Premier Project

[bassanddrum84]

My vote is the yellow. I’m with jd on the red badges and green wrap. To xmas. Although the silver inlays on the hoops would go with the green. Although something like this would be super cool

Maybe a newer spin on it?

 

[JohnnyVibesAZ]

I've always thought that Black Diamond Pearl looked great on vintage Premier sets, but that's more money for your project.

 

[drumphils]

Had a WMP Olympic set that had turned Butterscotch. Wish I still owned it!
There’s my pick.

Phil

 

[Houndog]

Would I be a jerk if I said I hated the 2 choices ??

 

[K.O.]

I think the green pearl would look awesome!

I think you may be right

 

[K.O.]

Would I be a jerk if I said I hated the 2 choices ??

No but...

If money was no object here I would probably get some aqua glass glitter made up (or get some turquois sparkle) but I kind of want to keep it all within reason. The drums were cheap (well relatively cheap, $400, okay not so cheap but not crazy expensive either). I'll be pondering it more.

 

[DBT]

I think you may be right

View attachment 569844

The green inlay with the black hoops looks classy too .

 

[JDA]

Would I be a jerk if I said I hated the 2 choices ??

No but you'd be misunderstanding he has these two costumes bought and paid for and is itching to put one or the other on someone.
I mean On Something.
It's a process of Elimination.



And the sacrificial lamb has been chosen.

 

[DamnSingerAlsoDrums]

Either would look nice.

I think the red badges are too little as far as accents go to really make the whole kit too "seasonal". I'd do the hoop inlay green or slap solid black ones on.

But the atomic butterscoth would rule hard if well done as well.

I'm not helping, am I?

 

[JDA]

been a 70s Premier owner red P huge
look post #21 and #22

 

[DamnSingerAlsoDrums]

been a 70s Premier owner red P huge
look post #21 and #22

Been an older Premier owner as well, huge is a relative unit of measure. Okay, mine as far as I can recall (never quite accurately dated but were sold as late 50's/early 60's) had a slightly smaller badge. After looking at the posts you quoted, i get a bit more where you're coming from. But dang! that green is still delish...

 

[latzanimal]

Gloss black cortex (Formica) perhaps...still requires additional cash outlay, just maybe less.... or maybe more.

Just ordered a sheet earlier this year from the place in a thread that had it on sale. Easy to deal with...

 

[damnedcat777]

I’ve recovered 3 complete Premier kits from this era, including two that were “3 ply mahogany shell” kits. You want to be very exacting in affixing the wrap. For one, forget going w/ super cheap wrap. Get “drum wrap” - I wouldn’t use what you have lying around. Get the stuff made specifically FOR drums. Use the contact cement MADE for drums. If you use something that isn’t made FOR drums, and have to pull it off again, the 3 ply mahogany shells will NOT survive. They’re too thin. My green glass glitter 1971 Premier kit is 14/16/22 and a steel “model 2000” parallel strainer 6.5x14 snare: cost me $300. Spent $660 on the wrap job. They look great! The thing with the wrap is: the wrap gives the shell structure without taking away from the super thin mahogany. Of course, if you don’t care about the kit, or if they’re not round, or if they sound like crap, or if you’re doing this as a learning experiment, it doesn’t matter what wrap you use. But personally, i’ll put these 1971 Premiers up against any modern DW set (DW = Doesn’t Work). Every show I’ve used them on the sound men have marveled and the opening bands have turned green with envy over how great these drums mic up. I’ve seen singers in other bands elbow their drummer, point at my Green Machine and say “you need to get a vintage kit like THAT, something that sounds THAT good in a large room”

Premier, straight up, had the VERY best shells in the game back in the day, and the best bearing edges, cast hoops, and tension rods you could tune with a dime (no more “lost drum keys”). With new heads and properly tuned, they just don’t make drums like the 3 ply Premiers.

 

[T-Dub]

Some of you may remember I posted about a Premier set I brought home a couple weeks back. It an early 70's set (I think) that matched pretty well to what I was wanting in a Premier set (cast hoops, classic double ended lugs, international sizing), I found it by chance online at a reasonably close Music Go Round. The price seemed right so I made the three hour trip to pick up the set. 12/13/16/22 with the holder. The 3 ply mahogany set was in gloss black wrap and it was apparent from the outset (visible in the online photos) that there were issues with the wrap (bubbling, on the bass drum and floor tom and slightly on the two small toms. left out in the sun too long at some point, no doubt) so I knew that going in.

