DW drummers

[Jusstickinaround]

Considering buying a DW kit, need opinions on there sound, the only experience I have is with a kit at Guitar Center. In the store they sound great. How are they live with amplified music? Can you achieve a nice tone at any tuning? Any help would be appreciated.

[TopCat]

hmm..I think Dw are only one of the most discussed top-end kit manufacturers (sadly). So you're telling me you couldn't find a thread on your question already?



http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/search.php?searchid=604931

[Skitch]

Considering buying a DW kit, need opinions on there sound, the only experience I have is with a kit at Guitar Center. In the store they sound great. How are they live with amplified music? Can you achieve a nice tone at any tuning? Any help would be appreciated.


Well, since you asked......

I really enjoy playing my DW drums. They make me want to play and practice more...

At the end of one of my practice sessions (about 4 hours) I thought to myself that I really loved playing these drums! Some people will say that DW drums have a limited tuning range. Many of the people haven't owned a DW kit long enough to find out. I suppose that the range is like any other brand of drum; the tuning range is determined by the skill of the tuner. As far as being in an amplified music setting, any drum kit is going to have have SOME sound reinforcement against guitar amps and/or a PA. Usually the Kick drum is going to need to be mic'ed up, if the PA allows for it which means the the PA should have some sub-woofers and preferably a crossover. If not, then the kick drum will come out sounding distorted. I would definitely figure in a good MAYEA internal mic for the kick drum on your new kit. These can be added post construction by usnig the no-drill adapter and will only enhance the drum's sound!

Let me know if my response has helped you in your decision. Really, in all honesty, it is your money and no one else's opinion or what they want should matter!


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com


http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw

[Fat Elvis]

DW drums are great. Pleanty of great threads about them. They have a great tuning range, sound great live, look great.... overall, i obviously love them and highly recommend them.

Dont listen to Top Cat -- he is an all-around negative guy. ;)

[gusty]

Dont listen to Top Cat -- he is an all-around negative guy. ;)

You know what- i think your right ;)
topcat, why would you put that in your sig anyway? are you trying to warn newbies or something?

[aceman]

Dw makes great kits. They are (IMO) a bit over priced but... So are lexus, bmw's etc.. They seem to have a sound of they're own (depending on head selection, tuning etc..) Yamaha drums seem to have a distinct sound also (very resonant) which is why I prefer Yamaha. But the DW's I've played were VERY strong sounding drums. Lots of low-end, good clarity, and without all the bothersome overtones that alot of other drums seem to have. I have thought about purchasing a Dw kit recently but cant justify getting rid of my MCA kit. Its all personal preference.... You drive a Ford while I drive a Chevy etc..

[Jusstickinaround]

Dw makes great kits. They are (IMO) a bit over priced but... So are lexus, bmw's etc.. They seem to have a sound of they're own (depending on head selection, tuning etc..) Yamaha drums seem to have a distinct sound also (very resonant) which is why I prefer Yamaha. But the DW's I've played were VERY strong sounding drums. Lots of low-end, good clarity, and without all the bothersome overtones that alot of other drums seem to have. I have thought about purchasing a Dw kit recently but cant justify getting rid of my MCA kit. Its all personal preference.... You drive a Ford while I drive a Chevy etc..

I recently saw that Pete Erskine and Alex Acuna went with Dw after over 25 years with Yamaha. There must be a reason other than money, it seems DW's are like Ludwig was back in the sixties and seventies, everybody wants to play them.

[aceman]

Don't know their reasoning for switching to DW. Must be personal preference I assume. Though DW makes outstanding products, I'd opt for a Bubinga kit if I were to spend the money for another high end kit.

[TopCat]

You know what- i think your right ;)
topcat, why would you put that in your sig anyway? are you trying to warn newbies or something?
'Cause I thought it was funny. I'm sharing the laugh.

