Alright, and I just got the heads, slapped 'em on the drums, tuned them up, and played the restored Gretsch kit for the first time. Amazing! Here are the pics:
1. The obligatory hardware in the suitcase shot...those who have followed my saga will know that I like to pack all of my drum hardware into a single suitcase, minus the hi hat stand and throne. This is the hardware used with this kit, including a second snare stand to mount the rack tom, 3 flat-based stands (two modern Ludwig, one vintage Ludwig), a DW5000 bass drum pedal, the floor tom legs, and the original cymbal L-arm for mounting a cymbal on the bass drum.
2. Here she is...front view straight on.
3. Here she is again...front view from standing position. Note: I have yet to get a grommet for the bass drum badge, so it's not on there for the time being.
4. Here's the birdseye view. Yes, I DID get a 22" K Light Ride, thanks for noticing. Also, I'm using 15" 1950s A hats, an 18" Sabian Vault crash, a 20" K Crash/Ride (or a 19" Med. Thin Dark Crash, or even sometimes a 17" 1970s paper-thin crash), and a 16" Sabian HHX Evolution crash. Yes, these are my light cymbals for quieter gigs, and all of them "open up" very nicely at quiet dynamics.
5. Here's a close-up of the L-arm used to hold the 22" ride. Yes, I've tested its strength to make sure the cymbal won't fall one way or the other--this sucker isn't budging. I don't trust the bracket on my Ludwig kick drum, but this one on the Gretsch is rock-solid. Oh, and would you look at that grain on the bass drum!
6. Here's the snare I'm playing with the kit. It's a 1928 Slingerland Tone Flange, but with the "flange" removed, the screws taken out of the bearing edge, and the whole edge sanded down past the holes to leave a perfect bearing edge on top of the magnificent 80+ year old solid mahogany shell. That wrap on it is original, and is the very first "sparkle" finish ever created. It's more like a sand that kinda sparkles. Either way, it's beautiful and it's a miracle that it (the wrap AND the drum) survived this long.