The yellowing is common. I actually prefer it to the pure white.

Parts are available through several members of this forum. MIKEY777 is one member you might want to alert. he seems to have most everything!

The Clubdate DID come with a hardware package including the hi-hat.

If you want to learn more, please go to the top of this page and find where it says "Visit our partner sites" and then click on it to expose the pull down menu. Then click on "Vintage Drum Guide" and then click on "Ludwig Drums" and then click on "Ludwig Drum Sets *catalog pages" and scroll around until you find several examples of Clubdates over the years. This will help you to determine just exactly what you need to get and ask for.

Welcome to the forum!

And btw...I know what a Hertzdonut is!

*hits arm* "Hurts, don't it?"

I haven't heard that one in QUITE awhile. Laughing H

Good Lord! I just got done looking around the Vintage Drum Guide and sure enough! The Clubdate was not pictured with a hi-hat! I did NOT realize this before now! Thanks for the inquiry! It taught me something!

However, the snare stand appears to be from the 1400 series and so any of the contemporary hi-hat stands in that series would be appropriate to ADD to the Clubdate kit.

Thanks again!

Don't worry about WMP yellowing... it's actually called "mellowing" and it's considered a nice patina. If I'm not mistaken, WMP was the color of John Densmore's second kit, right? And he did play Club Dates, did he not? That is cool!

Congrats on the set and show us pictures!

Oh ho and I nearly forgot;

WELCOME to the forum! We're glad to have you here!

There's an entire section on this site about drum restoration, even one about yellowed WMP. I'm in agreement with the author in the notion that the yellowed "patina" gives the drums a bit of a cool factor, and I definitely would not re-wrap!

My first set was a '66 WMP Ludwig 3 pc set with a chrome Supraphonic snare. My dad bought them from a guy who played in my brother's band in high school. He was going off to college then on to med school and needed the money. Back in the 90's I restored my set after many years of neglect.

I took them all apart, put all the parts in individual bags with a label detailing which drum they came from, and after cleaning the shells with a soft sponge and some dish soap and warm water, I left them to dry. After they were dry I then used Novus #2 plastic polish and a lot of elbow grease to clean and shine the WMP wrap. This didn't get rid of all the yellowing, but it did help some. Once I was through with the shells,

Once back together, even with the yellowed WMP, the drums looked fantastic! I kept them in my studio for years and finally one day was called to work with a busy band and, this being my only kit, didn't wish to subject them to the rigors of the road, so I called the original owner one day, now a renowned heart surgeon, and left him a message asking him if he would like to have his drums back. Well, he called me back in a matter of minutes, and that weekend he and his wife came over and, after we settled on a fair price, the Doctor took his beloved drum set home!

I purchased a beautiful set of WMP Tamas for the gig and I played them until 2 years ago, divorce forced me to move to an apartment, so I sold them and also sold off all my vintage snare drums except my Ludwig Acrolite. It wasn't until this past weekend that I came across a beautiful 50's vintage WMP Slingerland Radio King. It too is yellowed (so I'll be going through the process that I outlined above this weekend with it), but, now that I am remarried and back in a house, I have been jonesing for a set of drums.

Months ago, I eyed a sweet set of Gretsch Catalina Birch in, you guessed it, WMP (!) and just this week made the decision to get them. I could have bought the beautiful Caribbean Blue lacquer finished set (lacquer drums have been all the rage for the last several years) sitting next to them, and I will admit to being tempted, but there is something about WMP that I strongly identify with. Heck, it even adorns the top of the VDF! That, as Paul Harvey would say, is the rest of the story!

Take care of that set!

Yeah I was pretty shocked myself about the hi-hat.

Thanks for the tips. I will follow up. First and foremost, time to break it down and start cleaning.

I have noticed CLR works really good for chrome items around the house. would you recommend this?

Here are some before pics. hopefully the next set are better. had to use my old camera...lol. you'll notice the foggy spot in the upper left corner. I call it my anonymous tip camera.

You'll notice the color change on the bass. I took off the front rim.

Welcome! to VDF

I am sorry to contradict, but...NEVER, EVER use steel wool on chrome parts! It may look like you are getting a great shine, but it causes microscopic scratches in the chrome and will cause a hazy sheen on anything you use it on.

Instead, I use Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound and an automotive detailing brush, looks like a toothbrush, Auto Zone or almost any other type store will have something similar. It is battery powered and has several heads, from stiff to soft bristles, in different shapes for different contours. You can also just use a soft cotton cloth, an old t-shirt perhaps, or towel but you will need lots of them. If the pitting and oxidation are particularly heavy, slather on the compound and let it soak in a few minutes before removing.

The compound is messy, but when you are done, you will have cleaned and protected chrome that shines like new. It is much easier to use steel wool, but it will ruin the value and shimmer of anything shiny you use it on.

For cleaning lug screws, t-rods (the ones from the toms), and swivel nuts, or inserts, I use 3-0 or 4-0 steel wool and mineral oil with a special socket designed for t-rods and a screw gun. (you can get them here: http://www.zzounds.com/item--CNNUPCRT ) I fold over the steel wool, put some mineral oil on it and run all the screws in and out of it a few times, then put the swivel nut on and run it up down until it is cleaned and all the crud is cleaned off. For bass Ts, just use the steel wool on the threads and rubbing compound on the rest. It is labor intensive, messy and sometimes seems like you are wasting time for the final product, but take detailed before and after pix and you will be amazed. The end result is what we seek.

If you want your drums clean, and want the parts clean and protected so they last another 50 years, it is imperative to take all the time that is needed in order to get them that way. Once complete, however, all you will need is a dusting cloth to knock off the dust every now and them. I spend, on average, 20~30 hours on each kit I detail. It just takes time to do it correctly, completely and most importantly, safely. In the end, you want to do no damage, and I find using any shortcuts is taking a chance on causing damage.

Interim replacement spurs can be found here: http://www.drumfactorydirect.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_107_80&products_id=4893

I also do video tutorials, follow the link in my signature to my youtube page for some cleaning and repair tips.

For a replacement hoop until you find the correct one with inlay, go here, get the right one, either 1 1/2 or 1 3/4" 10 ply maple: http://aitwood.com/StoreFront.Asp?WoodType=MAPLE&CATID=20&WoodPLY=10&Section=HOOP10PLY&wDesc=10%20ply%20Musical%20Bass%20Hoops%20Maple

lol...more posts came in while I was taking pics and uploading.

Folk that is a great story.

I should correct a statement I made earlier. I never "hated" my kit. But as a kid who looked up to drummers like Neil peart, terry bozio, and alex vanhalen. I always wanted the HUGE sets.

excellent link Jonni...thanks. I was looking everywhere.

What do you guys recommend for heads? I listen to Rock music. Admittedly I have been out of the fold for far too long.