[tamadrummer132]

i think DW drums are HIGHLY overrated.
i was at GC one day and they had a 700 dollar Gretsch Catalina set up and a 3500 DW set up.

it may have been the tuning, but the catalina bass was WAY boomier, the toms sang way more and it was just a better set.

i mean, i wouldnt throw away a DW set if i got one, but i would sell it and buy a 1500 yamaha/tama/pearl or a gretsch. and buy new cymbals with the leftovers xD

[Fat Elvis]

i think DW drums are HIGHLY overrated.
i was at GC one day and they had a 700 dollar Gretsch Catalina set up and a 3500 DW set up.

it may have been the tuning, but the catalina bass was WAY boomier, the toms sang way more and it was just a better set.

i mean, i wouldnt throw away a DW set if i got one, but i would sell it and buy a 1500 yamaha/tama/pearl or a gretsch. and buy new cymbals with the leftovers xD

it was the tuning -- guaranteed. There is NO WAY IN HELL a catalina birch compares to a DW.

[Mendozart]

I'm loving my 90' DW's. I played my Tama's for 23 years, loved them. But I'm really loving these Keller shelled DW's, and I found a smoking deal on them. I agree, brand new they are way too much, but if you shop around there are deals to be found.

[Class A Drummer]

it was the tuning -- guaranteed. There is NO WAY IN HELL a catalina birch compares to a DW.

I have to agree with Fat Elvis. It was 99% likely hood of the tuning. I hear all over this site how Tama StarClassics are absolutely amazing. I went the the gc one day, i played one, it really didnt sound that good at all, and had nothin on my pearl. For about a week i considered Tama to be one of my least favorite companies. Then i heard ppl like Karl rant on about how they are amazing, so i went back a week later, there was the same starclassic, tuned up, sounded insane.

[rritter]

I haven’t compared my Gretsch Catalina Birch kit to a DW but I can tell you they are far better drums than their price my reflect. I’ve owned Slingerland, Pearl, and Tama (still have one of the Slingerland kits) as well as played many others and the Gretsch Catalina Birch is as good as any I’ve played or owned. I’m sure the DW’s side by side will sound better with the same head and tunning than the Gretsch Catalina's kit but for $4,000.00 more? Not sure the value is there. I do wonder how a DW kit would fare beside a top end Gretsch kit. Now that I would like to hear.

[Ozzy Biz]

i think DW drums are HIGHLY overrated.
i was at GC one day and they had a 700 dollar Gretsch Catalina set up and a 3500 DW set up.

it may have been the tuning, but the catalina bass was WAY boomier, the toms sang way more and it was just a better set.

i mean, i wouldnt throw away a DW set if i got one, but i would sell it and buy a 1500 yamaha/tama/pearl or a gretsch. and buy new cymbals with the leftovers xD

All opinions are respected, but let's please not turn this into another "why DW drums are overrated" thread.

Also, it's so hard to compare two drums, especially when you're doing it in a GC; they'll have different heads, different tunings (one is almost guaranteed to be tuned like crap), the interaction with other drums in the shop, etc.....

Biz

[catlover]

Too much threads here telling how DW drums are overrated, bla bla... !!!

I play drums for 30 years, DW since 1998 and I can say :

No, DW are not overrated !
No, DW are not like other drums !

Timbre matching, very thin shells (and more...) make DW drums "unique" !
You may not like DW sound, but if you're looking for a big low end sound with a
lot of sustain without unwanted ringtones, a very clear and fast attack, punch and
great looking kit, buy DW !
I tried a lot of different heads, clear, coated, single or double-ply from remo, evans in a
wide tuning range and it always sounds awesome !

[aceman]

Too much threads here telling how DW drums are overrated, bla bla... !!!

I play drums for 30 years, DW since 1998 and I can say :

No, DW are not overrated !
No, DW are not like other drums !

Timbre matching, very thin shells (and more...) make DW drums "unique" !
You may not like DW sound, but if you're looking for a big low end sound with a
lot of sustain without unwanted ringtones, a very clear and fast attack, punch and
great looking kit, buy DW !
I tried a lot of different heads, clear, coated, single or double-ply from remo, evans in a
wide tuning range and it always sounds awesome !



My thoughts exactly. You describe DW's sound to a "T" and if I weren't in love with my MCA's and weren't married (Shhhhh!) I'd buy a DW kit today.

[Skitch]

All opinions are respected, but let's please not turn this into another "why DW drums are overrated" thread.

