which drums are made in USA & Canada?

[lovemysonors]

just curious which kits/companies MANUFACTURE in the US and/or Canada. the only one i know is Ayotte and Canwood from Canada...

would the biggest difference btwn. making a kit in North America vs. Asia, etc. be labour rates (ie. more $$ in NA, cheaper elsewhere)? quality the same though??

which companies produce where (outside of North America)?

when researching about duties/taxes for bringing gear into Canada, i found out that you pay no duty on North American manufactured goods, but 6% on stuff made outside...

[Ironcobra]

The quality can vary. Companies will advertise that their kits are made with "100% Canadian maple" because it is more desirable than any Asian maple. The colder the climate, the better the wood will be, so watch for that. Chinese or Asian companies will advertise "maple drum kits", but in reality it's not quite as good as what you may be looking for.

I know Gretsch is made in the US.
Sabian is Canadian, made in New Brunswick I believe?
Zildjian was founded in Turkey, but I think is produced in the US.
Pro-Mark is American.
DW - American.
Ludwig, you can guess this one!
Pintech, Pork Pie, Remo, Slingerland, Spaun, all American!
Sonor is German, but I think they build some stuff in the US.

Don't quote me on any of these.

The list goes on and on.

It depends largely on the lines.

The high-end Gretsch, DW and Ludwigs are all made in the US, as are most Pork Pie kits and most of the 'custom' manufacturers that use Keller shells. Tama is Japanese (lower end in China), Mapex is Chinese, Premier is British (with lower end in China), Pearl is Japanese, Sonor is German (lower end in China), Yamaha is Japanese (again, lower end in China) so actually buying American-made drums does limit your choices quite considerably. Obviously I've managed to miss a couple of the US companies, so feel free to add - but remember that all the companies lower-end kits are made abroad, so you're going to have to look at the top-end kits if you want to take advantage of the tax law.

Cymbal-wise. Zildjian is American, Sabian is Canadian, Saluda are American, Paiste are Swiss (lower end in Germany), Meinl are German, Istanbul (Agop/Mehmet) are Turkish, UFIP are Italian and Wuhan are Chinese - so you're very limited there. Remo, Evans, Aquarian and Attack heads are made in the US, Vic Firth, Pro Mark, Regal Tip, Zildjian and Vater sticks are all American. So really, you're looking to buy the accessories. Of the companies you have the choice of buying the drums from (based on my list) I'd take a closer look at Gretsch personally - but obviously Ludwig and DW make good drums too - it's win-win in the high end whichever company you choose.

[sandman1231]

You can get some really high end european stuff too. Think Sonor. But then again theres some great japanese drum out there so yeah.

Originally Posted by sandman1231

You can get some really high end european stuff too. Think Sonor. But then again theres some great japanese drum out there so yeah.

Read the original question: American drums aren't taxed over the Canadian border - so we're looking for American drums. Personally, I'm a Sonor/Gretsch/Premier fan and given the circumstances asked, I'd buy Gretsch.

[sandman1231]

yeah sorry. but i think there should be more important things than tax when considering a drum purchase. but if it comes down to it some awesome drum are made in the US.

[lovemysonors]

Originally Posted by sandman1231

yeah sorry. but i think there should be more important things than tax when considering a drum purchase. but if it comes down to it some awesome drum are made in the US.

hey, no worries. my question was just to see which makers made things where. the additional 6% if they're made outside of NA...well, if they're worth it and i love them, i'll gladly pay the 6%.

Originally Posted by lovemysonors

hey, no worries. my question was just to see which makers made things where. the additional 6% if they're made outside of NA...well, if they're worth it and i love them, i'll gladly pay the 6%.

Well you might still end up saving money if you buy imported drums. Mapex, for instance, make great kits for relatively little money. I attended a gig the other week and the drummer was playing a Mapex Saturn and it sounded absolutely fantastic. I'm a Sonor guy, as I've already mentioned, but their top-end is prohibitively expensive so it might well be out when you consider the 6% tax. Something like a Yamaha Oak/Beech/Tour Custom might not be however, and they are another great drum maker.

[Ironcobra]

Originally Posted by Mediocrefunkybeat

Well you might still end up saving money if you buy imported drums. Mapex, for instance, make great kits for relatively little money. I attended a gig the other week and the drummer was playing a Mapex Saturn and it sounded absolutely fantastic.

