Vintage Corner: Restoration, BR commemorative pad

I recently acquired this pad, a Buddy Rich Commemorative model made by Drum Workshop in the 2010s. This is a very different pad than the Buddy Rich commemorative models made by HQ/Real Feel in 2002. 

This pad uses DW's white rubber on a laminated wood base. a black foam on the underside serves as a second playing surface and is nice for quiet warming up. The white rubber isn't as freely bouncy as that found on the Real Feel pads, but requires a little more effort to "pull" strokes out when playing. I find that it works best with concert or drum kit sticks, rather than marching sticks.
The top of the pad is ringed in a mother-of-pearl trim that echoes the finish found on Buddy's drum kits, making for a very classy finish. The pad was made in limited quantities and originally sold for well over $100 at the time (roughly 2015-17). It's is now highly collectible and difficult to find on the used market. (There's one available on Reverb right now and the seller is asking over $800 for it.)

My pad arrived in good, but dirty, condition. I set about giving it a nice glow-up.
 

Tan or white rubber on vintage (and/or used) pads can discolor with age, use and exposure to sunlight.

You can often return rubber to its former glow with some careful cleaning.

I use Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner and a fine-textured white sponge (like the soft “erasers” used to clean computer screens).

Work outside because many bathroom cleaners often have a little bleach or vinegar that sensitive noses don’t like.

Shake well, spray on in a circle and let the foam lift the dirt for one to two minutes. Scrub gently with the computer sponge until the dirt and grime have been lifted. Then wipe off all the cleaner with a warm, damp cloth and let dry.

Also: white and tan rubber don’t handle direct sunlight well at all. When not in use, store these pads face-down and away from direct sunlight to preserve the rubber longer.

Below: before and after photos of my most recent pad find.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(And no, it's not for sale.)