You did what? It pains me to read that. Was the re-wrap REALLY justified?

See my original thread from Feb 2010...search Gretsch Copper Mist. Bottom line...couldn't stip off the black paint. Here's the first post from last year:

Hi Everybody,

I'm here today because I need your support and guidance. First the good news. I have a Gretsch kit circa 1954 - dual post tom legs, 3 ply. I've had them since I was 14 back in 1975...and I'm going to restore them. Yay!

Now the bad news. They were originally Nitron Copper Mist. I painted them gloss black (sob). I also painted the insides white -(sob, puke and start shaking). Ok then. There it is. Sizes are 22", 16" FT, 9X13 T and 6.5X14 Snare with a nice Micro Sensitive strainer. I've stripped the shells and am ready to start. All the harware is original . Ive got to clean up the lugs with some polish. Everything else has to be done professionaly. Which is where the questions begin.

1) Do I get badly pitted hoops plated? Or just cleaned up?

2) Who do we know that can strip, sand and paint shells?

3) How do I match the color?

4) Do I forget about that route and just have them wrapped in a WMP?

interested in selling that 53 gretsch kit?

Just think, If all of us took on a new attitude and considered re-wrapping a positive thing, then we could all enjoy older kits being made to look new again. We recondition other things, it's only wrap. It should not affect the

sound in anyway, should it? All of us involved in the collecting of vintage drums are the only ones placing a premium value on these drums anyway, so we can controll our own destiny. I've seen some rewraps, when done professionaly, look mighty nice. It's only plastic and it's not a major operation and no harm done to the drums.

think about this, if you take a rusted/pitted piece of hardward and had it re-chromed, would'nt you be happy with it?

I have to agree to a point. If the re wrapping is done because the original wrap is in such poor condition that there is just no saving it (like being painted over) well, why not. If the wrap is in good enough condition to 'restore', then no, I'd restore the original.

That being said, you get back to the old restoration argument. Just how far does one go with restoration? Make it look new? Restore it to a usable condition and stop? Leave it as found, playable or not?

People have been trying to answer those questions for years and years. First, very few of these drums discussed on this site are actually antique. Hence, vintage is the moniker. One day, some of the things we do to MIJ kits may be looked upon in horror... or not. Hard to tell, but here's the onion...

He had a desirable and vintage Gretsch kit that had been painted. It seems the painting was not reversible. I think it was perfectly reasonable to 'restore' the kit into something resembling a vintage kit vs an old painted pile of shells. Some paints can be safely removed from the wrap, some can't. Some paint ruins the wrap over time. Once you're at that point, you're done. It must be re done.

Old car enthusiasts have an interesting way of looking at it. The seats and paint is expected to be replaced in most instances. It's not the car, it's just the frosting. The wrap, while it's nice to have original, isn't the drum... it's the wrap.

Flame away!

Soap Box

Post some pix when you have a chance please!

I really like the comment about how classic car collectors are. I've seen total resorations of cars that would blow you away...new paint, new chrome, new... you name it. Have you ever seen a 57 Chevy redone? Spectacular!. In my case, I truly had no choice, and in fact paid SMD for the effort alone (Willie Martinez is the man) to remove paint from paint; albeit unsuccessfully. Think about that challenge for a second. The point is, they advised me to try it because of the intrisic value of the original Copper Mist finish. At the end of the day, I'll have a genuine Gretsch 1953 Name Band kit with all 3ply shells, "Floor Show" size snare, all with gleaming wrap, original hardware and "That Great Gretsch Sound". Essentially, a piece of history. I've had this kit since I was a child, and it has the expected sentimental value. I'm very happy with my decision because I had proper guidance throughout the project. I'll post finished pics as soon as I can. In the meantime, here are work in progress pics, including the black painted mistake...please note, there was paint removed from the inside of the shells as well...I was crazy enough at 14 to paint the insides white and outsides black. This was no small project and once again, I can't speak highly enough of Steve Maxwell...personally and as well as his staff. He called me on the phone and e-mailed me many times to discuss this project and ultimately steered the ship. It was not inexpensive, but I agreed to all work up front. Thanks for everybody's banter. Love this forum, everyone is really helpful. This project is not lipstick and a girdle...its the real deal.

I might have entertained the idea of having it repainted in the Copper Mist. The drums weren't originally a wrapped kit and by repainting it to the original color it would have been a better restoration. I think more people would be in favor of restoring a valuable kit to it's original state than another WMP re-wrap. Again the car restoration parallel where the VIN gives all the original info on the car. A car restored to factory new condition has better value than a candy apple red paint job. Since you knew what the kit was originally (especially Copper Mist) I think you should have restored it to the original state, documented every step with pictures and had Steve Maxwell provide a letter of restoration. I think we would all agree that a job like that especially with a respected person like Steve involved, the kit would be more valuable than a standard re-wrap. With fewer and fewer original condition drum kits available, we as the vintage community need to guide the rules for the future.

Do vintage guitar collectors re-paint their axes?