How Does Rewrapping a Vintage Drum Affect Value

[pedro navahas]

If the wrap is shot, extra holes, yeah why not!
I wouldn’t strip a perfectly good shell to change it into something I wanted. And only a period correct wrap!

 

[lossforgain]

IMHO, I would think this reasoning works for some of the rarer Ludwig wrap snares ..... Psych Red, Citrus Mod, Mod Orange come to mind so I can see their owners doing the same thing though I think some of the new wraps of Psych Red, Citrus Mod and Mod Orange may look closer to the originals than the Oyster Black

I like this a lot. Rewrapping is something I haven’t done myself, but if I knew how I might do it more often to bring life to some less desirable drums like you are.

 

[Tama CW]

If one is re-wrapping a "rare" original wrap, I would want to see proof by badge/interior tag that said drum was indeed that color from the factory BEFORE the re-wrap. If not, who cares? The drum could have been any finish before it was re-wrapped. This is the same logic applied to rare or scarce colors on desirable muscle cars. Re-paint in the original rare color if you don't want to lose your shirt. I can appreciate a black Hemi Cuda repainted - if that's the original color it came in based on the data tags/build sheet and other clues from around the car.
Too bad drums don't have hidden areas like trunks, floors, etc. where you can leave the original (and hidden) factory finish alone as proof of what color/finish the car was born with.

I agree with the earlier estimate of 70-75% reduction in value for rewraps as a good starting point. A normal original $1000 Slingerland would be worth around $700-$750 after rewrap. To some that range could be widened to 65-80% based on personal preferences. A very desirable collector kit like a Gretsch progressive jazz kit or a 40's/50's Slingerland Radio King might still fall inside that range. While I lean towards only clean and original wrapped kits, I wouldn't ignore a quality re-wrap at 2/3 the price. Looking at an old tired wrap can get "old" too. Then again, you can re-wrap a great kit in a finish that essentially kills the value - even if very desirable.........see below.

 

[Ludwigboy]

I like this a lot. Rewrapping is something I haven’t done myself, but if I knew how I might do it more often to bring life to some less desirable drums like you are.

Thanks. I stick to the Ludwig Rockers as the chrome wraps just peel off...I have not tackled removing badly faded or damaged 60's Ludwig wraps from snares...I have seen others do it on this forum and give them lots of credit...it looks daunting as removal of wraps bonded for 50 plus years is labour intensive... a LOT more talented individuals than myself out there on our Forum

Here are two Ludwig snares I did in the last year...one I did in a Oyster Blue Pearl wrap to match my 65 Oyster Blue Super Classic set and the other one in the same wrap I just did as an extra snare . IMHO, they turned out well and match the set reasonably well.

 

[RogersLudwig]

THIS! 100%!!!!! That is as well written and succinct of an answer to this question as I could have ever hopped to write myself!

I’m right there, too. I have a Gretsch set in burgundy sparkle and wanted a matching 16” ft. I ended up buying a 16” in WMP and it’s going to be rewrapped to match. No regrets, but it won’t be worth what I’ll have spent on it.

 

[markdrums1]

1979 Ludwig 6 ply 14,16,18,26 Before and after re-wrap.. Black cortex to Silver glass glitter, massive amounts of labor and time involved...worth it i think...

 

[Fat Drummer]

I’m right there, too. I have a Gretsch set in burgundy sparkle and wanted a matching 16” ft. I ended up buying a 16” in WMP and it’s going to be rewrapped to match. No regrets, but it won’t be worth what I’ll have spent on it.

But it WILL be worth it to you... it will round out the set you wanted and it will be played joyously! I'm not saying there is no such thing as preserving a rare and historic instrument, of course their is, but in the broadest terms, 95% of all the drums in the world are just drums... make them yours and enjoy the heck out of them. As for resale value, dont worry about it... play what you like!

 

[lossforgain]

Thanks. I stick to the Ludwig Rockers as the chrome wraps just peel off...I have not tackled removing badly faded or damaged 60's Ludwig wraps from snares...I have seen others do it on this forum and give them lots of credit...it looks daunting as removal of wraps bonded for 50 plus years is labour intensive...

I do have a junk shell I could experiment with before trying a real project. I actually have 4 shells here that need wrapping and I hadn’t yet decided what to do about it.

 

[K.O.]

Rewrapping definitely has an effect on value. To what degree depends on what you start with. If you're thinking of stripping a nice vintage set you're taking more risk than if you are planning to revitalize a bunch of damaged drums into a set.