The new limited edition birch/walnut Saturn sounds fantastic, unless I hear something better, I'll picking that up once a few more hundred come to my pocket.

About the Canadian border, it's kind of disgustingly confusing. We get almost all Pearl products up to 25% cheaper than the US, but we have to pay almost 20% more for Tama. Long story short, look at Pearl before you look at American drums. Just stay away from Tama!

[Jeremy Bender]

Four other USA Companies that make incredible sounding snare drums

• Noble and Cooley-Massachusetts
• GMS-New York
• Grover percussion-Massachusetts
• Craviotto-California

[Agent_drew]

-Unix
-GVD
-Vaudoo Drums (these are amazing http://www.vaudoudrums.com/index.php...nu=&sousmenu1=)

Custom made... from Québec

[drumhead61]

Originally Posted by Ironcobra

The quality can vary. Companies will advertise that their kits are made with "100% Canadian maple" because it is more desirable than any Asian maple. The colder the climate, the better the wood will be, so watch for that. Chinese or Asian companies will advertise "maple drum kits", but in reality it's not quite as good as what you may be looking for.

I know Gretsch is made in the US.
Sabian is Canadian, made in New Brunswick I believe?
Zildjian was founded in Turkey, but I think is produced in the US.
Pro-Mark is American.
DW - American.
Ludwig, you can guess this one!Pintech, Pork Pie, Remo, Slingerland, Spaun, all American!
Sonor is German, but I think they build some stuff in the US.

Don't quote me on any of these.

The list goes on and on.

Where might that guess be? As a young boy I thought Germany...foolish boy that I was was SHOCKED to find out USA go figure

OH and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU (according to your sig)

[DamoSyzygy]

^ Nope, but they were rumoured to haven taken ideas from the Germans!

Axis and Trick are also USA brands.

There is little to no difference in quality inside to outside the US. If a chinese builder is claiming 100% North American Maple shells (As Mapex's ProM does) then its going to be of similar quality as that level of kit made in the US. There will be a noticable difference in price though.

[aydee]

Originally Posted by DamoSyzygy

There is little to no difference in quality inside to outside the US. If a chinese builder is claiming 100% North American Maple shells (As Mapex's ProM does) then its going to be of similar quality as that level of kit made in the US. There will be a noticable difference in price though.

Totally agree with Damo. Gone are the days when China & Taiwan meant inferior technology or construction.
Today there is technological parity in most parts of the world, and most products are almost as good as their competitors, regardless of where they are made. Today's consumer demands an uncompromised level of quality, and the manufacterers have to deliver it or lose the customer. The huge difference then becomes price. China's got this gig perfected. For a couple of decades there was a gap in what they wanted to produce versus what came out, but no more. All the tech in the world, and a huge undemanding workforce = cheap drums, cars, tvs, whatever......

Watch out, here cometh the Chinese Drangon and its going to eat us all up alive !

[Mikey Dangerous]

Originally Posted by Ironcobra

The quality can vary. Companies will advertise that their kits are made with "100% Canadian maple" because it is more desirable than any Asian maple. The colder the climate, the better the wood will be, so watch for that. Chinese or Asian companies will advertise "maple drum kits", but in reality it's not quite as good as what you may be looking for.

I know Gretsch is made in the US.
Sabian is Canadian, made in New Brunswick I believe?
Zildjian was founded in Turkey, but I think is produced in the US.
Pro-Mark is American.
DW - American.
Ludwig, you can guess this one!
Pintech, Pork Pie, Remo, Slingerland, Spaun, all American!
Sonor is German, but I think they build some stuff in the US.

Don't quote me on any of these.

The list goes on and on.

To my knowledge, this is all spot on!!

[Mikey Dangerous]

Originally Posted by lovemysonors

when researching about duties/taxes for bringing gear into Canada, i found out that you pay no duty on North American manufactured goods, but 6% on stuff made outside...

The reason why we Canadians pay no duty on North American made goods is because of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The tricky thing is that we still have to pay OUR full sales tax on all NAFTA-qualified goods - 13% in most of Canada.

Where did you find out about the 6% on non-NA-made goods? I was under the impression that it varied depending on which country, what the item is, the item's value, etc. I checked the Canada Customs website and it was somewhat vague on this issue (on purpose, I'm sure).

