Wellington Custom Built Drums

--anyone ever heard of these things??? From the lack of information online, I'm getting the impression they're pretty rare, but have yet to determine if that's a good thing or not. Huge pics to follow:
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It's a skinny bass, 22x14, with 12, 13, mounted toms, and 16, 18" floor toms. They're wood shells lined with fiberglass internally, and the hardware looks to be pretty unique - although there's only one tom arm present. Snare and bass reso hoop and hardware are also missing in this kit. I'm intrigued by it though, Anyone have any thoughts or info???
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It looks from the pictures to have Pearl/now generic lugs,and the tom mounts look like what pearl used late 70's very Rogers looking,I have seen a pearl fiberglass kit with those style mounts on it.AS I remember the pearl made a combination f glass wood shell,but the fiber glass was much whiter and thicker in proportion with the rest of the shell.
 
Resized the pics - hopefully not as painful now... The only online info I've found was a post on a Pearl BBS, guy called 'em pearl wellingtons - but there were no pictures, and all the replies said the name rang no bells at all. This set's tom mount bases have "JAPAN" stamped into 'em, but that's really all the markings I can see so far. Hopefully somebody will stumble in here and recognize 'em I guess, The 18" FT has an actual decal (visible in the first pic) that says "Customized by Wellington" in addition to the oval badges - but the others are lacking that. Dunno. The bass drum shows the original color under the missing tom mount plate - and buffing the wrap nearby does not bring "that" color back - it's got some pretty heavy fading on this kit, either it's that old or spent a lot of time in the sun I suppose. Oh well... thanks for the attention, I'll keep checking back (and maybe get some more pics up here finally too...)
 
Just bought a 5 pc. set of charcoal acrylic Wellington Custom Built Drums yesterday from a guy in Salt Lake City. He's owned them since the 80's and they're in great shape. It's his understanding that some guy from Utah built them. He's got another set exactly like them but with a deeper kick and a fourth tom. They've got the same badge as your kit has. Looks to be handmade acrylic shells with pearl hardware...and a ton of washers to compensate for the thinner shell! I'd love to know if this guy is still alive somewhere- It'd be fun to say hey!
(I've got good pics of them, but am having a hard time resizing to attach...)
 
Those are old Pearl tom mounts from the 70's. I had a fiberglass Pearl kit with those and I got it used in 1975 when I was in Junior High, so they were early 70's mounts. The mounts in the picture look used, so I am wondering if they really are recycled Pearl mounts.

They aren't bad mounts. They can't be adjusted quickly, but they stay put pretty well.
 
Those look identical to Pearl's wood-fibreglass kits. Lugs, tom arms, everything... I'm looking at my own wood-fibreglass and they are the same bar the wrap.

All of that hardware is generic Pearl from the 70's -80's.Pearl did also make fiberglass lined 9 ply wood shells.Those drums look identical to those 70's Pearl kits.

There were lots of those kits made so there is no question that they aren't rare.Guys that have then swear by their sound.I'm not sure about the Wellington thing,but Pearl would sell drum sets without badges to anybody who bought enough of them.They were probably sold by a chain music store with their own badge.Kind of like OCPD kits sold by Guitar Center,which are't really OCPD,but cheaper imports.Same with First Act drums.There is no Frst Act drum company,so the retailer can badge then ,and call then what they want.Pearl at one time made hundreds of different badged kits for numerous retailers and music stores.

I say replace the heads,set em' up and play away.:)

Steve B
 
Yes, they are Pearl's i had a set last year..the bad news as you now is they are heavy..the good news is with good heads these drums sound pretty descent..they are a loud drum, louder then most maple or birch.
 
Wellington custom built drums were made by Jack Oldham in Salt lake City. I bought a9 pc. double bass set in 1977. Yes thats right 1977. They are amber tint acrylic. Same color as John Henry Bonam. Jack took me to a dinner club where a set of his drums were being played by The kingston trio;s drummer. Not my kind of music but i got to here them micked up. That sold me. They are the loudest drums I have ever heard, I still play them. Jack told me he used Tama hard ware but maybe I am wrong.He took me to a acrylic vendor and i picked out the color. The acrylic was in 4' x8' sheets when i first saw it.Jack took the acrylic to his work shop under the drum shop, rolled the cylinders and drilled the holes.Sorry for the long history lesson.
 
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