Gretsch Mid 70s Restoration Project

Bob I really hope you hold on to your Gretsch's. I think you will regret it if you let them go.

The wood is getting so desirable now, because of it's age. The lignens are hardening even more as we speak. It may have even been made with old growth wood, try getting that in a new kit these days. To sell it would be a shame for you and a big bonus for the buyer.

If you decide to wrap them, the glue from the wrap hopefully wouldn't penetrate your existing finish, and therefore won't re-wet your wood. I would hope you would want to preserve the dryness of that wood. I'd leave the insides alone too. TBH, if it were me, I'd hire an artist to hand paint some interesting mural on them, something that would brighten them up, right on the existing finish. Or just get them repainted brighter. That's your biggest concern, the looks, right.? You love how they sound right? Do you think you will love how they sound even more if you wrap them? I don't think so. The finish on my lacquered uncased drums are testament to the fact that I had no problems in the last 3 years.
 
I'm just goin with the flow right now Larry. I have had the drums for so long now that I don't think about things like how dry the wood is etc.

To brentcn and Bo, I like the Champagne Sparkle because it can't decide what color that it is.
It is a Chameleon type of wrap. I like when I look at pics of these kits and it appears that the bass drum is a different color from the rest of the kit.
 
OK, I got a call today from another person who just wanted the floor tom and possibly the bass drum. He said that he would simply wrap both of these drums and resell them.
The floor tom is all that anyone really wants.
That is all that my kit is worth. It has no real value because it started out as a concert tom kit.

I guess that the market is so flooded with cheap kits today that there is no market for my old kit.

I think that it is pointless for me to spend any money on these drums.

I will begin to disassemble the kit, post, and sell the individual pieces on eBay this weekend.
The sheer economics prevail. I can put each piece on eBay and profit from each individual sale.
 
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I'm sure you can but I'm just a sentimental old (young) fart and couldn't part with a kit I'd owned that long.

How much do you think you can get? If you're going to sell up, settle for no less than a good round-badge Gretsch!
 
I only play these drums for a novelty now.
I really don't need the kit.
I began playing smallar dimension kits a few years ago.
If I bought another kit it would be a 14x20, 8x12 and a 14x14 set up.
I am in the process of downsizing everything.
In the next few years I am even going to move to a smallar home.
I am getting old and I can't use large homes, large cars, and large drum kits anymore.
I can't maintain my home by myself like I used to because I simply am not healthy enough.
I am simply sitting here with a sore back trying to maintain all of this stuff that I don't need and I am bleeding money on high energy costs and property taxes etc.
It is just the cycle of life.
At first I thought that if I fixed the Gretsch up a bit I could play it for a few more years and then sell it.
I realize now that it wouldn't be worth it.
I will probably have to relocate to a place outside of New England because it is simply too expensive to live here.
It's too bad because I grew up here and I consider this my home.
I couldn't predict the world economic crises.
I am simply going to slowly cash out and sell off everything that I no longer need.
I may even move in with a friend who is a few years older and he is in the same place that I am.
He is old, tired, and he no longer can maintain his home.
 
I only play these drums for a novelty now.
I really don't need the kit.
I began playing smallar dimension kits a few years ago.
If I bought another kit it would be a 14x20, 8x12 and a 14x14 set up.
I am in the process of downsizing everything.
In the next few years I am even going to move to a smallar home.
I am getting old and I can't use large homes, large cars, and large drum kits anymore.
I can't maintain my home by myself like I used to because I simply am not healthy enough.
I am simply sitting here with a sore back trying to maintain all of this stuff that I don't need and I am bleeding money on high energy costs and property taxes etc.
It is just the cycle of life.
At first I thought that if I fixed the Gretsch up a bit I could play it for a few more years and then sell it.
I realize now that it wouldn't be worth it.
I will probably have to relocate to a place outside of New England because it is simply too expensive to live here.
It's too bad because I grew up here and I consider this my home.
I couldn't predict the world economic crises.
I am simply going to slowly cash out and sell off everything that I no longer need.
I may even move in with a friend who is a few years older and he is in the same place that I am.
He is old, tired, and he no longer can maintain his home.

Yeesus Bob, that's just downright depressing...

I really hope this works out for you. Its not just guys your age, I'm trying like hell to find a job here and I already have my degree and experience.

Out of curiosity, since you will be splitting this baby up, what will you be hoping to get out of that rack tom?
 
I'm sad to hear that from you Bob because you're clearly a guy with a lot to live for based on the positivity and enthusiasm you usually show on this board.

I'm not sure what to say other than that but I'm sorry to hear that you find yourself in this situation. At least you realise the issues at hand. In a few years I suspect some of my grandparents are going to have a real shock when they realise they can't get out of their house (in the middle of some very difficult countryside - down the road from Andy as it happens) and are instead stuck inside all day. I'm glad you feel you can make this choice now and I hope it all works out for you as it should do.
 
I haven't decided what I want yet. I will use eBay examples for my pricing.
I am not depressed. I am happy and relieved that I have made some decisions.
 
I haven't decided what I want yet. I will use eBay examples for my pricing.
I am not depressed. I am happy and relieved that I have made some decisions.

I'm glad you're not depressed. I didn't get the feeling you were, as long as you realise that the decisions you're making are positive decisions and I believe that they are.
 
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