[bermuda]

Originally Posted by Ironcobra

I know Gretsch is made in the US.

Gretsch's high-end kits are Keller, so yes on the U.S. for that. But their lower lines are from Taiwan or China.

Add to the list:

Vaughncraft
Cooperman
Longo
Impact (fiberglass)
Tempus (fiberglass & carbon fiber)

Bermuda

[7DaysToTheWolves]

My Mapex Mars Pro was made in Taiwan.

[drumtechdad]

Don't forget Eames drums. Good stuff, they make their own shells.

[lovemysonors]

Originally Posted by Mikey Dangerous

The reason why we Canadians pay no duty on North American made goods is because of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The tricky thing is that we still have to pay OUR full sales tax on all NAFTA-qualified goods - 13% in most of Canada.

Where did you find out about the 6% on non-NA-made goods? I was under the impression that it varied depending on which country, what the item is, the item's value, etc. I checked the Canada Customs website and it was somewhat vague on this issue (on purpose, I'm sure).

i got the 6% info from calling the border patrol...i talked to two people, one guy seemed confident in his knowledge and the other sounded like he just smoked a big fat one. hey, that's great but i hope he knew his stuff...

[DamoSyzygy]

Totally agree with Damo. Gone are the days when China & Taiwan meant inferior technology or construction.
Today there is technological parity in most parts of the world, and most products are almost as good as their competitors, regardless of where they are made. Today's consumer demands an uncompromised level of quality, and the manufacterers have to deliver it or lose the customer.

The ISO9001 approved standard kinda establishes this. Its a set of guidelines that a manufacturer has to agree to in order to be given the title.

The huge difference then becomes price. China's got this gig perfected. For a couple of decades there was a gap in what they wanted to produce versus what came out, but no more. All the tech in the world, and a huge undemanding workforce = cheap drums, cars, tvs, whatever......

Watch out, here cometh the Chinese Drangon and its going to eat us all up alive !

CHinas doing great now, but like places before them, the production side of things will boom to the point where it will no longer be cost effective to build there. Were a few years from that, though.

Next stop, Zaire!

[hyperdrummer]

Most lower lines, even in American name brands will be made in China. Ludwig's lines that end in "CS" is made in Chine, thus "CS" stands for China series. Same goes for lower lines of other companies, even when not a native American name. Thus Pearl's cheaper line is made in China.

But most of the higher end stuff on this end of the world is definitely made in USA. DW, Ludwig Classic Maple, various custom names such as GMS, Spaun, Gretsch's higher lines and so-on. I still can't agree altogether with the China quality being up to par. Too many issues with too many products coming from China. And you'll notice the industry's leading drum companies not producing their high end kits in China. Wander why?

[Nodiggie]

I picked up a 13x7 OCDP Maple shell with Ash outer ply. Yes, it was made in China and absolutely NOT in Orange County. GC blows them out at $199. I got this one for $149+.

I got it home and took it apart to check the edges and finish. It was pretty sad. The lugs and screws were less than grade 2 if there is such a grade and some were galled and will need to be chased with a tap before I attempt to put them back on. I have spent several hours polishing out the edges and finishing the inner shell. I stained it Early American and will clear coat it this weekend. Going to slap some Pure Sounds on it and see what kind of future this snare holds.....wish me luck.

[Steamer]

Originally Posted by DamoSyzygy

CHinas doing great now!

I agree. If the Chinese {Taiwan in my example} decide to set the bar for the production of high end high quality drums they are totally capable of doing so no question about it in my book. I'll put the quality of construction and degree of covering the fine details of making ply type quality drums {inc.drum hardware} with anything currently out there regardless of cost in regards to my Peace Kahuna 9 ply AA flame bubinga Bee-Bopp shell pack kit.

Sure the lesser quality stuff will be out there coming from the Orient but if made with a degree of quality and attention to detail in mind needed to compete with other high end drums we see in the stores they have no problem covering that from what I've seen and heard in the flesh. The proof is in the pudding as the old saying goes in this case both in quality of construction and most importantly the SOUND of my own Taiwan made kit.

[bojangleman]

Originally Posted by bermuda

Gretsch's high-end kits are Keller

are you sure?

i thought they started to make their own shells....well, at least for the higher-end kits...like Renowns and Classics..

but, i could be wrong..

