dw kits

FWIW, I love my DW Collectors kit. Hell, I love my DW-PDP kit too. Their sounds appeal to me, and the round Collectors' lugs always surprise me when I glance their way.

But my next kit's going to be a Yamaha Recording Custom because...why not?
 
If it's because his favorite drummer has one, then it's a bad idea.

Dennis

I undertsand what you mean by that and I agree... But on the other hand, if buying the same drum as your drumming hero makes you want to play, practice and motivate you, then it' not a bad idea.
 
...... was going to yet a Yamaha ......

..... I think the DW looks the coolest though, don't hate, Im trying to look at it as a whole.
Well, Yamaha ... DW .... you have good taste .... both make very nice hi end kits.​
If, between Yamaha and DW ... to you, they both sound great ... then looks might be the tie-breaker.​
Personally, though I'm not a DW "hater", I'm not infatuated with them, either. As a vintage "kinda" guy, I'd go after a Camco kit ... the DW drums before they were DW. But that's just me. Living in LA, I've seen enough DW drums to last me a lifetime .... not to say they're "bad" ... not at all ... but they're common. While a clean set of Camco's ... I can count how many of those I've seen, on one hand. And I'm not talking about "seen on the internet" ... I'm talking about "seen in the physical".​
Me, I've got a Yamaha Recording Custom kit ... and a Ludwig "Classic" kit ... those are my "generic" drums. For my "more exotic" tastes ... I have a Gretsch Round Badge kit and a Brazilian made RMV kit.​
Follow your heart ..... you are responsible for your own happiness.​
 
Nothing any of us say would really sway you anyway, and we all know that. So if you thought it was a bad idea, you wouldn't ask us in the first place, you'd just consider it a bad idea and leave it at that. What you're really looking for is for someone to validate to you that it isn't a bad idea, which is what you want to hear anyway, and then you'll move forward.

The unspoken has been spake... uh, something like that. This is great because it is so TRUE. When someone asks whether or not they should buy a product, they're actually asking for others to reaffirm their decision. Nothing wrong with that. But when someone says "no," the asker usually becomes defensive – a natural reaction, I suppose, since a lot of thought has gone into their yet-to-be decision. This goes to show the general uselessness of these kinds of threads.

But I'm not attacking anyone; trust me, I've done this kind of thing myself. Just a speculation of human behavior...

If you like the DW look the best, I say get 'em.
 
I undertsand what you mean by that and I agree... But on the other hand, if buying the same drum as your drumming hero makes you want to play, practice and motivate you, then it' not a bad idea.

I too understand what you're talking about, but if someone needs a three or four thousand kit to get you to practice and get motivated, then your reasoning to play drum is very shallow in my opinion and their aspirations probably won't last as long as it takes them to have to re-head their drums.

Dennis
 
I have not bought a kit yet, I have been researching for years , Ive looked at all the pro kits, was going to yet a Yamaha, then I talked to my musician friends and asked them to guess which brand I was getting, and they all said DW, funny, I know.

I don't know which series yet. I have a Dunnet Classic Steel Snare, dunno if that matters? I like the sound of all the name brand pro kits really, I think the DW looks the coolest though, don't hate, Im trying to look at it as a whole.

Buying preferences, order of importance: (excluding price)

What many players (& non players) would have you believe:

1/ Sound quality
2/ Construction quality
3/ Size availability
4/ Appearance
5/ Reputation/coolness
6/ Brand

What many players (& non players) actually act on:

1/ Appearance
2/ Brand
3/ Reputation/coolness
4/ Size availability
5/ Brand
6/ Reputation/coolness
7/ Construction quality
8/ Reputation/coolness
9/ Appearance
10/ Sound quality
 
I too understand what you're talking about, but if someone needs a three or four thousand kit to get you to practice and get motivated, then your reasoning to play drum is very shallow in my opinion and their aspirations probably won't last as long as it takes them to have to re-head their drums.

Dennis

Mmmmh..Point taken. However, I was reffering to the brand, it doesn't need to be top of the line, after a year of hard practice on a beginner's drumkit, i've choosen the same brand as my drumming hero of that time. Well 30 years down the road and I'm still using it today.
 
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Buying preferences, order of importance: (excluding price)

What many players (& non players) would have you believe:

1/ Sound quality
2/ Construction quality
3/ Size availability
4/ Appearance
5/ Reputation/coolness
6/ Brand

What many players (& non players) actually act on:

1/ Appearance
2/ Brand
3/ Reputation/coolness
4/ Size availability
5/ Brand
6/ Reputation/coolness
7/ Construction quality
8/ Reputation/coolness
9/ Appearance
10/ Sound quality

+1.Agreed.Coolness seems to be the deciding factor.....what a shame.Still,after over 40 years I can't bring myself to like DW because the're way overpriced,and those horrible turret lugs

Steve B.
 
