anybody know what i can do with and old pearl kit made of balsa to make it sound good--i used to play w/ duct tape on the heads and a blanket in the 22"`bass

I think new heads and someone who knows how to tune them...that's it...they should sound great!

I'd suggest getting new heads, and beneath the heads, place a piece of cloth about 2 1/2 - 3" across the center of the toms and a 1" strip across the snare. This will eliminate a lot of the excess ring that the toms can sometimes produce. For the bass drum, if you're looking for a more deep sounding bass, then on the reverse side of the head, place a folded piece of cloth about 2" big, and maybe 2 or 3 layers thick right where the pedal hits the drum. This will muffle the sound a bit, but still give it a strong "vibe". If you want it to sound a little more like a bigger florr tom, then put a blanket in the center, but place it up against the outside head of the drum. This lets a lot of the sound echo through the drum, but muffles some of the noise.