Anyone Own A DW & A Gretsch Renown Kit?

[Cuban]

I have a Renown Maple kit and am very happy with it and certainly had no plans to change
it. However, I have been offered a deal on a custom DW kit, so wanted to know how the
two would square up?

I have never played a DW, nor for that matter, even closely looked at one, but so many
people have said over the years that "they are the kit to have", I thought I'd check this
one out.

So just how good are they and does anyone have experience with both the Renown &
DW? Naturally a big difference in price, so worth the extra?

Any feedback ahead of my trying it out is appreciated, thanks.

[Cuban]

Nobody has this combo?

[Cedwico]

Nobody has this combo?

I certainly don't have the money for either (frustrating being fifteen) but I have found this deal that might offer you something different to the other DW deal:

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/msg/1430136270.html

Tell me how you get on with your kit! I love DWs, can't wait to get one when I'm older :-)

[konaboy]

I'd say you should really go to a shop and look at some DW's to see if they are anything that you might want as far as sound goes. Doesn't make sense to drop cash on something you've never looked at, That's my opinion anyway. Do I think you can go wrong with DW? No, I'd love to have a set of them some day. But I've also heard guys who just don't like them so it's really up to you in the end.

[DrumEatDrum]

I'd think the better questions are:

Do need a 2nd kit?

Would you prefer the sizes/color/set-up of the DW over the Gretch?

The major price difference between the two is the DW is custom made while the Renown is made in limited sizes and colors to control costs.

I bought my DW kit because I fell in love with the color, and I really wanted a change after playing the same Premier Signia kit for over 10 years, and I just happened to stumble upon this kit on ebay.

Does my DW kit sound awesome? Yes.
It is better sounding than my premier? No, not really. There is a bit of difference, but neither one is better than the other.

[Cuban]

I'd think the better questions are:

Do need a 2nd kit?

Would you prefer the sizes/color/set-up of the DW over the Gretch?

The major price difference between the two is the DW is custom made while the Renown is made in limited sizes and colors to control costs.

I bought my DW kit because I fell in love with the color, and I really wanted a change after playing the same Premier Signia kit for over 10 years, and I just happened to stumble upon this kit on ebay.

Does my DW kit sound awesome? Yes.
It is better sounding than my premier? No, not really. There is a bit of difference, but neither one is better than the other.
Good and fair points, although perhaps not so relevent in my case which you were not to know.

The DW kit is a very special one, so much so, I doubt I would always use it, so I would
like to keep the Renown (which I love to bits) but as ever, it may come down to money.

Your point about the sound, I guess could be said of all drums.
It would be nice to hear them side by side, but I doubt that is possible.

Thanks for the reply.

[Aeolian]

I used to play guitar in a band with a really great drummer (now out touring with a Grammy winning guitarist/singer/songwriter) who has a sponsorship from a local shop and has custom DW drums. I brought my Renown to rehearsal one night and he said of the 14x14 floor tom (his is a 12x14), that if you blindfolded him, he would know which drum was over there. He does a lot of session work and is used to producers giving him bunches of different heads to put on his drums so he's not completely wedded to the G2 coated he normally uses and is what I have on the Renown. And he's used to hearing different variations on the basic quality of his custom DW. He's also used to playing lots of other kits in backline or session situations. Bottom line, a guy with a varsity tour would have been perfectly fine playing the Renowns in lieu of his DWs. Now that he knows what they are, Renowns are on his list for backline if he can't get DW's.

[Cuban]

Thanks for that info Aeolian, good to know.

I'm going to get the DW and try to keep the Grestch Renown as well (may have to sell my one good kidney!)

[denisri]

Hi
I have both a DW and a set of Gretsch Broadkasters. Both great...use the Gretsch set for small and mid-size shows. Keep the DW's in the home studio for recording and larger shows..Let the Gretsch do most of the road work.
The Gretsch set is always packed and ready to load. Need two sets. The DW et is most definitely louder volume. Great bass and snare drum.Denis

[Cuban]

Hi
I have both a DW and a set of Gretsch Broadkasters. Both great...use the Gretsch set for small and mid-size shows. Keep the DW's in the home studio for recording and larger shows..Let the Gretsch do most of the road work.
The Gretsch set is always packed and ready to load. Need two sets. The DW et is most definitely louder volume. Great bass and snare drum.Denis
Thanks Denis, that is also my plan.

[Aeolian]

Opps, I meant to write that my friend said he would "not" know which floor tom he was hitting if he were blind folded.

I suspect that with the all maple shells, (no gum layer) the Renown's might be slightly louder (all other things being equal). Mine seem louder than a couple of friends 80's kits that I've played.

[Khaine88]

its all down to preference really. i chose a sonor s classix over a DW custom, but thats because im really not a fan of DW drums, but alot of people here swear by them. also with the renowns gruntersdad will probably arive in this thread shortly to tell you how awesome they are

[larryace]

I had a set of Renowns, and I have a set of DW's. I sold the Renowns for only one reason, the 5 lug tuning on the racks. The kick was awesome (ten lugs), the floor tom was awesome (eight lugs), and the racks sounded fine, except that I just didn't like an odd amount of lugs. I just couldn't get a pure tone with them it seemed. No one else could really tell, but tuning them (perfectly) was just a little bit frustrating for me. Not a great reason to sell them but it bothered me enough to want an even # of lugs on my racks. Had the Renown racks been made w/ 6 lugs, I never would've sold them, they are beautiful sounding/looking instruments.
I have a thing for thin shells w/ re rings, so I was headed in that direction eventually, hence the DW's. If you really love your Renowns, why are you considering DW's? Marketing hype? It's not like they are night and day.

[Cuban]

If you really love your Renowns, why are you considering DW's? Marketing hype? It's not like they are night and day.

Thanks for the info Larry.
As you say, I guess the sound difference will not be night and day, but it will be nice to check them out side by side at some stage.

The DW kit in question will be known by a lot of people and I plan to use it for a specific project and indeed, as you again suggest, it could play a part in "marketing hype."

I think it is too valuable to use 'every gig / session' so hence wanting to hang on to the Renowns as well which I know will also serve me very well.