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Thread: Protecting The Inside Of Shells?

  1. #1

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    Default Protecting The Inside Of Shells?

    I've been lucky enough to re-acquire a 90s Premier Genista kit that I let go of last year. And with them being close to vintage age by now, I was wondering if there are any suggestions of what I could use on the interior of the shells more as protection than any kind of sound enhancement. These shells already are the best sounding birch kit I've ever played, so all I really wanna do it make sure they stay in as mint condition as possible.

    Any suggestions? Teak oil?

  2. #2

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    That would work. Tung oil would be the most common option. Any oil that soaks in and forms a barrier. Preferably a low sheen or satin/matte. It might make a very subtle difference in sound... just a touch brighter probably.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  3. #3

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    boy I've never oil in the inside of my drums.
    this strikes my curiousity

  4. #4

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    I've never heard of this either. The inside is supposed to be naturally unfinished from the factory and I am sure there is a reason for that. I may be wrong so someone prove me different.

  5. #5

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    It's really no big deal. Gretsch, Ludwig, Rogers, Premier, Tama, Yamaha, Pearl.....everyone has used paint, stain or some type of coating or "sealer" on the inside of shells. Heck, Gretsch still does. Tung oil is pretty non-evasive compared to paint, clear lacquer or other methods that close off the surface. Oil will soak (disappear) into the grain and protect it from moisture. It doesn't effect the grain texture like paint, lacquer or surface coatings. It does darken the color ever so slightly at first, but as time goes on, it fades. After a couple months, you can't tell. Since it soaks in to the wood, some people say it will give the the wood the acoustic properties of a more dense wood. I've never noticed a difference, but I only apply 2-3 coats.
    Last edited by N2Bluz; 10-23-2016 at 11:30 AM.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I've never heard of this either. The inside is supposed to be naturally unfinished from the factory and I am sure there is a reason for that. I may be wrong so someone prove me different.
    Because it adds cost and another step in production? Or...maybe protecting the shell interiors is not as important today due to modern shell construction processes and glue composition (kind of like re-rings)? My guess is both.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  7. #7

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    Some drums are lacquered inside, some painted, some bare. If your Genista (tasty kit BTW) has bare interiors, then I would leave them. My Dubs are from the same era. They have bare interiors that are factory fresh still after twenty years.

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  8. #8

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    ok I feel better I'm not the only one who hasn't heard of doing this.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by SunDog View Post
    Some drums are lacquered inside, some painted, some bare. If your Genista (tasty kit BTW) has bare interiors, then I would leave them. My Dubs are from the same era. They have bare interiors that are factory fresh still after twenty years.
    You're probably right. I guess I'm just being paranoid after getting them back kicking myself for a year thinking they were long gone. If it were some Groove Percussion set that was that old it might make more sense, but I'm sure a kit as well made and high level as these were (and yours, too), they probably made them to last.

    Thanks for the compliment on the kit, too. I'll get some pics up soon once I have time and try to find room to set them all up in my tiny little space.

  10. #10

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    I had an old Beater CB kit that I added Tung oil to the inside of and it did darken the inside of the shells quite a bit, I also noticed a sound difference that was slightly brighter and better. Made the inside of the shells look much better. It gets darker the more coats you add, I put on 2 coats.
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  11. #11

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    Gretsch USA shells have the legendary silver sealer, whatever that is.
    Supposedly it is a trade secret as a component of "That Great Gretsch Sound".

    When I was taking the factory tour last summer, we talked about the sealer..............the plant manager showed me a sample of the sealer right out of the gallon bucket that was being used that day.............it had micro-chips of something metallic in it.............he said "I don't know what it is, but it must be adding something".

    I've heard rumors over the years that it is nothing more than a protective coating for a galvanized fence..............I truly have no idea.

    But it ain't oil.
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
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  12. #12

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    There is a reason Gretsch only puts it on their higher level kits - cost. It used to be done by many more companies, but to hold the line on cost, it's not as common anymore. There are many reasons why it was done - to seal the wood from moisture and warpage (back when everything was thin 3-ply), to hide crappy wood grain, to increase projection (although I have trouble swallowing this one as much more than marketing spin).

    Does it change the tone to any audible degree? Who the h really knows. Maybe. You'll get substantially more variation in sound just by turning a tension rod a 1/2 turn or from the properties of the room you're in.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by MDK View Post
    I had an old Beater CB kit that I added Tung oil to the inside of and it did darken the inside of the shells quite a bit, I also noticed a sound difference that was slightly brighter and better. Made the inside of the shells look much better. It gets darker the more coats you add, I put on 2 coats.
    Kinda depends on the wood. On my cheap Maxwin kit (Luan) it turned one tom dark brown. It was a little darker to start with. On the others it barely had any effect. On my Maple and Birch kits, it gave them a slightly gold tint.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ricardo View Post
    ..........it had micro-chips of something metallic in it.............he said "I don't know what it is, but it must be adding something".

    I've heard rumors over the years that it is nothing more than a protective coating for a galvanized fence..............I truly have no idea.

    But it ain't oil.
    If it is galvanizing paint, that would be Zinc.

    Quote Originally Posted by G-man View Post
    There is a reason Gretsch only puts it on their higher level kits - cost. It used to be done by many more companies, but to hold the line on cost, it's not as common anymore. There are many reasons why it was done - to seal the wood from moisture and warpage (back when everything was thin 3-ply), to hide crappy wood grain, to increase projection (although I have trouble swallowing this one as much more than marketing spin).

    Does it change the tone to any audible degree? Who the h really knows. Maybe. You'll get substantially more variation in sound just by turning a tension rod a 1/2 turn or from the properties of the room you're in.
    Coatings will seal the surface and have a different density than the wood. Makes sense that it could alter the sound. Rough textures and dull finishes accentuate low frequencies, smooth and shiny accentuates high....at least that's the theory. I can say this, when I sprayed the insides of some cheap shells with trunk coating, it seemed to make a noticeable difference in projection and a more focused sound. I can only speculate it was due to the high density and added mass of the coating. Who knows...but it was an improvement on those shells, LOL.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

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