Ayotte Drums

T

The Walrus

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Well, it seems my dream kit is only $800 away. Ayotte drumSmith line kit from craiglist for $800, it's in a natural finish.
10x12, 14x16, 16x22, 6x14,
img0048h.jpg
 
She’s a beauty, and only $800. Those lugs look cool. Are you going to jump on that deal?
 
She’s a beauty, and only $800. Those lugs look cool. Are you going to jump on that deal?

The guy is going to hold them for a week, got to sell some drums fast.
 
Those are pretty nice...and I don't want to burst your bubble - but DrumSmith is Ayotte's low-budget, mass-produced, Asian-made brand. It's not the same as their custom line which is handmade in Canada.

I'm sure they sound great, either way.
 
Those are pretty nice...and I don't want to burst your bubble - but DrumSmith is Ayotte's low-budget, mass-produced, Asian-made brand. It's not the same as their custom line which is handmade in Canada.

I'm sure they sound great, either way.

No bubbles bursting here, I know all about them, they may be made in Taiwan, but they use the same shells and hardware as the Canadian kits and these were made when Ray Ayotte was still owner of the company. I use to own one, the best kit I've ever played.
 
My drum instructor has three Ayotte kits....

Most definitely the best kits I've ever played on. Granted, I'm only 16 and haven't been around that long drumming or gottent hat many opportunities but those things are beauties... And they sound AWESOME too.
 
Ayotte is a Keller customizer. Are they shipping Kellers to Asia for finishing, then back here, to hold costs down?

The drumSmith line is no longer offered, from what I understand they shipped all the shells and hardware from Canada to Taiwan and had them assembled. This was during the Ray Ayotte years, he wanted to make a kit that more people could afford, so instead of paying $4,000 for a kit you could buy a drumSmith kit for about half that, withoiut sacrificing sound or quality.
 
The drumSmith line is no longer offered, from what I understand they shipped all the shells and hardware from Canada to Taiwan and had them assembled. This was during the Ray Ayotte years, he wanted to make a kit that more people could afford, so instead of paying $4,000 for a kit you could buy a drumSmith kit for about half that, withoiut sacrificing sound or quality.

I think I just fail to see how shipping materials half way across the earth strictly for assembly could possibly reduce the cost of a kit by 50%
 
I think I just fail to see how shipping materials half way across the earth strictly for assembly could possibly reduce the cost of a kit by 50%

Cheaper labor = cheaper prices. Drum material is not all that expensive. It's the labor cost that gets you.
 
he wanted to make a kit that more people could afford, so instead of paying $4,000 for a kit you could buy a drumSmith kit for about half that, withoiut sacrificing sound or quality.

By entrusting construction and QC to countries with SLAVE LABOR you most definitely sacrificing quality.

Glaring examples of this are:
OCDP Newport Series
Gretch Catalina
Pork Pie Little Squealer
Sonor Force
 
By entrusting construction and QC to countries with SLAVE LABOR you most definitely sacrificing quality.

Glaring examples of this are:
OCDP Newport Series
Gretch Catalina
Pork Pie Little Squealer
Sonor Force

That shows how much you know, Ray Ayotte was not going to let crappy drums hit the market with his name on it. I owned a Ayotte drumSmith kit, it was as well made as any kit I've seen and sounded better than any kit I've played.
Sonor does the same thing with the less expensive kits they have made in Taiwan, they send people there to insure quality control.
 
That shows how much you know. I owned a Ayotte drumSmith kit, it was as well made as any kit I've seen and sounded better than any kit I've played.
Sonor does the same thing with the less expensive kits they have made in Taiwan, they send people there to insure quality control.

A Drum Smith kit is the best sounding kit you've ever played? Really?
While sound quality is subjective, I think that speaks to your lack of experience on drum kits, not to mine.

Sonor's Force line is made in China, by the way. Not Taiwan.
 
A Drum Smith kit is the best sounding kit you've ever played? Really?
While sound quality is subjective, I think that speaks to your lack of experience on drum kits, not to mine.

Sonor's Force line is made in China, by the way. Not Taiwan.

Well let's see Mr. hateplow, (if that's your real name), I've owned a newer Ludwig maple classic, Premier Genista, Yamaha birch absolute, Mapex Saturn, Pacific maple, DW snare, Gretsch catalina, Pearl session, Sonor, Fibes, not to mention several vintage Ludwigs, Slingerland, Rogers, and a custom made kit using keller shells.
 
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A Drum Smith kit is the best sounding kit you've ever played? Really?
While sound quality is subjective, I think that speaks to your lack of experience on drum kits, not to mine.

Sonor's Force line is made in China, by the way. Not Taiwan.

Wow , that's pretty cold and rude. He obviously has more experience than you imagined or give him credit for.
 
Wow , that's pretty cold and rude. He obviously has more experience than you imagined or give him credit for.

Not to worry, hateplow has anger management issues, you should have seen some of the pm's he's sent me and some of his comments on youtube. He's ok though and he does have a nice kit, like to see him play it sometime, wink,wink.
 
By entrusting construction and QC to countries with SLAVE LABOR you most definitely sacrificing quality.

Glaring examples of this are:
OCDP Newport Series
Gretch Catalina
Pork Pie Little Squealer
Sonor Force

Asian factories can practice great quality control.

My issue is keeping money in the U.S. or at least a First-World nation that practices environmental protection and fair labor laws. I purchased my kit directly from the maker in Australia. All the money went directly to support him and his family. Not everyone can afford to do that but everyone should try to support it as much as possible.
 
Wow , that's pretty cold and rude. He obviously has more experience than you imagined or give him credit for.
Easy buddy.

"The Walrus" - as he's called now - is the guy who has been banned more than once from this forum for flaming, not me.
Take my criticisms of him as you will.

I stand by my statement that an Ayotte Drumsmith kit is not the best sounding kit out there.
 
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