The bad thing about these vintage drums is that they're vintage and you feel guilty playing them anywhere. I wish I was in a big band so I could have an old kit and not worry about people falling on them or spilling beer on them.
Well, there is good news for you, and I can tell you, without a doubt, you can have an uber-cool wrapped kit and be able to play it out without too much anxiety. Keep an eye on MIJ kits, we get some of the coolest wraps available, and if you find them on C/L, you can grab them cheap. It's all in the preservation/restoration/modification of the shells that gets you the tone. and playability. Are they going to sound like Ludwigs? Not exactly, but many people do use them to record with because they have a controlled resonance and tones that are out of this world, when properly handled. I can show you how it's done. It does take some work, but if you can get a kit for 50-150 bucks in overall good condition, it is so much easier to take them to the beer halls and not be overly concerned. But once you get them all tuned up, you may have some trepidation because they look so darned good and sound wonderful.
Now, I know how some guys feel about "junk MIJs". But the truth is, they can well be fitted out to sound great, and when you are not into them for 1000s of bucks, you can learn to appreciate that one fact. You don't have to take a chance on your irreplaceable vintage American kit getting destroyed, and if the MIJ kit does, you are likely to able to replace it quickly and cheaply. I love that aspect of MIJ drums, cheap, easy to find, and once you get a little expertise under your belt in respect to working them over, you will likely find yourself looking for a second, or even a third kit. I keep at least one 3 ply and 1 6/9 ply kit at home all the time. No complete, intact Pearl Exports, but I do use the shells for my sideline.
I am available to help, or even if you find a kit and want me to do the work over, I am cheap labor, I just love drums. I am beginning a "new" jungle kit soon. I have a 15" 6 ply Ludwig floor tom that I am going to set up as the bass, a 6 ply Pearl 13" for the floor tom and a 10" 6 ply Pearl tom. It is going to be either green or orange hand applied sparkle finish. My "CoffeeHouse Re-Creations" look and sound amazing. I sell a few of them around town and the jazzers love them.
One kid here that is a jazz pianist bought one to learn on and all his drummers use it onstage, whether they have enough space for a larger kit or not. Now that is not to say they play it at every gig, but many times they opt for it merely because of the cool factor it lends them.
I am building one for a guy that has played Gretsch for the last 20+ years. He played that little blue sparkle kit at rehearsal one night and had Anthony call me right after to ask me to build him one. I take that as a big time compliment, coming from a dedicated Gretsch drummer. Can you imagine, wanting to order basically a Pearl Export when you have been playing Gretsch for years? It is more about the look, the tone and the size that these guys love. They bear little resemblance to the original, in looks and tone, when I am done with them. These were all Pearl Export grade shells before I got into them, re-contouring the edges, slightly and finishing out the interiors as well as the exteriors. Have a peak at the last one I sold...
