1977 Gretsch Bass Drum Question

[Rednose]

I have a maple Gretsch Bass Drum, 14 X 24 Model #426, and a
16X18 floor tom Model 4419.
Both are missing parts.
I'm looking to sell these but my question is:
Should I get all the missing parts and do a little restoration?
Would I get my money back or should I just put them up as is.
Also, what are these worth as is, and then complete?
I'm not a drummer so I'm not looking to use them, just sell them.
Thanks!

[joeq]

A replacement hoop for the front of the bass drum will probably run you $80 - $100. It may take a while to find a real Gretsch hoop that matches the finish, or you might find something 'close enough', I dunno.

T-rods are about $7 each and claws also about $7 each, and you will need 10, so add another $140 for them and a front head about $30.

looks like it's missing spurs - maybe another $30, so figure on spending close to $300 to get the drum back together. That chrome stuff adds up, but some potential buyers might already have a bunch of spare parts (Or they might play in a metal band. ) and be willing to buy the drum as is.

I have no idea if there is collector value on the particular drum, but unless there is, I doubt you would gain a huge advantage by fixing it up. And for all I know, maybe to keep the collectors happy, you would have to be more exacting on exactly which claws and hoops you use.

[Rednose]

Thanks for the reply!
I can sell it for $300, I have a lot of people who inquired about it.
Is that a good price, or is it worth way more?
Thanks

[joeq]

Originally Posted by Rednose

Thanks for the reply!
I can sell it for $300, I have a lot of people who inquired about it.
Is that a good price, or is it worth way more?
Thanks

I am no expert. I only know prices on things that I have recently bought. Last time I bought used shells, the whole kit cost me $200. I took the 18" floor tom and made a kick out of it. Had to buy a full set of the wooden hoops, claws, T-rods, spurs etc. That cost me more than what I paid for the whole kit.

A quick visit to eBay shows some Gretsch bass drums (with front heads and spurs), going for about $500-$600, so I would guess if you can avoid the hassle of ordering parts and refurbishing it, you probably should take the $300.

OTOH, there are some drums that will fetch quite a bit more, but you might have to ask at a specialized Gretsch forum or Vintage Drum forum to find out if your drum is one of those. They would probably ask for the serial numbers, close-ups of badges, mounts, mufflers etc.

[Rednose]

Thanks for the reply.
I put it up on craigslist for $300.00 and got five calls from people who wanted to buy it today.
Seems like $300.00 is to low.
Usually when I put stuff on craigslist I get one or two calls in a week, so I'm going to pull it and take my chances on Ebay.
I'll check out the drum forums.

[cgarges]

For whatever it's worth, I think it's a prety jerky move to put something up on craigslist and then change your mind about the price. Decide what you want to sell it for and sell it for that. If you want to get into a bidding thing, put it on ebay. That's the way you'll likely get the most money for it.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[Rednose]

Well, I guess I'm pretty jerky then???
I got information from a vintage drum shop that they were worth $300.00.
After doing more research, I found out they were worth more.