K.O., just because a famous drummer in 1965 was photographed in a ad with a natural maple RB Gretsch kit doesn't necessarily mean 100% that that natural maple kit pictured was not a stripped drum set.
Seriously?
Okay, but if Gretsch chose to strip a wrapped set (rather than use raw shells to make them from scratch) then they'd still be "factory" natural maple drums. By the same token how do we know that Gretsch didn't wrap, then unwrap and refinish your Walnut stain drums? Obviously they didn't but I think it's just as obvious that Persip's set wasn't created that way either.
My aside about the lacquer vs. wrapped shells was simply meant to point out that there were other factors at play besides the appearance and/or sound of the drums. Maybe all the Gretsch (or other company's) 1960's endorsees would have preferred the look or sound of lacquered drum shells but that doesn't mean that the company WANTED them using them. Of course now lacquered Gretsch drums are the top of the line and the wrapped drums are cheaper as Gretsch puts a LOT more labor into creating those glossy nitro lacquer finishes.
Not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers here, just debating some extremely arcane drum lore.
