Vinyl?

[TURTLINATOR]

As most of you have probably guessed I am a fan of all things turtley, and I have wanted for as long as I have been drumming a tortoise shell print drumset. I was talking to my dad and he thought of using a vinyl wrap. my question is how would this affect the overall sound of the drum? I have maple shells if that makes a difference. Any input would be appreciated.

[Russ]

Properly applied wraps do not affect drum sound in any way. They are just a protective layer over the shell, to protect it long term and keep it sounding it's best. If you are looking to make tortoiseshell as a graphic onto your drums, without a doubt wraps are the way to go. Sold singly, a wrap with a design on it is a variable cost depending on the size of the drum and whether or not this design already exists, or you had it made. What you'll wanna do is first find an image you like on google images, and then get in touch with a custom wrap company such as Sicskinz(my personal fave) or Rockenwraps.

There is a fee to have your design made, on top of the fee for the wraps themselves. I have done this a few times myself, and it can get expensive. The best course of action is to send an email to the company you'd like to order from, with your image if they do not have the design already, and ask for final costs and a digital mockup of how your drums will look with the new wraps installed. Sicskinz is the best I know of, because they respond to emails promptly and are professional.

[TURTLINATOR]

Thats what I wanted to know. Thanks alot Russ, but would a vinyl sticker type material work as well? Or would it have to be professional drum specific wrap?

[Russ]

I've never heard of using vinyl based material to cover drums, so I can't help much in that area unfortunately. I've used plastics like Delmar and PVC with good results though. The thing is the companies that design these customized wraps for the customers special needs might not use vinyl's. You could ask them, but I can't say for sure if they do. If you could get your hands on a roll of vinyl, you can cut it to fit the drum- it just won't be the same.

[Exotic Matter]

Are you taking about the red tortoise shell common on guitar pick guards like below, or like a green, reptile tortoise shell?

[Gretschhead]

I have used a Vinyl sparkle sticker wrap before called sparklebrite, it is sold at craft stores. Honestly I was not impressed with the results at all. The stuff is just too thin and is hard to work with. I had lots of problems trying to get air bubbles out of the wrap. A Delmar or PVC plastic wrap is much more ridgid and easier to get the wrap uniform around the drum. Like Russ said, a properly applied wrap will not have effect on the sound, with a stong glue bond the wrap becomes part of the shell and vibrates freely with it and does not choke any sound.

[gonefishin]

Good to seae you again TURTL........I agree when properly applied, no problem.

[TURTLINATOR]

Alright thanks for the input guys, and Exotic I'm talking about like a green reptile shell print.