable. Perhaps we should simply agree to disagree.
Respectfully,
Scott