I've rewrapped a lot of drums over the years in order to get the drum I want or need when the real deal isn't readily available or would be cost prohibitive. After doing some crazy things in my younger years I now won't resort to wrecking a good vintage drum for my needs. I will seek out drums that someone else has already messed up or else are otherwise in disrepair to rework. I just received wrap from Precision today for another project that's in the works, being a Slingerland 14x24 5 ply shell I'll be rewrapping in silver sparkle to match a set I have. I bought the shell (stripped and spray painted black) about 10 years ago for $40 and it's been sitting around waiting for the right moment ever since. Last year I took a previously stripped 14x14, a previously (badly) rewrapped 14x20, a seriously faded 8x12, and a 16x16 with very cracked WMP (all Ludwig 3 ply) and turned them into a Mod Orange set. I cut down a badly faded 10x14 marching snare for a matching snare drum. I'm not sure what the set may or may not be worth but I'm happy with the results.

Lately I've gone a step further and bought new shells made to the same specs as the originals and used those as the base for a drum I "need". These "clones" can be a guilt free way to fill those voids and in the case of something like a coveted 14x14 floor tom you can often build a brand new "vintage style" drum for less than the cost of an original.

I don't really have the same qualms about modifying newer drums or older cheaper ones. I have no problem stripping an old Ludwig Rocker down and though I haven't done it as yet probably wouldn't be too concerned redoing a modern Ludwig CM or the like. I did rework a Ludwig 6ply 13x14 power tom from the late 1980s into a floor tom. That worked well but if I were to do it again I'd opt to get a new 3ply 14x14 shell made up.

I do understand that rewrapped (or cloned) drums are not worth as much as pristine (or even less than pristine, to a point) vintage drums in original condition. If you take a nice vintage set, strip it down, and rewrap it a good rule of thumb is you will reduce it's value by about the same amount as you spent on the rewrap (assuming you're using actual drum wrap) so if you spend $500 to rewrap a $1000 set you end up with a set worth $500. If you spend $50 or $100 on a bargain basement rewrap it will probably take the value down even more than what "real" wrap would have cost. So it doesn't make much sense economically, but anyone is free to do what they want to their own property.

There are outliers too any rule too. If you take a bunch of orphan drums and rewrap them into an OBP "Ringo" set you might come out money ahead or at least break even. My Mod Orange set I mentioned above might bring more than I spent (all the drums were acquired "on the cheap" but the wrap itself cost quite a bit).

Bottom line, it's up to the owner what he does but they should consider all the options before destroying an original set. There are only so many vintage drums out there and the color you don't like may be someone else's dream set. Rewrapping is always an option but not always the best option.

 

[Ludwigboy]

I do have a junk shell I could experiment with before trying a real project. I actually have 4 shells here that need wrapping and I hadn’t yet decided what to do about it.

I have done 3 with no issues but again, these were Rockers.......two were pre-1983 and the other one was 1984 and newer....I am in the process on doing another.

I don't change the hardware including the strainer but update snare string and wires if needed. I am installing repro Keystone badges on them so they blend with the rest of the set.

If I can be of help, you need only ask

 

[FloydZKing]

I think the nut of it is that any alterations from original call the new work into question. Buyers are somewhat reassured when the new work was done by a name, like Precision or Bill Detamore, but when you do the work yourself, the buyer rightly assumes that the work may not be up to code.

I have rewrapped a bunch of drums myself and regardless of how well I did the work, their market value is diminished because I am nobody. The hit to resale value is real.

 

[Ludwigboy]

I think the nut of it is that any alterations from original call the new work into question. Buyers are somewhat reassured when the new work was done by a name, like Precision or Bill Detamore, but when you do the work yourself, the buyer rightly assumes that the work may not be up to code.

I have rewrapped a bunch of drums myself and regardless of how well I did the work, their market value is diminished because I am nobody. The hit to resale value is real.

Some good points are made here....to reassure potential buyers, you may want to take photos of your rewrapping process so they see how you did it...this may alleviate some of their worry.