Yeah, the only way some people can make themselves look better is by putting other people down.

Too much threads here telling how DW drums are overrated, bla bla... !!!

I play drums for 30 years, DW since 1998 and I can say :

No, DW are not overrated !
No, DW are not like other drums !

Timbre matching, very thin shells (and more...) make DW drums "unique" !
You may not like DW sound, but if you're looking for a big low end sound with a
lot of sustain without unwanted ringtones, a very clear and fast attack, punch and
great looking kit, buy DW !
I tried a lot of different heads, clear, coated, single or double-ply from remo, evans in a
wide tuning range and it always sounds awesome !

I have played drums for 28 years and can say the same for DW. I have owned my DWs for 4-1/2 years and can say that there is no limited tuning range which many people claim. I can tune low, high, in between. What really sold me on the DWs is that many engineers in the mid-to-late 1990s were describing them as the best recording drum ever. Furthermore, if these same drummers who claim to hate DW, were ever offered an endorsement deal by DW, would they turn it down? I rest my case!



I haven’t compared my Gretsch Catalina Birch kit to a DW but I can tell you they are far better drums than their price my reflect. I’ve owned Slingerland, Pearl, and Tama (still have one of the Slingerland kits) as well as played many others and the Gretsch Catalina Birch is as good as any I’ve played or owned. I’m sure the DW’s side by side will sound better with the same head and tunning than the Gretsch Catalina's kit but for $4,000.00 more? Not sure the value is there. I do wonder how a DW kit would fare beside a top end Gretsch kit. Now that I would like to hear.


The DWs would probably stack up just fine! It's funny, really, as the same level of Gretsch drums are just as pricey but you never hear anyone complain about them being overrated! Is it because Gretsch are more difficult to find and the Gretsch company doesn't have as good of distribution as DW?

You are comparing a birch shell to maple shell in different configurations. The DW has reinforcing hoops. This is an Apples to Oranges comparison........."but what if the hurricane's name was Ditka" arguments that threads like these turn into.

I remember when GMS drums came out which were fine drums but what really made these drums sell was this was the time that the Evans EQ heads were just being introduced on these kits which made the bass drum really outstanding. Drummers would then take these kits out on gigs and have the sound engineer tell them that the bass drum was too boomy!

My point is this; If you have always deamed of owning a Gretsch kit, bought that Gretsch kit, would you like it when other people constantly begrudged you for owning a Gretsch kit?


Here is another point for all of the DW-haters; Slingerland and Rogers made great drums in the 1970s, but their biggest failure was to have brand recognition and great distribution the way Ludwig did. You can have the best product in the world but if no one knows about it.......Slingerland's Swiv-o-matic hardware was great; it was the prototype for all of the Yamaha tom holders in the late 1970s up to today.

Don't knock someone for a job well done and begrudge them their success.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com


http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw

[gmrakich]

If you want the sound that EVERYONE ELSE has, and you like that sound, DW is your drum. They are built like tanks, hold their tuning well and look very spiffy The people who pick on poor DW do so because they don't like their unique sound and don't know how to shop to get a kit at a good price. The high end Gretsch is a very small little shop that is working at max capasity, but will never produce as many "high end" kits as DW. You will, however, never find a shortage of the high end gretsch in LA, NYC Nashville, Chicago or Austin. Why,????? because thats where the money and studios are located. I don't think you can compare the two anyway I would gladly trade my DW Thunder Chickens for a set of Gretsch........any takers???

[cornelius]

I have a maple kit right now, but Birch VLTs are the way to go, the new Gum/Maples (out next year) for jazz.

[catlover]

If you want the sound that EVERYONE ELSE has, and you like that sound, DW is your drum.

Here in France, if you want the sound everyone else has, you buy Pearl Drums !!!
DW is not common.
Everywhere I play with my DW kit, just after the first hits, I can ear everyone tell how good it sounds !
The most important thing with drums is TUNING !
TUNING makes your drums sounds like everyone else's !
If you stop putting dead sounding heads, or gaffa tape on your drums and let them sing,
if you stay in the tuning range (I hate these utra-high pitched dead sounding snare sounds !)
you can clearly hear differences and compare different drum brands.

