Can you help me identify these drums?

[gweinst]

Hi all,

I have a 4 pc drum kit that I would like help identifying. Facts of the drum kit are as follows:

There are no badges on them but on various chrome areas (such as floor tom leg bracket and bass drum tom holder bracket) it says JAPAN.
The kit consists of 14"x5 snare drum, 16"x16" floor tom, 13"x8" tom tom, 20"x14" bass drum. The wood is very pale
Colour is a mixed blue wavey pearl
Tom tom had a diamond shaped tom bracket attached to the side
No other hardware came with this kit
It made it's way to New Zealand where I received them.
I have added the RIMs mount, Bass Drum Hoops and tom blocks etc

I have attached various photos to help you to identify them. Please help.
Thanks & regards
Grant

[ARCHxANGEL]

I have seen those lugs on a few U.S.Mercury kits so thats the name i'll place to the kit.But the reality of it is that it could be any number of stencil kits.The vast majority were identical and just had different names for the same hardware,shells,lugs,etc... But best estimated guess again would be U.S.Mercury.Nice looking kit though.I've always loved a good stencil kit.

[gweinst]

Thanks so much for your info - really appreciated. I have never thought of a U.S Mercury kit and the fact that it may be a stencil makes sense since the snare strainer looks like an early Priemier model? Do you know how much these kits go for in the market these days - not that I am looking to sell it, just curious?

Thanks!
Grant

[ARCHxANGEL]

Honestly market wise they don't have a high valkue.Some stencil kits do but they have to have something unique and rare about them.Your kit would be worth about $50 - $100 at most.But thats about it.

[gweinst]

Thought that may be the case, a shame because tuned up nicely with Remo coated ambassadors these drums kick!

Do you happen to have any pictures of a U.S Mercury kit that is similar in look to mine? I have been looking all over the net and can't seem to find any.

Email is gweinst@hotmail.com

Thanks Grant

[O-Lugs]

So...let me get this straight...You're saying that there is a Japanese stencil kit named U.S. Mercury?

It's definitely a "stencil" kit from Japan -right down to the vertically aligned grain of the lauan plywood shell.
I have known some Japanese kits to go for a surprising amount of money. There does, in fact, seem to be a small clique of collectors out there for these kits.

[gweinst]

Thanks for this. Any websites you can recommend that have more info on these types of "stencil" drums? I'm very curious.

Cheers
Grant

[blusdrmr]

I own a US Mercury kit and it the lugs, wood, tom mount......everything looks exactly the same. I love the tone on the one I have. The bass drum, for a 20", is incredible for as inexpensive as the kit is. I got it for $50.00 and it is in perfect shape.

BTW....what years did they make these kits and are they still making them?

[gweinst]

Thanks Dan,

Any pictures of your kit? Would be keen to see the similarities.

BTW, I have been drumming in a blues band for many years, have a listen:

http://www.smokecds.com/cd/31177#tracks

Cheers G.

[blusdrmr]

Thanks Dan,

Any pictures of your kit? Would be keen to see the similarities.

BTW, I have been drumming in a blues band for many years, have a listen:

http://www.smokecds.com/cd/31177#tracks

Cheers G.

Smokin' stuff, G! We are currently in the studio producing our very first CD. This band I am with, now, is only about 4 to 6 months old. Our guitar player is the shiznits, though! He just turned 23 and I wold put this kid on stage with Derek Trucks and not worry about him. He can play slide incredibly well.

When I got my kit, the front bass hoop was missing and it needed lugs as well. The floor tom leg supports are stripped so I need to replace those and the mount for the rack tom is horrible. It is in fine shape but the way it wounts destroys the tone on the tom so I use another snare stand to support it. I will take some pics and post them (if I remember how).

[ARCHxANGEL]

U.S.Mercury kits were done in the 60's - 70's and unfortunatly they are not being made anymore. And O-Lugs you are correct there are collectors ( such as myself ) out there who live for stencil kits.But since the vast majority of stencil drums were pretty much the same unless there is something unique about a kit its generally over looked.And yes there was a Japanese stencil kit names U.S.Mercury,lol.And blusdrmr they do have a great sound.The U.S.Mercury kit I own was my very first kit...i'll never part with it.Matter of fact a few of the drums are on my home kit because I love the sound and always will.And gweinst I don't personally have photos of a U.S.Mercury kit that looks like yours however I can more than likely find photos of other kits with the same finish.Many stencil kits ( again ) were all the same just had a different name for them.Also i'll be working with David for the stencil drum section of this website and i'll provide photos of what I have and all the information I have.

[blusdrmr]

I hope these help, G.

I had to shrink them down quite a bit to get them to post. If you notice, the bass drum leg is not the original. I replaced the original with a set of Gibralter bass drum supports. The simple "slide out" one's would not hold the bass in place at all. I used to use these in a Rock-A-Billy band that I used to play with and set it up as a stand up kit. I used the bass and the floor tom and I inverted the floor tom and mounted it on the cymbal stand so it would be high enough and not too top heavy for the mount. I used my '58 WFL snare with it. It is covered in White Marine Pearl and it looked great with this set up.


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[gweinst]

Hi All,

Well, I managed to find a kit that looks very similar to the one I own on e-bay. Interestingly though, this kit still has the original badge on it labelled "Challenge". Have a look and tell me what you know about Challenge drum kits as they appear to be a stencil kit from Japan.

Cheers
Grant

[ARCHxANGEL]

Again another stencil kit.More than likely made by hoshino from the look.Nothing grand about the kit.Pretty much features everything most Japanese stencil kits have.Definatly one more name to add to the list though.

[drummerdude]

ArchxAngel,

the kit posted by gweinst looks very similar to the floor tom that you had expressed interest in purchasing from me a while back. Are you still interested?