 

[ludwigsok]

A little different take on the rewrap question. I have a set of late 70’s 6 ply Ludwig maple shells, 12, 13, 16, 22, that are in pristine condition. They started life as a white cortex wrap kit that was yellowed and scuffed up. Blue Olive badges were pretty bent up. I bought the shell pack with the intention of stripping and rewrapping. When I got the wrap off and gave the exterior a light hand sanding, the maple all matches and is beautiful, the bearing edges are perfect as well as the interior clear lacquer. They look brand new. So I’ve held on to these shells for about 8 years and haven’t done anything with them. I hate to cover up the beautiful maple, but in this condition, they are of no use to me. I can’t play shells. So my conundrum is do I sell them as shells since you can see their condition and possibly get a good price, or wrap them (probably red sparkle) and play them and maybe take a loss in their value.

 

[noreastbob]

It's not rocket science folks. Unless you're encrusting the drum in gems, any alteration from stock original devalues the drum just as it would a vehicle, or anything else not intended to be painted periodically.

 

[JohnnyVibesAZ]

Lots of drummers make a big deal out of owning yellowed, white marine pearl drums. Well, ok, if that's the look you really want. They make retro wraps of it. My all-time favorite is the mid-60s Ludwig's Oyster Blue wrap, which, most of the time, looks like hell, these days. That wrap is not available today, except for photo-copy plastic. I do believe that vintage drums should be re-wrapped with vintage finishes, and can see nothing wrong with that. Forget the cheapy "way out" wraps. You'll only devalue your vintage drums.

 

[Slingwig26]

If it is not perfect and you want to use it, then by all means, re-wrap it.
If it is for collecting purposes, don't.
But, like what has been stated here already, any modification to a vintage anything devalues it.

 

[DanC]

A rewrapped kit is worth 25-50% less than an all original kit in good condition. I've owned and sold a lot of all original kits, I've also rewrapped a lot of kits and sold them. Much easier to sell the originals, and also very easy to lose money on a rewrap. You have to get the drums for an extremely low price to make the numbers work. Of course, if you're just rewrapping them for yourself to own on a long-term basis, then the numbers don't really matter...

 

[m.clover]

I don't know about the value and I don't care since I ain't selling. These are going to my grandson.
I've had this set since '67. Originally it was a Club Date set in red lacquer. I never liked the look of the set but the tone was beautiful. So I stripped off the lacquer and went au natural. Eventually they began to show their age with yellowing and veneer splits so I stripped off the urethane, repaired the holes, splits etc. , primed then with a grey oil based primer and wrapped them in Black Oyster Pearl and changed out the lugs to double rows. Et les voici !

 

[IVER]

I get the collectors wanting everything to be all original and so forth, but with that said, drums to me are instruments to be played. I wouldn't think twice about rewrapping a drum if it needed it. I know that is not a popular opinion with the purists and I understand where they are coming from, but really after all they are just drums and in the overall scheme of things and there are not that many purists, and if it devalued the drum how much is it worth to begin with, and does it really matter? I would ask myself what my intention is for the drum to sit on a shelf and collect dust to maintain its value? Is it really worth that much? and what's the down side of re-wrapping it? As for me and my situation, I have never owned or bought a drum for its intrinsic value, nor am I interested in collecting for collecting sake. I buy drums and gear and alter them in anyway I see fit and don't give it another thought. In my opinion there are a lot better things to invest in to make money than old drums in someone's basement. I realize there are many on this forum that see it completely different than I do and I think that is great and wish them all the success there is. Difference of perspectives is what makes the people on this forum so interesting to me. I just use my drums and equipment for their intended use and I take exceptional care of them to the point of being anal. But outside of that they are used and changed as the need arises...

I'm with backtodrum. I play a mixed set of vintage drums, plus vintage cymbals, and they produce the sounds I like. I don't collect - I only have two snares, an extra floor tom and two extra cymbals - and find that what I have will sound good on any genre of music I'm asked to play. To me, that's the important thing, not resale value.

 

[DonS]

Amosguy that red sparkle Rogers rewrap is drop dead gorgeous, you appear to be a true craftsman! I wrapped a Slingerland set of orphans and made a be-bop kit. I had no problem re-wrapping as not one drum/shell was worth anything in the condition I got them. they’re my one kit now and don’t plan to part with them. I do have a Light Blue Pearl solid Artist snare from my first kit, 1964. The wrap has morphed into a grayish green/amber pearl, not attractive, but original. In the early nineties I had it apart, was going to take off the wrap and do an oiled finish on the shell. At the last moment I remembered what someone in the thread said; “ it’s only original once. “. In spite of the questionableaesthetics of the blue wrap today, I’m so glad I didn’t alter the drum then. As you get older your ideas and opinions of drums will evolve, keep that in mind.
Regards
Don