+1.Agreed.Coolness seems to be the deciding factor.....what a shame.Still,after over 40 years I can't bring myself to like DW because the're way overpriced,and those horrible turret lugs

Steve B.
Personally, agreed on the lugs Steve, but I discount that as an individual preference thing. I think the price of DW stuff is mostly what you'd expect for the quality too. They make good drums, but, like any major manufacturer, you accept that a fair portion of the price is more to do with the overhead recovery rate than product quality & materials. It's the same with just about anything you buy from a company that pumps huge sums into promo. Gotta say though, that promo sure works :)
 
Buying preferences, order of importance: (excluding price)

What many players (& non players) would have you believe:

1/ Sound quality
2/ Construction quality
3/ Size availability
4/ Appearance
5/ Reputation/coolness
6/ Brand

What many players (& non players) actually act on:

1/ Appearance
2/ Brand
3/ Reputation/coolness
4/ Size availability
5/ Brand
6/ Reputation/coolness
7/ Construction quality
8/ Reputation/coolness
9/ Appearance
10/ Sound quality

I don't doubt that this often happens. However, what is just as clear to me is that there is a group of people who leap to this assumption, especially when certain brands are mentioned (and for the record KIS, I'm not suggesting that you're in it). If I had a nickel for every time the reasoning behind my own brand choices have been suggested to be a product of "fancy marketing hype or fanboy-ism," I'd have... well, maybe just enough to buy myself lunch.

What I don't understand is why anyone should care so much. If someone buys a drum kit and they are happy with it, why should their reasons matter to us? I ask the question because I honestly have no answer. Yes, I get the whole part about growth and awareness through shared experiences, but I'm referring more to the tearing down that also happens.

Which leads me to these two groups: people who make brand choices for seemingly shallow reasons (relative to our own points of view, of course) and those who criticize them for it. I see the latter as being more problematic. It it possible that this is a contributing factor as to why the "Show Us Your Kit" section enjoys more activity? I think so. Those threads strongly trend towards celebrations of our choices rather than the reverse. A few outwardly negative contributors aside, those threads are a great time!

With all that said, my advice to anyone contemplating a drum kit purchase is to try things out to the best of your ability, make a choice with your mind and your heart and then post lots of pictures of it in the Show Us Your Kit section when it arrives. You'll probably gets lots of great feedback and might not ever hear from the guy who points out that you just made a stupid decision for all the wrong reasons.
 
Here's the thing...

Homer, have you played DW kits? I bought a DW kit on reputation, plus I've heard them live, but never played them except in a GC. (you really can't evaluate drums in a drum store IMO, you have to gig them) I like them well enough, but I can't say I am in love with the tone. I get plenty of compliments, but inside I know there's a better sound for me.

Do not buy a kit on reputation. Play some DW's and everything else, and then if the DW sound is your preference, move ahead. I am a DW Collectors Series owner, and I do believe I am going Ludwig in the future, because they have the tone that fulfills me inside.
 
I don't doubt that this often happens. However, what is just as clear to me is that there is a group of people who leap to this assumption, especially when certain brands are mentioned (and for the record KIS, I'm not suggesting that you're in it). If I had a nickel for every time the reasoning behind my own brand choices have been suggested to be a product of "fancy marketing hype or fanboy-ism," I'd have... well, maybe just enough to buy myself lunch.

What I don't understand is why anyone should care so much. If someone buys a drum kit and they are happy with it, why should their reasons matter to us? I ask the question because I honestly have no answer. Yes, I get the whole part about growth and awareness through shared experiences, but I'm referring more to the tearing down that also happens.

Which leads me to these two groups: people who make brand choices for seemingly shallow reasons (relative to our own points of view, of course) and those who criticize them for it. I see the latter as being more problematic. It it possible that this is a contributing factor as to why the "Show Us Your Kit" section enjoys more activity? I think so. Those threads strongly trend towards celebrations of our choices rather than the reverse. A few outwardly negative contributors aside, those threads are a great time!

With all that said, my advice to anyone contemplating a drum kit purchase is to try things out to the best of your ability, make a choice with your mind and your heart and then post lots of pictures of it in the Show Us Your Kit section when it arrives. You'll probably gets lots of great feedback and might not ever hear from the guy who points out that you just made a stupid decision for all the wrong reasons.
I completely agree with the balance of your post. No problems :) I agree, that the reasons for someone else making a gear choice, shouldn't be the concern of others. You make a choice, & I for one, dearly hope you're happy with it. But that lines up the caveat nicely, I will actively try to steer the uninformed away from making a decision that's clearly going to be wrong for them. I don't go that route very often for a host of reasons, but occasionally, I will (this is not one of those occasions). I remember a time when I made purchases I could ill afford, & found them to be flawed decisions. I remember thinking "why didn't someone tell me that", so when I smell such a scenario, I'll jump in, knowing full well the chances are my advice will fall on deaf ears, but at least I tried.

As you'll see in my other post below, I happen to think that DW make some great drums. My point about their spend on promo activities applies to nearly all companies of mass, & it certainly applies to just about every recognised brand of all products we buy. That's not a negative, & nor is it a reflection on the quality of product vs. another. On a straight point, DW must make good drums, because even with the best marketing campaign in the world, if the drums were crap, they wouldn't be in the market position they are now (DDrum being a case in point).

I have many playing friends who play DW kits. For the most part, they're happy with their instrument.
 
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