Alex

[DamoSyzygy]

I still can't agree altogether with the China quality being up to par. Too many issues with too many products coming from China.

Customer perception is often behind reality. I still get people saying "Chinese kits are crap quality, thats why Ive never bought one..." The question then has to be asked - How would they know then?

Its a simple equation really. When youre paying someone a pittance for their work, you can afford to have many eyes on the job. Thats why the quality control at Mapex is so high. In my years of selling kits the Mapex's have been without a doubt the most consistently controlled brand when it comes to quality.

And you'll notice the industry's leading drum companies not producing their high end kits in China. Wander why?

How many customer would buy dw kits if they got up and said "Were moving to China!" Unfortunately, companies like Sonor, dw, Tama etc have established themselves as being German, US and Japanese builders. This thread proves that people feel it matters where kits are made, and theres also an iconic connection with some kits because of their country of origin - ie dw being 'all american', National Pride, etc.

I know Id feel a bit jipped if Brady decided to become a Somalian made drum company!

[RodneyZepa]

Originally Posted by Mikey Dangerous

The reason why we Canadians pay no duty on North American made goods is because of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The tricky thing is that we still have to pay OUR full sales tax on all NAFTA-qualified goods - 13% in most of Canada.

Where did you find out about the 6% on non-NA-made goods? I was under the impression that it varied depending on which country, what the item is, the item's value, etc. I checked the Canada Customs website and it was somewhat vague on this issue (on purpose, I'm sure).

Hello Mikey...I'm in Kelowna and I'm looking at adding on or getting Gretsch Renown Maple Rock 3 Piece Kit...But..Do you know who or how (In Harpers Army) I'd need to contact to find out about Duty - Tax bringing in Gretsch drums from USA ? If only 6 % for Non North American produced thats not too bad at all...But...Would like that verified by Border guys...Any info would be really appreciated...Your Peace kit looks very cool...Nice...Thanks Mikey..All the Best eh...RS...

[RodneyZepa]

Originally Posted by RodneyZepa

Hello Mikey...I'm in Kelowna and I'm looking at adding on or getting Gretsch Renown Maple Rock 3 Piece Kit...But..Do you know who or how (In Harpers Army) I'd need to contact to find out about Duty - Tax bringing in Gretsch drums from USA ? If only 6 % for Non North American produced thats not too bad at all...But...Would like that verified by Border guys...Any info would be really appreciated...Your Peace kit looks very cool...Nice...Thanks Mikey..All the Best eh...RS...

Oops...Peace Kit belongs to Steamer (Vancouver)...My apologies...Yamaha is yours...Nice...

[Polymetrix1618]

Originally Posted by lovemysonors

just curious which kits/companies MANUFACTURE in the US and/or Canada. the only one i know is Ayotte and Canwood from Canada...

would the biggest difference btwn. making a kit in North America vs. Asia, etc. be labour rates (ie. more $$ in NA, cheaper elsewhere)? quality the same though??

which companies produce where (outside of North America)?

when researching about duties/taxes for bringing gear into Canada, i found out that you pay no duty on North American manufactured goods, but 6% on stuff made outside...

All DW drums are made in the US, along with almost all of the Keller custom companies (Pork Pie, Spaun, Hillbilly). Unix and Ayotte are made in Canada. The high-end Ludwigs and Gretch's are USA-made as well.

The manufacturing place doesn't matter that much, although I prefer Japanese and German drums. Taiwan is associated with lower quality drums, but Mapex does a great job in Taiwan. In the end, if a kit is made well, is easy to tune, has a flawless finish, has good hardware, and sounds good, the country it's manufactured in means nothing.

[Artstar]

Originally Posted by Polymetrix1618

Taiwan is associated with lower quality drums, but Mapex does a great job in Taiwan. In the end, if a kit is made well, is easy to tune, has a flawless finish, has good hardware, and sounds good, the country it's manufactured in means nothing.

Mapex is from China. Regarding drums from Taiwan, well, all hi end Pearl has come from there for quite sometime, and those are no less quality than pretty much anything out there.

[Polymetrix1618]

Originally Posted by Artstar

Mapex is from China. Regarding drums from Taiwan, well, all hi end Pearl has come from there for quite sometime, and those are no less quality than pretty much anything out there.