...sorry for my english :-(

[funk49]

I do not mean to put down D.W.. I had my kit for years. In a live situation, nothing can top them. It was only when I had to mike em' that i ran into problems. For me bubinga is the answer. D.W. I believe only uses 1 outer ply on their bubinga's, Tama, 9 ply. Everyone thought I was "nuts " for getting rid of my D.W.'s. They don't say that now.

[gmrakich]

Here in France, if you want the sound everyone else has, you buy Pearl Drums !!!
DW is not common.
Everywhere I play with my DW kit, just after the first hits, I can ear everyone tell how good it sounds !
The most important thing with drums is TUNING !
TUNING makes your drums sounds like everyone else's !
If you stop putting dead sounding heads, or gaffa tape on your drums and let them sing,
if you stay in the tuning range (I hate these utra-high pitched dead sounding snare sounds !)
you can clearly hear differences and compare different drum brands.

...sorry for my english :-(

When tuned properly and have good heads DW sound is fantastic. I personal experience with the DW drums is that each drum has their own sweet spot that they sound the best at. For all 12"s for example, its pretty much the same note give or take a little sharp/flat. Other drums I have played have a greater tuning range..that is my point. This is my experience...I'm sure others have had different one.

You English is better than mine, Catlover. : ^ P

[Steady Freddy]

When tuned properly and have good heads DW sound is fantastic. I personal experience with the DW drums is that each drum has their own sweet spot that they sound the best at. For all 12"s for example, its pretty much the same note give or take a little sharp/flat. Other drums I have played have a greater tuning range..that is my point. This is my experience...I'm sure others have had different one.



Hey Greg,

You had me worried there for a while. It seemed like you were really down on DW. Considering you own more gear than most music shops I tend to take your opinions to heart. Thanks for explaining your position.

The guys I'm playing with auditioned 15 drummers before me. One of the reasons they picked me was because of my drum sound. Maple DWs. It's taken about a year to learn were they want to be tuned and what heads to use to maximize their potential.

I hooked up with a new teacher last week and when he played my set I walked across the room and couldn't believe how good they sounded. Much better than when I'm sitting behind it.

Take care

[baz]

...I love my deedubs.

I don't care about the timbre matching, vlt, or the rest of the marketing hype, I love the sound, the workmanship, and the consistancy.The dates on my wmp kit show that it was built at the same time. (I ordered them brand new.) My black oyster kit consists of four stray drums that were put together one drum at a time. Both kits sound great, and if I wanted to add another couple of toms, I would not have to worry about major cosmetic changes such as lugs, or availability of finish as I might with other high end manufacturers. I have only been playing the drums for twelve years, but so many of the majors seem to follow the trends, making wholesale changes to their top end line ups every couple of years or so. There is no gaurantee that if I were to buy a Pearl reference kit this year that I would be able to add drums in the same fit and finish in two, five, or ten years time. Aside from a few minor changes, (badges, wing screws), I can not tell an old deedub from a new deedub.

In my little corner of Heaven, here in northern Canada, DW prices out quite favorably against the higher end Pearl, Tama, and Yamaha. I also believe that like the vintage Ludwigs that so many of my grey ponytailed bretheren covet, DW will be the drums that will set the vintage standard over the next generation.

Barry

[Fat Elvis]

...I love my deedubs.

I don't care about the timbre matching, vlt, or the rest of the marketing hype, I love the sound, the workmanship, and the consistancy.The dates on my wmp kit show that it was built at the same time. (I ordered them brand new.) My black oyster kit consists of four stray drums that were put together one drum at a time. Both kits sound great, and if I wanted to add another couple of toms, I would not have to worry about major cosmetic changes such as lugs, or availability of finish as I might with other high end manufacturers. I have only been playing the drums for twelve years, but so many of the majors seem to follow the trends, making wholesale changes to their top end line ups every couple of years or so. There is no gaurantee that if I were to buy a Pearl reference kit this year that I would be able to add drums in the same fit and finish in two, five, or ten years time. Aside from a few minor changes, (badges, wing screws), I can not tell an old deedub from a new deedub.

