This is always a tough question. Opinions will vary but you will need to decide what it is you want out of the kit. If your concern is a great players kit then I think you need to make the kit playable and if that means repairing a bearing edge then that is just part of maintaining a playable kit. If you are only concerned about resale value then leave them alone.

I think if you are maintaining any kit for performance purposes then maintaining bearing edges is just part of it. A lot of high profile players have edges reshaped as a matter of course by someone they trust when they come from the factory. Certainly, a well cared for kit that was in excellent shape from the factory may never require edge work, but it is still a critical part of drum performance to have great edges. You will find that the smaller the drum, the more critical the tuning. Turning the drum over will really limit your tuning range of the drum but might help depending on the kind of tuning you use.

If you want to play them, I would at least have them evaluated.

+1 on what tnsquint said!

I had new edges installed on my Ludwig Downbeat kit... brand new, drop-shipped from Ludwig. After having the edges leveled and a Ludwig-style profile installed, they are incredible drums! Plus, you would NEVER know they are not factory original.

I realize there are many people/companies who can do good edge work. For my money, I trust Precision Drum Company in the East (New York) and Heuer's Drum Lab in the West (Burbank, CA.)

Mark (Merry Christmas!)

+1 on re-cutting the edges. If a great drum is never given good edges, it's legs are cut off and the poor thing is never able to sing like the great drum it was supposed to be from the factory. A vintage Luddy tom with bad edges is no better than a 1995 TKO with bad edges. Good edges are just part of the equation for any difference to be realized. It's really that simple.

If you decided to just shine it up and look at it, edges don't really matter. Playing it is another story, and I, among many others, do not think that should be counted against its value if edges were re-cut because......like I said, the edges were so bad from the factory that it could not outshine a (fill in the blank here with the crappiest drum you can think of).

Vintage collectability (sp?) does not exempt it from the general physics of sound.

J

about 90% of a bearing edges function is as a seal. the other 10% is due to the position on the head where the seal takes place, which affects the diameter of the head by fractions of an inch and some of which affects the point of contact on the shell and therefore a small amount of shell resonance. With ply shells there is little effect and with solid shells relatively more , depending on it's thickness; so bearing edge angle or conformation is a minor effect and bearing edge trueness is a major effect.

a small amount of trimming, polishing can bring most edges into spec. ,so that the drum seals under most head tensions but really low tensions ,sometimes don't seal so well. if the edges are really bad or hacked up then the expense/effort of recutting them ,might be warranted and you will only increase the drums value but most of what is often needed can be done with simple tools at home.----all you need is a flat surface , some sandpaper and a light. don't turn them over; it will change the sound somewhat but won't solve the problem. now you will have a reso head leak.

I've had numerous sets over the years but space being what it is, I've kept only one set that is vintage and "playable". It's an early 70's 5 piece Ludwig olive badge, oyster blue pearl ( 22, 16, 14, 13 supraphonic 6.5 snare). I posted here about the "questionable" quality of the manufacturing methods back then. Granted the shells definitely look hand made a so much so that there are visible imperfections most notably on the floor tom's rims. The section where the rims are joined and overlapped was done so poorly ( in my estimation) that when I brought it to the attention of the store owner (Manny's NYC), their answer was to use a heavier skin to eliminate that 'fluttering" at that point of contact. Had that happened today (lol being significantly older) I would have demanded it either being replaced or fixed. Don't get me wrong the drums sound good and I've only ever played them at live dates. I have no idea if they could pass the muster in a recording situation. In any event, I toyed with the option of having them evaluated for true roundness and whether or not the bearing edges could be fixed vs affecting the value of the set. If money were no object and I could find a trustworthy craftsman, i would have them "fixed" ... My opinion is that vintage drums should be cherished in terms of their original construction BUT one should try to make them sound the best they could .. if that is at all possible

Well; The edges are not very bad looking. But there is a difference.

I've put new heads on it, and it sings amazing, great tone, but that at higher tuning.

With lower tuning, it's just very difficult to adjust the head because of the difference at the edges, I'm getting a sloppy head on one side quite fast.

For me, a drumset is an instrument that should be played. So I want a players kit, but of course I would like to have the same value for it if I ever decide te resell it.

Maybe just a slight adjustment should be enough, but I don't dare to do it myself for sure...

Since you are leaning that way anyway, I would absolutely get the edges recut. I would suggest a reputable craftsman and probably try to recreate the original factory edge profile. The reality is you are giving the kit a necessary tune up which is no different than a guitar player having their frets redressed. For all any of us know the edges may have been really poor from the factory. I have had kits like just like that. I had to tune the toms up to a point where they nearly choked before I could just get the wrinkles out. Very frustrating. Good luck!

So I just read up on these responses.....wanting to comment that we almost have him convinced.........trying to think of an analogy to use - like a pre-1920s car that is not driven anyway - just sits in the museum.......or a 1905 drum that is not primarily used by playing it......then I scroll up to see what it is we are talking about anyway.....and it's a Mach 4! Cut the edges already! With all due respect to Luddy owners (and Mach 4 owners) this drum in question is not at all an antique like my analogies, and is barely old enough to call 'vintage'....not even older than we are!

Please.....get both edges inspected and at least that one edge re-cut!!!! It is dying to sing the way a Mach 4 was supposed to!

What would a Luddy drum builder who worked on that drum say to this drum in question? He would most definitely say get it fixed!

Trust me....I mean, us....when you start getting into edge cutting - it will change your world in a big way - for the better.

I mean - a 68 Slinger (5 piece)just went through my hands....was about mint condition - had original heads on it, and I was prepping it for new heads for a recording project. The edge on one of the toms was pathetic.....I couldn't believe how awful it was. It sounded like garbage and was obvious that the edge was the culprit. I wasted no time getting some wood filler out and fixing it by hand. I had no luxury of the shop to do a re-cut....fixed it by hand, and the word from the guys was that it sounded like a million bucks....best kit they ever recorded with (including that one tom in question). That kit is worth probably like $1500 (at least) and I still wasted no time in modifying it......why??? Because it could never be what it was supposed to be without fixing it. It can still be re-cut so it is not dependent on a filler fix job and......it does now, and will then - sound like a great vintage drum it was supposed to.

I am not a gun guy at all...don't even own any. But another analogy is a gun that won't work because it has a bent barrel. If it can not perform its function, it must be fixed no matter what some collectors consider damaging to its value. Remember that while it is vintage, it may not be a one-of-a-kind collector that will not need a repair (as it will never be used anyway). Let the poor thing get the fix and sing like the drum builder intended (but evidently was too pressured by his quota to care about quality)!

ok - I'm done now.....thanks for listening to my rant.....this issues just really bugs me when it sabotages a drum owner from enjoying his vintage drum!

John

Do it. You'll be glad you did. And even if you don't think one of the drums needs new edges, at least have the artisan give it a look.