Tuning on display kits - mini rant - video

Thanks Grea :) I like the kit at that tuning, kind of nearly jazz mode ;) Some G1's, & it's happy, but it can rock low with clears on too.

First recording of the Gurus (with Drouyn snare) is now in Your Playing in my home recordings thread. Maniacal, as usual :)

My feeling is that staff get jaded. They could tune everything up nicely and then someone comes in and beats the daylights out of the kit and puts out the tuning again. Day after day after day ...
 
BTW, as an aside, does anyone like the tuning on this video?
I want that kit now. I admitedly dont like the look (I'm sort of obsessed with sparkle finishes) but that kit sounds amazing and i'll be saving up for a bit.
 
Yes, this also drives me crazy and I see it all the time. Kits on display, snare drums (expensive ones with wrinkles in the snare side head is OK?)
New and used, it sure doesn't help sell anything.

While I am a firm believer with taking the time to properly tune a drum set to its environment...it really doesn't take very long to take an untuned drum to a state of 'reasonably acceptable'. Sometimes there just isn't enough time, I get that.
I am meticulous as anyone when it comes to tuning and like to take my time...I like to experiment and I'm always tweaking the tuning - when rehearsing, gigging, whenever I play. Before /during sound check, between songs slightly touching up here and there. I leave them alone when they are dialled in.

To quantify this on a scale of 1 to 10 :
A new , wrinkled head, untuned drum on display: 1
Heads tightened up - wrinkles out, but not tuned :3
5 minutes spent tuning (the whole set) by someone who knows what they are doing: 7-8
1-2 hours spent by someone who knows what they are doing : 9-10

As with almost anything, the last 10-20% requires the most effort.
But I think that Andy would agree, even a minimal effort in this regard should be the absolute minimum and is better than nothing. 5 minutes. It's a 'pit crew' mentality to getting it done but it is possible.

This reminds me , how many of you have seen the Craigslist ads that say "drums have been professionally tuned" ? And they mean six months ago, in a different room and before the heads looked like the surface of the moon.
Sigh. It ain't rocket science ...or is it?

Neal
 
Guru is most definitely raising the bar high with drum building. If these concepts ever catch fire with the public at large, every other drum company would likely have to yield to customer "trends", eventually. It's only appropriate that you would feel a bit disgusted by your peers. Your standards are so far above everyone else's. Right down to (duh) making sure the drums are tuned well for the conditions. ESPECIALLY at a drum show, epic duh.

It's so good to know that one drum company exists that is intelligent enough, and whose standards are so high, as to lead the pack to further the evolution of the construction of acoustic drums. I can't say that about any other existing company. Status quo all the way baby, that's everyone else's motto. To heck with any innovation.
 
I love the sound of that kit, Andy.

I can't imagine why anyone would put a set of drums out for demo purposes and not tune them. I don't get around to many trade shows or things like that, so I didn't realize this was such a common problem. It seems really stupid to me to ignore such an important thing.
 
I want that kit now. I admitedly dont like the look (I'm sort of obsessed with sparkle finishes) but that kit sounds amazing and i'll be saving up for a bit.
Thank you, but sparkle isn't an option I'm afraid. We offer the same kit without wooden hoops though. That will take away some of the woody look, & also some of the woody sound. It'll brighten it up too, & sharpen attack.

But I think that Andy would agree, even a minimal effort in this regard should be the absolute minimum and is better than nothing. 5 minutes. It's a 'pit crew' mentality to getting it done but it is possible.
Neal
Entirely possible Neal. OK, time can be tight when setting up exhibitions. It's a lot of work, but you can always find time to get the tuning at least somewhere close. If they tuned the kits before they even got to the exhibition, then came in early each show day to tweak them, that would be a much better situation than is currently the case.

Status quo all the way baby, that's everyone else's motto.
not everyone Larry, but many, & it's typically the big companies and/or their distributors/reps that are commonly the worst offenders. At LDS last year, there were three bigger companies who's drums sounded disgracefully bad - & I mean cardboard box bad. High range stuff too. They were majoring on the latest finish options. In the refreshment area, I even heard two drummers discussing one of the kits mentioned (a nice glossy veneer). One said to the other that he didn't think it sounded that great, the other responded "I don't care, They sound great on (insert brand's) videos, & they look cool. It's all in the mic's anyhow".

I love the sound of that kit, Andy.

I can't imagine why anyone would put a set of drums out for demo purposes and not tune them. I don't get around to many trade shows or things like that, so I didn't realize this was such a common problem. It seems really stupid to me to ignore such an important thing.
Thanks :) & yes, nor can I. I can only assume they've lost their passion & have corporate expenses to burn. At another show last year, I played a kit on a very big stand (large manufacturer). I remarked to the rep that it sounded like crap. He knew I was an exhibitor. I said "it just needs a tune up". He replied "nobody cares. It's got the right brand, a great finish, & it's the right price". That made me pretty sad.
 
It occurs to me that everything they don't do,
That you do do,
Is plus one to you/ Guru.

I think you're on a winner !