Oops, I mixed the countries up.

[PureRockFury]

Originally Posted by lovemysonors

i got the 6% info from calling the border patrol...i talked to two people, one guy seemed confident in his knowledge and the other sounded like he just smoked a big fat one. hey, that's great but i hope he knew his stuff...

I was just actually quoted 7% back in November when I called the Canada Customs Boarder Agency.

[DrumEatDrum]

And then it can get complicated:

Most (all?) drums made in North America use hoops, tension rods and other parts made overseas.

Many maple shell drums made in Asia use maple that is grown in North American.

Some higher end Asian made drums come with Remo heads, which are made in American, even though the drums are not.

Numerous kits are a truly international affair.

[SonicHarmonic]

Originally Posted by Artstar

Mapex is from China. Regarding drums from Taiwan, well, all hi end Pearl has come from there for quite sometime, and those are no less quality than pretty much anything out there.

I'm pretty sure Mapex is Taiwanese. The KHS corporation is from Taiwan. Maybe it's the mid/lower-level kits produced in mainland China?

[Polymetrix1618]

Originally Posted by SonicHarmonic

I'm pretty sure Mapex is Taiwanese. The KHS corporation is from Taiwan. Maybe it's the mid/lower-level kits produced in mainland China?

I think you're right. I remember reading an article about the Taiwan factory. They have their **** down in that factory. I'd put Saturns and Orions up against my Starclassics in terms of build quality.

[Artstar]

Originally Posted by SonicHarmonic

I'm pretty sure Mapex is Taiwanese. The KHS corporation is from Taiwan. Maybe it's the mid/lower-level kits produced in mainland China?

Yes, the main office/headquarters is out of Taiwan, which/who DO NOT manufacture drums in Taiwan. Mapex drums are completely manufactured in China, along with whoever else they build for; one of those specifically being all Sonor Force series drums.

Here is from the Mapex website:
"...This nearly unanimous sentiment was expressed repeatedly among a select group of Mapex retailers upon a recent visit to the Mapex manufacturing facilities in Tianjin, China..."

[volvoguy]

As far as boarder taxes/duties go, is it the "name" of the brand, or the actual point of manufacture? In other words, would an American company's import line count as American or "other"?.... since the goods are shipped to the US distributor, and then sent on from there.

As for the "Made in Taiwan" thing, I agree that there are some awesome mid-price drums coming out of there. The cherry/gumwood Ludwig Element SE's are pretty nice tubs.

-Ryan

[zambizzi]

I think it matters not where they're made anymore. My Pearl Ref. kit was made in Taiwan and it's absolutely flawless. I believe all but Pearl's Masterworks are mass produced in Taiwan...and the quality is outstanding. The same goes for many other Asian made mass-production drums.

"Made in the USA" doesn't imply quality. You may purchase out of some kind of patriotic obligation or other "feel good" reasons, but you may find that the quality is not any better or worse. DW has outstanding quality control but you pay the price for American labor and other overhead (daunting and expensive regulation, taxation, energy costs, etc.)

[Mikey Dangerous]

Originally Posted by RodneyZepa

Hello Mikey...I'm in Kelowna and I'm looking at adding on or getting Gretsch Renown Maple Rock 3 Piece Kit...But..Do you know who or how (In Harpers Army) I'd need to contact to find out about Duty - Tax bringing in Gretsch drums from USA ? If only 6 % for Non North American produced thats not too bad at all...But...Would like that verified by Border guys...Any info would be really appreciated...Your Peace kit looks very cool...Nice...Thanks Mikey..All the Best eh...RS...

Hey RZ,
Here's a couple of sites that can give you the info you're after:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/po...roits-eng.html

http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/cus...shipcanada.htm

As for the "border guys" and how they verify where a product was made, I believe the shipper has to fill out that info on the shipping slip when they mail it to you.

Hope this helps eh!

Mike

[volvoguy]

Originally Posted by zambizzi

"Made in the USA" doesn't imply quality. You may purchase out of some kind of patriotic obligation or other "feel good" reasons, but you may find that the quality is not any better or worse. DW has outstanding quality control but you pay the price for American labor and other overhead (daunting and expensive regulation, taxation, energy costs, etc.)

You're also covering the bill for their endorsers and making things like 23" bass drums.

-Ryan