If I had an early 60's OBP Jazzfest I'd be letting everybody know, and maybe that 33K offer would arrive!

These rare drum "price bubbles" don't happen often and should be taken advantage of....

My guess is that that $30K bubble burst as soon as the offer was turned down. One highly motivated person with money to burn after one particular snare drum that belonged to one particular person. All that might not line up again....ever. If the guy was seriously throwing those kinds of offers around chances are he eventually did get one of those '63 OBP drums from somebody and he probably doesn't need two.

[QUOTE=K.O.;342442]The actual drum shell in question was measured at 5.5" while being prepared for display at the Grammy Museum last year.

I actually live an hour outside of LA. I got pics somewhere of that kit and the snare. Plus pics of the thermo kit he used on the rooftop. They also had the gold plated supra there too.

Recently there was a superb example of a 1968 Oyblack JF on auction here in Japan and the highest bid reached just $ 1500 . Didn't reach reserve price - whatever that was .

I live about four hours from LA (by 737) and I went and saw them too in January 2014. Pretty cool. Except for the no picture taking rule...fortunately I'm an inveterate scofflaw

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEReH3M7CD8"]Ringo's Beatles Drums on display in L.A. 2014 - YouTube[/ame]

Hey K.O.!

Very cool...and glad you are an "inveterate scofflaw"!

Mark

Great vid! I too don't follow rules all that well. Being there was a surreal experiance. I stood just starring at the Sullivan kit for probably an hour and a half. A good part of that time i debated if they would kick me out or have me arrested if i moved the plastic partician opening and just sat down behind them.

On a side note, did you notice how filthy the kit was?! I couldn't believe it! And that snare was raunchy dirty.!

That`s the dirt of "Rock & Roll" history on those drums and the natural patina to accompany that.I`d love to see them shiny and bright but some serious DNA would be lost in the removal process. I say-Let it Be...

Wayne

They were cleaned to a degree for the exhibit (I know the guy that got to do it) but they tried to leave them as found. The maple set was the one they did the most cleanup on as they hadn't been stored too well and had been cleaned before with something that did more damage to them than good.

Even though this link is based on Ringo's Premier kit, it does offer a great story about his switch from Premier to Ludwig. Go to the "Let Me Take You Down" section.

http://www.ringosbeatlekits.com/Premier_Kit.html

Ringo received his first OBP kit on May 12, 1963 just before the TV appearance on Thank Your Lucky Stars. There are rehearsal pictures with the Premier kit and then the Ludwig kit was seen during the broadcast. So it was switched out sometime between rehearsal and performance.

I've also read somewhere that one of the Premier boardrooms had a picture hanging of Ringo with the caption, "The One That Got Away". Just think how different things would have been, if it wasn't for Ivor Arbiter.

Can you imagine finding Ringo's Mahogany Duroplastic kit? That auction would be insane!

-Tim