Hey Gary,

I just measured. It's a little less than 13 7/8 inches across. Safe to wrap?

Here she is all finished up and wrapped in green sparkle from Jammin Sam!

I really thought Rich was right and that finishing up the drum may cost more than it would be worth. Especially with the micro-sensitive strainer missing... but then I found the perfect donor drum in a 14 inch silver sparkle Gretsch Marching Snare for sale locally! Score!!! It had the strainer hoops and everything else I needed plus I made almost all my money back selling the spare parts I didn't need! Still had to throw $60.00 bucks at a badge and the wrap but the whole drum was still completed for around $250.00. Anyway hat is the story here is the drum!

[IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/skapunk_edge/1960GretschBadgeShot002.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/skapunk_edge/1960GretschStrainerShot.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/skapunk_edge/IMG_0841.jpg[/IMG]

Great job!

I love reading about VDF members bringing drums back to life. Personally, I would rather have a drum where I put some type effort into making it playable. A connection gets created between the instrument and musician.

I think I like Green Sparkle now. Cool Dude

-Tim

Really nice job and I agree 100% with Thornbeck on the connection between instrument and musician when you bring something back to life. That will be a special drum for you.

I also find it interesting how some of these colors that I never cared for back when I started playing are now becoming interesting to me. Green sparkle, any of the "Mod" colors, the bowling ball finishes, all of those were not even the least bit appealing to me back then. I really did not care for blue or Red sparkle either because there was just so darn much of it and in the St. Louis area where I cam from, SLM seemed to order most of their MIJ kits in either red or blue sparkle. Now, pretty much any color when restored or at least nicely cleaned looks great to me. I even like some of the butcher block finishes when done well.

You did a great job, looks like a million bucks and that green sparkle looks good enough to eat!!