I believe the lugs on the snare are newer, but the hoops are original. The restorer was very up-front about this when I bought the kit. or even a set of original FT legs (if that's your preference).Īs for hoops and lugs being original. They are easily replaced with a more old-school looking foot. I have these on my Gretsch and other kits as well. I installed the fancy Pearl standoff feet because they really let the drum sing. not textured where they are held by the bracket). The ones that came with the FT are chrome and a smooth finish from end-to-end (i.e. I purchased the drums without the original FT legs. Any imperfections you may see in the wrap are merely artifacts of my poor photography skills.

The wrap is just so slick and shiny, combined with the glass glitter, the photos contain reflections from the overhead light, the two nearby windows, and the camera flash. As a result the wrap is as flawless as the day I received them. These drums have always been stored in hard cases when not in use and when transported. seams are tight, edges around ends of the shell are perfect, no lifting or other weirdness. The restorer did an excellent job on the wrap. These drums are turn-key and ready to go. Sure a 'barn find' car with factory paint would be very cool, but they are usually hard to come by, expensive, and still in need of refurbishing. I wanted a kit that looked as incredible as it sounded and I viewed the re-wrap as the same thing as repainting a vintage car. So many of the RK kits I saw when I was shopping had yellowed marine white pearl, BDP, or other very aged finishes. Modern heads fit snugly and are a breeze to tune.Īs it turns out, green glass glitter/sparkle was an available finish in 1941. The shells are perfectly round with excellent bearing edges. Stick-chopper (double-flanged) rims all around. The snare is single-ply maple with maple reinforcement rings. The BD, FT, and RT are 3-ply mahogany/poplar/mahogany with maple reinforcement rings. The sizes are 24'x14' BD, 16'x16' FT, 13'x9' RT and the coveted 5'x14' single-ply, steam-bent snare (with 3-point strainer).

They sound fantastic recorded, and I challenge any drummer to not try channeling Gene Krupa while behind this amazing vintage kit. Since these drums were restored they have lived in my smoke-free home, played for select live performances, and utilized for several recording projects. That said, these drums are far and above what many sellers refer to as a 'player's kit'. If you are a collector that insists upon 100% original drums, then read no further. These four drums were not born at the factory together in 1941 and have been re-wrapped in a jaw-droppping green glass glitter. This was a 'holy grail' kit for me when I purchased it 10 years ago from a very reputable and talented vintage drum restoration professional.

Johnny juliano holy grail drum kit