In my little corner of Heaven, here in northern Canada, DW prices out quite favorably against the higher end Pearl, Tama, and Yamaha. I also believe that like the vintage Ludwigs that so many of my grey ponytailed bretheren covet, DW will be the drums that will set the vintage standard over the next generation.

Barry

You are right on with this statement. I have a DW that was made in 1995 -- i just ordered and received 2 brand new toms for this kit and they matched perfectly (aside from some slight fading of the original.... hardly noticeable). And the drums sound as if they were made together. My deedub is great. :)

[Skitch]

...I love my deedubs.

I don't care about the timbre matching, vlt, or the rest of the marketing hype, I love the sound, the workmanship, and the consistancy.The dates on my wmp kit show that it was built at the same time. (I ordered them brand new.) My black oyster kit consists of four stray drums that were put together one drum at a time. Both kits sound great, and if I wanted to add another couple of toms, I would not have to worry about major cosmetic changes such as lugs, or availability of finish as I might with other high end manufacturers. I have only been playing the drums for twelve years, but so many of the majors seem to follow the trends, making wholesale changes to their top end line ups every couple of years or so. There is no gaurantee that if I were to buy a Pearl reference kit this year that I would be able to add drums in the same fit and finish in two, five, or ten years time. Aside from a few minor changes, (badges, wing screws), I can not tell an old deedub from a new deedub.

In my little corner of Heaven, here in northern Canada, DW prices out quite favorably against the higher end Pearl, Tama, and Yamaha. I also believe that like the vintage Ludwigs that so many of my grey ponytailed bretheren covet, DW will be the drums that will set the vintage standard over the next generation.

Barry


Barry,

You make some excellent points here as the changing hardware on some brands makes it difficult to find and add to your set. I had totally forgot how it seemed like overnight, Tama quit making the Granstar IIs and I couldn't find the other drums which I wanted! By the way, what hardware is on your wmps?

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com


http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw

[baz]

...Skitch.

I have the brass hardware on the wmp's. I also have the Premier die cast hoops on both of my kits. I use the 9000 single pedal and hihat, a pair of 9000 snare stands, a flush based boom stand for my ride, and a pair of single braced straight stands for the crash cymbals.

I have a complete set of the flush based stands that I use with the black oyster kit along with one of those cannister thrones. I changed out the DW seat for a more asss friendly roc-n-soc. That thing is as comfy as my couch.

That is another thing that I love about DW, their hardware. I have modified most of my stuff in one way or another, not because it was lacking, but to personalize it. So much of the pieces are interchangeable that it is quite easy to do this.

Barry

[JRH7]

IMO-If you are looking at any companies pro level custom kit you will be happy No matter what you decide to buy. DW, Sonor S-Class-SQ2, Brady, Gretsch USA, Pearl Masterworks, Tama Starclassics, GMS, Yamaha Customs, Spaun, Maryland Custom, Hard Bop, OCP, Pork Pie, Moondrum and list goes on and on. There are a lot of companies making beautiful custom drums and they all sound great. When you start looking at that level kit they are all good, it comes down to sound, finish, hardware, availability and what you can get a good deal on! If you like the look of DW, the finish, the sound, the hardware and it is a good price. THEN BUY IT. It doesn't matter what everyone in here says(including me) if you want it, get it. I got a great deal on a set of Sonor Designers but I would have been just as happy with a set of Bradys or DW or anything else custom. They are all great kits! Just try to support your locally owned music store and stay away from the chains.


J.

[Skitch]

If you like the look of DW, the finish, the sound, the hardware and it is a good price. THEN BUY IT. It doesn't matter what everyone in here says(including me) if you want it, get it.

J.


I think that this was the point I was trying to make several posts ago!

I have the Black Hardware on my wmps! I thought they were the best looking kit I had ever seen when I saw them in the 1994 catalog! And the Dogbone was truly a visionary part. The combinations you can come up with are unbelievable! I'd like to go to DW and jump in the parts bin and make a terminator out of two tom stands and a bunch of Dogbones.....Yeah, I have too much time on my hands.



Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com


http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw

[macmarkus]

bought my collector's in 2003 ... now my other set (designer, same config, built in 2000) has to go.

and what means 'overrated'?
the deedub was a little bit cheaper than the sonor. :)

since 25 years i never was happier with a kit like today.
merry christmas everybody ;)

[hauk]

If you want the sound that EVERYONE ELSE has, and you like that sound, DW is your drum. They are built like tanks, hold their tuning well and look very spiffy The people who pick on poor DW do so because they don't like their unique sound and don't know how to shop to get a kit at a good price.

sorry, but huh? are you saying the DW sound is generic or unique?

[d.c.drummer]

it was the tuning -- guaranteed. There is NO WAY IN HELL a catalina birch compares to a DW.

ok...... lol

Pesonally i think Dw's are one of the best on the market. If you are looking forr the botique kind of drums go to MARYLAND DRUM CO.'s (http://www.marylanddrum.com/main.htm) website. Their drums sound great. (make sure you listen to the recordings,). Pearl References are a great choice too. I have some studio tech friends that swear by them.

[Jusstickinaround]

Wow, I forgot all about this thread. I have a chance to buy a wmp Dw kit with a 9x13 tom, a 16x16 floor tom, a 14x22 kick, and a 5x14 snare for $1,750, without the snare it would be $1,495. Is this a reasonable price? They are a couple years old and have no cosmetic issues.

[aahznightsky]

i think DW drums are HIGHLY overrated.



And that's why drummers like Jim Keltner, Peter Erskine, and Alex Acuna have all recently switched to DW after playing their previous companies' drums for decades. Right? Not to mention those darn new(er) session aces like Freese and Laboriel playing DW.

Man, I just don't get it! What could be so great about those drums?!

[aahznightsky]

Wow, I forgot all about this thread. I have a chance to buy a wmp Dw kit with a 9x13 tom, a 16x16 floor tom, a 14x22 kick, and a 5x14 snare for $1,750, without the snare it would be $1,495. Is this a reasonable price? They are a couple years old and have no cosmetic issues.


Man, that is a great price. I would go for it, personally.

[d.c.drummer]

Man, that is a great price. I would go for it, personally.

you could know em down some.. i can buy a dw with snare, bass, and 4 toms for 1,750 at my local second hand shop.

[metallica246810]

And that's why drummers like Jim Keltner, Peter Erskine, and Alex Acuna have all recently switched to DW after playing their previous companies' drums for decades. Right? Not to mention those darn new(er) session aces like Freese and Laboriel playing DW.

Man, I just don't get it! What could be so great about those drums?!

Maybe they did switch just because of sound, and I'm not putting DW down, but c'mon, you can't act like sweet endorsement deals didn't help at least a bit. If it was all about sound, so many people wouldn't be switching to the same brand, it seems to me. They aren't so good as to be the end-all greatest drums for every music style, but that is what you might think if you just took a quick look around at music these days and didn't know better. Someone mentioned advertising... that's a big part of it as well. They were smart by getting almost all of the classic rockers that you see on TV to use their drums, not to mention some of the newer ones.

[larryace]

Personally I think the DW's have a less common sound than the majority of drums out there because of the construction. Most shells are straight, DW's have the real thin shells w/ the re rings. There's something about that construction that makes a better drum sound, to my ear. That being said, the difference isn't huge, just enough to distinguish.
I think any company's flavor of thin shell w/ rings would sound as good as DW's maybe better. DW lugs are too big IMO.

[zoomasslive123]

For me personally, I play primarily rock and blues. I listen to some of my favorite drummers in that genre and I look at what gear they use. I go to shows and play gigs and notice what other drummers are using and what sounds good. It seemed to me that whenever I heard a kit that I really thought sounded good, it turned out to be a DW (not ALL the time, but the majority).

So I decided that DW drums were the sound I preferred, I bought a kit second hand and could not be happier. This doesn't make DW better or worse than any other drum company, but it was my individual preference. If you like their sound, and don't feel like you're getting ripped off buying them (they can be overpriced, but so can any other kits out there depending on who's selling it), then do it, you won't regret it.

Now if you want to talk hardware, I gotta say I think DW makes the best stuff out there and I am slowly converting all of my old hardware to 9000 series, it is amazingly sturdy and exceptionally easy to work with, awesome for gigging out.