AT a cost of over $2000 for JP's replacement lugs and considering he takes a year to get them to you...

Personally, I don't even see that as an option.

Maybe not to you, but to me, if I was looking for a keeper B&B lug kit that I absolutely had to have, I would spend the money. What else would you spend it on anyway? x-mas3

30$ for a lugcasing is a friggin joke..

Right now Im thinking about reinforceing them.. There are some guys that have done this succesfully.. check this out: http://www.runboard.com/brogersownersforum.f9.t2642

I'm not sure if I'm able to pull that off though. but it works for him.. he's been using that snare daily for two years without any probs.. impressive.. there's something fishy about it though, I mean, it's such an obvious simple solution, why haven't more people done this?

You may think the price is a joke, but you're not considering the cost of making them. Its ONE GUY that makes them, and he makes them in limited runs. Its all cost of materials and labor and the cost of plating, which isn't cheap anymore either.

The other guy on that other forum has a good idea in theory, but in the longrun in actual real world conditions, they will not hold up to high tension tuning. Its been tried many different times and ways over the years to repair the original brass lugs with limited success. Usually it works for a while, but eventually they will ultimately fail. So then you're back to square one.....repair them AGAIN (ugh!), search for originals in great condition (which are practically non-exsistant and when they do come up they fetch a fortune because of it!), or break down and buy the reproductions made out of steel (which are cheaper than mint originals and less time wasting than fixing broken originals over and over again).

You can go whatever route you want, they are your drums. I'm just saying if they were mine I wouldn't redrill for newer style beavertails, I'd buck up and spend the megabux on the repros. That is what I would do to my own Rogers B&B lug drums (if I owned any). I personally would be happier with the drums knowing that they look right AND can be gigged with and not worry about possible lug failures. But that's me.

This is why my premium Rogers buys are mid 1963-67. The flat gray Cleveland/Dayton Beavertail era.

But wouldn't you just love to have that one primo B&B lugged set? Just because Ploughman? Cool Dude

my pop's '62 B&B lugs have no cracks......yet! i hope they stay that way!

[COLOR="Green"]Yes, that is one take on it...and I totally understand that take.

As you well alluded to, Jim Petty really charges highway robbery for those repros. He's a nice fella and a fun guy to talk to, but he has the market cornered and they really, do take FOREVER to get....I am talking 3 months if you are lucky...more likely 4+ months.

$25-a-pop for tom lugs.....just a rack tom will cost $300...a FT, yeow...what ? ...$400.

The bass lugs are $30-a-pop.

I swear I actually contacted some machinists locally hoping they could beat his price...but they were coming in over $45/lug with a minimum order of 100...

now, with that said...the repros were the ONLY choice I could go with on the Mardi-Gras set. It's just too special a kit to have done otherwise. And they do look and perform fantastically.

But...$$$...ouch. Hurting

The elongation of the hole is gonna increase the hole length by just under double of the original diameter...if you do the B'tail replacements.

Quite honestly...this is one of those quagmires.... where no solution is a good solution.

You either just look at the kit and not play it.....pony up $1200 for replacement repro lugs..... try doing the internal reinforcing with cold weld and hope it holds up over time....or do the deed and switch 'em to B'tails.....

At this point whenever I pick up a B&B drum, I am already intending on switching out the lugs and selling every B&B which is still uncracked, just to recoup most of the $ I am gonna put into it.[/COLOR]

Jaye, this is where you and I differ on this point. If I find a B&B lug Rogers, first thing I ask is how much.....if its rediculous, I pass because I know I am already thinking in terms of repro lugs. I wouldn't even consider "doing the deed' as you state. Will I have more into the drum than its currently worth? Probably, but I'd be looking at it from a longterm investment point of view. Eventually, the supply of original uncracked lugs is going to dry up, and yes Jim has the market cornered, however, he does offer a quality product and offers an alternative to drilling and fitting non-original beavertails. My theory is that eventually, Rogers Cleveland B&B era drums with repro lugs will INCREASE the value of the drums as it makes them usuable drums again AND it keeps them more "correct" looking. Anytime I pick up and check out a Rogers cleveland era drum and find it has been "modified" (I call it hacked, because thats pretty much what you are doing to the drum) with beavertail lugs, I set it down and pass on it. Once those holes are drilled or "ovaled out" there is no going back to B&B lugs, repro or otherwise. It significantly devalues the drum when beavertails are fitted, more than when the drum has all its original cracked B&B lugs still intact. Its kind of like when you find a Gretsch 3-ply, or a Radio King, or a Leedy bass drum fitted with 80's type Pearl tom mounts, or a Ludwig double tom mount with that GIANT hole drilled in the top of the bass shell Mind Blowi Beavertails fitted to a B&B drum is the same thing as that to me.

Like I said, if I was keeoing it longterm, I'd spend the dough on the repros, I personally would be happier in the long run knowing I saved a drum correctly. :D

And thats my :2Cents:

I don't really see how you damage the drums by installing bevertails, you basicly make the things playable, and I believe that drums should be played on.. Still I prefer the look of the b/b's and I'd more than gladly make a profit on fanatic collectors..