I painted an old 4pc. Rogers kit years ago (actually French Polished, not painted). It looked good, but took forever. Care must be taken (especially with older drums), that you do not seperate or chip plies while removing the old finish, especially if you are not planning on using wraps. Personally though, I'd recommend wraps, as they are way less work to apply, and even a first timer can get results that can look spectacular.