Three
Senior Member
As drummers, we often like to sit around and discuss differences in shell materials, thicknesses, bearing edges and how endless variables such as heads, tuning, acoustics, mics etc will affect the sound of a kit.
With this considered, what really separates an intermediate kit from a top of the line professional kit?
When the band starts up; you've got the guitars, horns, keys, vocals and whatever else all blasting away.
Now, would Uncle Bob and Auntie Rita drunkenly dancing away at the wedding you're playing notice or even care about the fact that your kit is vertical grain instead of horizontal?
Would another drummer or musician with keen ears instantly be able to tell that you're playing an SQ2 and not just a nicely tuned Tama Superstar?
Even close mic'd in the studio, the differences seem incremental at best. My case in point is demonstrated here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfUexBFUbAk
The Gretsch New Classic costs around £1500. The USA Custom is probably double that.....for a slightly different bass drum sound.
The reason I ask this question is because I'm in the market for a new top end kit. But I'm not really sure (besides a custom finish and being able to tell my drummer friends what a nice kit I have) what the very top of the line kits offer for the price. I'm very much of the opinion that above all else, the sound of the drums is affected most by the player and the way they hit the drums.
If the sound of the kit is really in the hands and feet of the player; sound-wise, what would a Sonor SQ2 or Gretsch USA Custom give me that I couldn't get with a Gretsch New Classic (the main kit I'm seriously considering). Furthermore, what would be the advantage of a New Classic over a simple Gretsch Catalina which is even cheaper again?
In short, help me justify spending a whole load of cash on a drum kit!
As a side note, I'm looking for a modern/contemporary kit that has a tip-of-the-hat to a 50s/60s/70s blues, funk. soul, rock n roll sound. Kinda Al Jackson jr, Motown, Zig Modeliste, Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry sort of stuff. So far, the Gretsch New Classic seems the way to go. The clue's in the name, right?
With this considered, what really separates an intermediate kit from a top of the line professional kit?
When the band starts up; you've got the guitars, horns, keys, vocals and whatever else all blasting away.
Now, would Uncle Bob and Auntie Rita drunkenly dancing away at the wedding you're playing notice or even care about the fact that your kit is vertical grain instead of horizontal?
Would another drummer or musician with keen ears instantly be able to tell that you're playing an SQ2 and not just a nicely tuned Tama Superstar?
Even close mic'd in the studio, the differences seem incremental at best. My case in point is demonstrated here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfUexBFUbAk
The Gretsch New Classic costs around £1500. The USA Custom is probably double that.....for a slightly different bass drum sound.
The reason I ask this question is because I'm in the market for a new top end kit. But I'm not really sure (besides a custom finish and being able to tell my drummer friends what a nice kit I have) what the very top of the line kits offer for the price. I'm very much of the opinion that above all else, the sound of the drums is affected most by the player and the way they hit the drums.
If the sound of the kit is really in the hands and feet of the player; sound-wise, what would a Sonor SQ2 or Gretsch USA Custom give me that I couldn't get with a Gretsch New Classic (the main kit I'm seriously considering). Furthermore, what would be the advantage of a New Classic over a simple Gretsch Catalina which is even cheaper again?
In short, help me justify spending a whole load of cash on a drum kit!
As a side note, I'm looking for a modern/contemporary kit that has a tip-of-the-hat to a 50s/60s/70s blues, funk. soul, rock n roll sound. Kinda Al Jackson jr, Motown, Zig Modeliste, Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry sort of stuff. So far, the Gretsch New Classic seems the way to go. The clue's in the name, right?
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