I used scrubbing bubbles on my Gretsch and Camco kit. It works really well.

Manny

I suggest you worry a bit less about the added mount and focus on the following two items:

1. Start sourcing a matching floor tom. It shouldn't be too hard to find a 16x16. 14 will be much harder, but a 16 will sound fine.

2. Fix, or have someone fix the broken hoop.

3. Clean everything as best you can and put the blank plate on where the mount was, or measure diameter of the mount for a short mast to use for cowbell, as someone else suggested. The top of a not very expensive late-model cymbal stand will most likely fit for that purpose.

By all means do not sell your first drum kit! Repeat, do not sell your first drum kit That would be the cardinal error in my view, especially given that it is a Gretsch. And you will find that refinishing will not be wise either given the current color and the fact that only one mount was added. It is not as if someone has made swiss cheese of it or something like that, and it is, repeat, your first kit. That alone has a lot of value in my view.

Well, 3 items actually. DOH

I totally agree Dan..I wasn't planing on selling it. Just for y own piece of mind, I just wanted to refurbish and clean it up after seeing a few of them on line and seeing how nice they are. I would never sell my "1st drum set". I was actually looking at some floor tom, but it was just a shell w/o any the lugs, badge, or tension rods, or legs.. (it was a 16x16)

AS far as the hoop. I'll probably buy another "new" hoop with an in lay and use my inlay wrap in it. Do you know where I can get a wingtop screw that screws into the cymbal mount on the bass?

Thanks for the input!! NO I WON"T SELL IT!! =)

I'd use the Ludwig single or double mount arm that's made for the hole - cowbell will simply clip on to the one arm, L-arm with tilter on top for a splash cymbal on the other [bit of a rigging job maybe].

Do you have the Ludwig center pole?

Mitch

Yes, I do have the ludwig double tom holder for the whole. That's a good Idea, mount cowbell on one and on the other could connect a "dog bone" and attach a mini cymbal holder for a splash.. hmm..

I just picked up the the scrubbig bubbles to clean it.. It wasn't from Dow though... It was SC Johnson. "mega shower foamer with ultra long cling.. It says it removes Tough Soap Scum, Dirt, and Grime.. I hope this works!! It says it is also good on chrome!!

This vintage Gretsch mount will also fit that bass drum plate...

[ame]http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-gretsch-drum-/121427396891?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276[/ame]

This is the mount that was on my 1969 Sunset Satin Flame 5pc kit when I bought it new.....in 69. And, I do so now regret ever selling that kit. It never bothered me for decades - but the sin finally caught up with me. There's no hiding......but I have moved on with my life....got better after years of councelling via this Forum.

A little embarassing this photo - but it's the only surviving photo of me with my 69 Gretsch kit......by this time I had swapped out the COB Gretsch snare drum for a Premier 2004 (bought it in 1971 - 2004 is the model #) monsterous snare drum. You can kind of see the tom rack you pictured on you post K.O. the second bd (on my left) is from my first MIJ kit - I liked Mr. Baker back then.....I didn't sound too much like him haha

Kona,

That is a cool picture.. Yes, the Days of Ginger Baker. Amazing Drummer.

I'm not going to sell it. But I'm upset that the whole is there.. And I can't get a matching wrap for it.. I bought the scrubbing bubbles and a soft brush and some chrome polish like everybody here suggested (Thank you all!) I'm going to start cleaning it up.. and for now leave the whole...still need to get a new 20" bass drum hoop with an inlay.

Cool that you're fixing up your first kit.

My advice: stop beating yourself up for making the kit better meet your needs back in the day.

It was hardly unusual; Ringo's iconic Ludwig kit had Rogers mounts installed, at least one of Buddy Rich's Slingerland kits had a Ludwig mount installed, Bonham's first Ludwig kit with Zeppelin had a Rogers mount installed.

If you can't stand to be reminded of your youthful folly, it would be a bigger sin to strip that old wrap off, so put a cover plate on it. You might even be able to get some similar wrap and stick it to the cover plate, or at least paint a less obtrusive color on the plate.

Most people think of metal when they hear "plate," but a piece of 1/8" birch ply would work, too, and if you finish it, would look classier (IMO). You could even come up with a creative way to mount it so that you don't have big honkin' screw heads sticking up.

Also, you might be able to mend that hoop with some Titebond.