pimpin' time once again...

why do all the cheapos and midline drums dont come with finished insides? i wish i knew the answer to that, im guessing that's just to keep cost low but the shells need the added protection from mold and moisture. old drums have the insides painted for some sort of sonic benefit, think gretsch's silver sealer and tama's zola coat, but i think they are applied to hide the ugly veneer inside =)

im going to "seal" the inside of my fernando 14x3.5 piccolo. the outer part is a maple veneer finished in natural polyurethane gloss. the inside is poplar, at least i think it is, and it does not have any finishing. its sanded smooth already so i just cleaned it with a rag and then grabbed my can of tung oil.



use a glove to:

• minimize cleanup
• avoid skin irritation, tung oil is a skin irritant (the label says so)

its a wipe-on so i grabbed a dry clean cloth to apply the tung oil on the shell.



wipe it on hard on the shell. dont put an excessive amount. apply a light coat first and then let it dry for half a day and then put another light one. just put on 2 coats a day.



tung oil not only seals the wood from moisture but also enhances the grain of the wood. here's the shell in one coat.



you dont need an inch-thick coat for the inside, just 2 coats will do. dont forget to apply it on the bearing edges too.

you can use anything you like, varnish, lacquer or even poly. tung oil is expensive stuff so you might want to opt for the cheaper alternative which is varnish. tung oil is natural and varnish is synthetic.

i've done this on all of my drums and i couldnt discern any change in sound. maybe gretsch's silver sealer is just a psychological effect created by their marketing people. not bashing gretsch or anything but then again...