Looking closer a few days after I brought them home I determined that the black was already a re-wrap on the drums. I disassembled the 12 (the lugs are help on by a single screw in an interesting way involving a slotted washer). Once the partial grommet was out the badge came right off. With just a bit of prying at the seam the wrap fell off the shell. They had glued it all over but it appears they used carpet cement, which didn't work so well. It did leave a nice mess behind on the shell. Fortunately, it seems to sand off pretty easily.

The black looked pretty sharp, if not for the wrinkles/bubbles, against the chrome and I thought about re-doing it in new gloss black....BUT! I do have some wrap already on hand that I bought a year or so ago and I'm very tempted to use it, which means minimal new investment other than maybe a new jug of 3M-30 NF. I have four sheets each of two colors of Pearl from China. A yellow pearl and a deep green. The yellow I was thinking of using (eventually) on some Radio King shells I've accumulated. The green was maybe going on a Rogers set but now I'm leaning towards doing the Premier in that. It's not a factory color of course (AFAIK) but I think the deep green would be a nice contrast to the shiny chrome bits.

Things are still up in the air. It's currently too hot to sand outside and too messy to do it inside so things are on hold. I think I'll do one drum first and see what I think before proceeding with the others. I'll report my progress here....if and when there is any. Opinions?
View attachment 569806

Here are my on-hand wrap choices (ten dollar bill is there for comparison of the "chip" size)

View attachment 569807

more to follow.,,,

I think the Green will be awesome! Looking forward to the completion!

 

[mkelley]

I've always thought that Black Diamond Pearl looked great on vintage Premier sets, but that's more money for your project.

View attachment 569842

You're right

 

[mkelley]

I'm also partial to keeping it black

 

[rikkrebs]

Both colors are awesome, but I’m not sure they work with that kit. That era premier screams black, white or polychromatic red

 

[Blue Zurich]

Green

 

[NitroBro2]

Some of you may remember I posted about a Premier set I brought home a couple weeks back. It an early 70's set (I think) that matched pretty well to what I was wanting in a Premier set (cast hoops, classic double ended lugs, international sizing), I found it by chance online at a reasonably close Music Go Round. The price seemed right so I made the three hour trip to pick up the set. 12/13/16/22 with the holder. The 3 ply mahogany set was in gloss black wrap and it was apparent from the outset (visible in the online photos) that there were issues with the wrap (bubbling, on the bass drum and floor tom and slightly on the two small toms. left out in the sun too long at some point, no doubt) so I knew that going in.

Looking closer a few days after I brought them home I determined that the black was already a re-wrap on the drums. I disassembled the 12 (the lugs are help on by a single screw in an interesting way involving a slotted washer). Once the partial grommet was out the badge came right off. With just a bit of prying at the seam the wrap fell off the shell. They had glued it all over but it appears they used carpet cement, which didn't work so well. It did leave a nice mess behind on the shell. Fortunately, it seems to sand off pretty easily.

The black looked pretty sharp, if not for the wrinkles/bubbles, against the chrome and I thought about re-doing it in new gloss black....BUT! I do have some wrap already on hand that I bought a year or so ago and I'm very tempted to use it, which means minimal new investment other than maybe a new jug of 3M-30 NF. I have four sheets each of two colors of Pearl from China. A yellow pearl and a deep green. The yellow I was thinking of using (eventually) on some Radio King shells I've accumulated. The green was maybe going on a Rogers set but now I'm leaning towards doing the Premier in that. It's not a factory color of course (AFAIK) but I think the deep green would be a nice contrast to the shiny chrome bits.

Things are still up in the air. It's currently too hot to sand outside and too messy to do it inside so things are on hold. I think I'll do one drum first and see what I think before proceeding with the others. I'll report my progress here....if and when there is any. Opinions?
View attachment 569806

Here are my on-hand wrap choices (ten dollar bill is there for comparison of the "chip" size)

View attachment 569807

more to follow.,,,

I had a set just like that but a very dark blue. Bought new in about ‘73.

 

[Bandit]

Green.