Wood/Fiberglass Project

[Dana]

Why do we like the Vintage rigs? They are so cool. I finally acquired the core part of a wood fiberglass kit. I think they are in the 1974-79 time frame of production. The tension lugs are thick heavy castings. A single bass tension lug weighs about 4 ounces, and with 20 on the kit, you know why these badboys are heavy. Add in the fact that Fiberglas lined wood is heavier still.

The kit is a standard 22 x 14, 12 x 8, 13 x 9, and 16 x 16. I have an "extra" 16 x 16, but really want to find an 18 x 16 (or 18) floor tom. I have for the snare a 14 x 10 marching snare from about the 1979-84 production run (Black Badge rectangle). This kit is gonna be LOUD n' PROUD.

I would like your input on the finish, I am thinking of wrap with either a purple pearl, or getting actual Chrome Metal (not plastic), or wood veneer.

What say you group?

P.S. need to find an old Pearl Gladstone throw off and some of the first run non collet spurs, the ones that were the first Pearl had to rotate down, instead of ging inside the bass.

[3pearlkits]

Dana,
I voted red/blue sparkle because:
1. You don't have "power" tom sizes.
2. Your bubinga veneer set is unbeatable. Why go another veneer set.
3. Your natural finish kit looks classic and classy.
4. I take it when you say "not plastic" I take it you mean "not wrap". If you think those drums are heavy now, wrapping them in metal sure won't make them lighter :) . Terrible to keep shiny too. Metal just loves oxidising.
5. As much as I love my early 80's black wrapped kit, if I was refinishing/assembling a kit to put together I wouldn't choose black.
6. Blue/red sparkle is a colour that fits with the time period of the drums.

And finaly: Purple just seems to remind me of one of erwinner's sets. That's not a bad thing by any means, just that purple is a classic 60's slingerland kinda thing, and your kit isn't 60's or slingerland...

Hope this helps

[hwy 49]

Sparkle!

[Andrew206]

Dana - I got my wood fiberglass set in 1979 and judging by the hardware, yours looks like late 70's too. Mine were a red wrap, Red Satin or Red flash, by what I can remember. They were immediately re-wrapped in silver (poorly) by the record co. I was with. I'm going to re-wrap them soon, as I'm getting back to the drums after being a bass player for all these years.

Anyway, I'd vote for red, sparkle or satin.

When you do your re-wrap, please post about it and let us all know how it goes.

All the best - Andrew

[HumppaInferno]

Your toms are equipped with mounts for the ball and socket arms used between 1973 and 1977.
So I assume that your drums must be made within this period of time...
From 1978 on Pearl has changed the Hardware and went over to arms made of 7/8 inch tubes together with the matching mounts on the racktoms.
This mountingsystem still is in use until today (with several changes and of course improvements).

If this kit was mine i´d recover it with a chrome wrap together with black woodhoops for the bassdrum.
On the racktoms i´d close the holes for the old ball and socket mounts and use gauger rims together with the 7/8 inch mounts because they´re more common nowadays and easier to adjust.
I´d also look for a matching 24´´ kick and an 18´´ floortom to have a larger variety of setups.

[Dana]

Thanks for the input. I am now trying to track down the maker of the "Comet Sparkle" or something like it that is on the Mastercraft drums. That is a very cool wrap. I think I have found a black sparkle that is similar, but I don't know if it has the same "pop" and light reaction/reflection.

Yes, I know it is a custom for Pearl, but it is such a neat wrap somebody is going to make something like that, and get the formulation right.

I like the part about getting a 24" also, and may be doing that as well.

Again, thanks to you.

ThrePearlKits, good post on the direction that I already have an exotic wood covered set. They take lots of work. Good thread on refinishing drums too. I will post some of my tips. I really liked the one on the badges using the wire. I didn't think of that. GOOD ONE!

[3pearlkits]

ThrePearlKits, good post on the direction that I already have an exotic wood covered set. They take lots of work. Good thread on refinishing drums too. I will post some of my tips. I really liked the one on the badges using the wire. I didn't think of that. GOOD ONE!

Hey Dana,
Thanks for your kind comments...
Good luck with your project, I'm sure you'll let us see the results

[Dana]

Well I got all the drums in Wood/Fiberglass that I wanted. Problem is that the 18" Floor and the 14" Mounted had a terrible wrap job where they glued the wrap on!!! One note to those that are "gluing on the wrap", it is a BIG mistake because it can ruin the drum and pull plies off if you are not really careful. It took me 2 weeks of various solvents paint removers and saran wrap and a razor scraper to get all the gunk off. The rest of the shells were filled with wood filler on the ply areas that came lose. The second thing you have to take into consideration is that those glues "off gas" meaning there are solvents that stay inside the shell/drumhead mini-environment and this totally discolored the nice white/cream fiberglass lining. I cleaned it off with lacquer thinner as best I could, roughed it up and repainted it with semi-gloss Krylon enamel. Then I worked the bearing a little with sand paper. Below are some pics of the shells finished before sending them off to be wrapped and possibly a bearing edge or 2 reconditioned. I now also have all the period hardware as well.

[Dana]

Sizes are all the normal dimensions:

8 x 12
9 x 13
10 x 14
16 x 16 (2)
16 x 18
14 x 22