High End Drums vs. Mid Range

slingerland · #11 (**permalink**) 03-06-2010, 07:32 PM

I've been playing as long as you and I know your right,most of the younger drummers on this and every site buy drums for 2 reasons 1 Brand name and 2 for Looks. Everybody is sold on DW and I do believe they are a good company, when I went into Sam Ash and told them I was interested in buying a new set of drums the salesman asked are you interested in Brand or Sound ? I said Sound I mentioned DW he said If I played on 10 sets of drums and you couldn't see the name of the sets when I was through the best sounding sets would not be DW I really couldn't believe that, so I went to 2 GC stores and they said something similiar. Now I'm looking at Tama or Yamaha alot less money, Tama has alot more of the sound that I like the Star-Classic is the one I'm talking about.And Color is no big deal as I like the Sparkle one reason being if you want to upgrade you can always do it with a sparkle they never discontinue sparkle even DW would be able to ship out sparkle alot faster than Satins or anything else. Always change the drum heads if you don't like the sound or if you have doubts on the sound you can make a MID PRICED SET SOUND GREAT.

tfondrums · #12 (**permalink**) 03-06-2010, 10:42 PM

A colleague of mine tried out several maple snares. He ended up buying a $250.00 Pearl Master MCX after playing a $765.00 DW Collectors model and he couldn't see the $515.00 difference in sound. Tony Williams, a jazz drumming great is quoted as once saying that he'd play a pound of bologna if it had the right sound! In my opinion Pearl, Tama, Yamaha, Mapex, Gretsch, Ludwig and Sonor ALL have really good mid range kits. They ALL would require changing the factory heads though because the shells are far better quality than the heads that the companies put on them at the factory.

slingerland · #13 (**permalink**) 03-06-2010, 10:58 PM

Those companies I'm sure you know have HI End Kits as well. Look at the StarClassic Maple That's top line Tama it's reasonably priced for a HI END SET.

tfondrums · #14 (**permalink**) 03-06-2010, 11:29 PM

You're right, they all have high end products as well. I also think that Tama's Star Classic series and Mapex's Saturn and Orion lines provide very good value for the money. Peal's Masters MCX is also pretty decently priced with loads of high end features as well.

**Tainojim** · #15 (**permalink**) 03-07-2010, 06:11 AM

Try out a Gretsch Maple Custom kit. They sound great even with the stock heads that they come with.

I preferred to use Remo Pinstripes all around the kit. Then again, it's a matter of taste and type of music that applies.

Remember that there is a huge difference in sound between live and studio recordings.

All of the other brands make good drums also. It's a matter of how huge your wallet is in the end.