The worse they sound, the better you do.

Quid pro quo. Or something like that.
Oh no, hang on.............
Vive le difference ! Yeah, that's that ticket.
 
At another show last year, I played a kit on a very big stand (large manufacturer). I remarked to the rep that it sounded like crap. He knew I was an exhibitor. I said "it just needs a tune up". He replied "nobody cares. It's got the right brand, a great finish, & it's the right price". That made me pretty sad.



Ewww. Honestly, remarks like this deflate my faith in people. Not all people don't care. Even if 10% of the people cared, that's enough. I would have loved to tell him exactly, in great detail, how pathetic that attitude is. Loser.

Long live high standards. Long live Guru.

I so wish I could work for your company Andy. YOU restore my faith in people. Please don't ever lose what you have right now.
 
Best kit I ever played was at London Drum Show. Was Guru stand and the bloke honored me by letting me play on the free floating kit.... My dream kit and always will be but I will never be able to afford that.... Tuned perfect, looked amazing. Not only that but the owner complimented my playing and actually gave me a nice chat. Went out of his way actually, incredible. If only I could afford a guru kit, any kit.... Sucks having around £600 as a limit for next kit...
 
The worse they sound, the better you do.
To an extent, yes, but I'd much prefer all drums at exhibitions to be well tuned. That way, not only can players make an informed 1 - 1 comparison, but it presents a much more stimulating & worthwhile atmosphere for visitors.

Not all people don't care.
Thankfully larry, this is true. For every lazy b*^%d in the business, there's some real passionate people too. I just wish some of that passion would rub off on the others. By means of inspiration preferably, but if not, then by means of shame.

Best kit I ever played was at London Drum Show. Was Guru stand and the bloke honored me by letting me play on the free floating kit.... My dream kit and always will be but I will never be able to afford that.... Tuned perfect, looked amazing. Not only that but the owner complimented my playing and actually gave me a nice chat. Went out of his way actually, incredible. If only I could afford a guru kit, any kit.... Sucks having around £600 as a limit for next kit...
This is great to hear :) I'm fairly certain that was me, but please excuse me if I don't remember specifically. Alternatively, it might have been Dean. I'm 20 years older than Dean.

Either way, it tells me something about you. You must have approached us in a way that gave us the confidence to let you play that precious kit, actually, my kit. We restricted playing on that kit for good reason. As you're aware, there's a lot of visitors who just want to thrash any kit they can find. It doesn't matter what it sounds like, because they mostly want to "impress" their friends.

As an aside, you've played probably one of the rarest kits on the planet in modern times. It is the very genesis of the Origin series drums, & crafted from 300 year old mahogany. There will only ever be one prototype kit, despite numerous requests to build more. If we ever become successful enough to have a Guru museum, that will take pride of place. Thank you so much for your kind words. It makes our struggles that bit easier to work through :)
 
One of my fav pics is me on that set :) I think it was the fact I wasn't in a metal band shirt and talked to you first. I knew your works and couldn't get enough of it. I distinctly remember you saying you wanted me at 1:30 to play some jazz on it as we were in quiet down time (which really didn't work). I can't say I have ever looked so scared!
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Hey Andy,

I listened with some good headphones and that kit sounds very good. Nice deep bass (especially considering how shallow it is) and great sounding toms. And it looks fabulous.

BTW: next time tell the other drummers to stop playing while a Guru kit is being recorded ;-).

About badly tuned drums: I remember when I was shopping for my first acoustic kit I visited several shops and almost started thinking drums were supposed to sound that bad without any other instruments. Until I finally heard a properly tuned drumkit and it sounded so much better, even though it wasn't a high end kit.

Not to offend anyone but the employees I met in the shops weren't exactly very busy so I would say they would have some time to tune every drumkit once in a while. I would make them if it was my store, that should bump up sales a lot. An untuned or badly tuned drumkit sounds like crap. How are you ever gonna sell it?
 
Hey Andy,

I listened with some good headphones and that kit sounds very good. Nice deep bass (especially considering how shallow it is) and great sounding toms. And it looks fabulous.

BTW: next time tell the other drummers to stop playing while a Guru kit is being recorded ;-).

About badly tuned drums: I remember when I was shopping for my first acoustic kit I visited several shops and almost started thinking drums were supposed to sound that bad without any other instruments. Until I finally heard a properly tuned drumkit and it sounded so much better, even though it wasn't a high end kit.

Not to offend anyone but the employees I met in the shops weren't exactly very busy so I would say they would have some time to tune every drumkit once in a while. I would make them if it was my store, that should bump up sales a lot. An untuned or badly tuned drumkit sounds like crap. How are you ever gonna sell it?


If you want bad mate, don't go to Tonika, Groningen. Not only was no snare or kit tuned (they had a tama metalworks with o rings and just said its an automatic tuning system, and had a dennis chambers snare that sounded like turd.... And to add insult to injury actually told me not to buy the fibreskyn heads I was buying because "they are for old people and sound crap"
 
If you want bad mate, don't go to Tonika, Groningen. Not only was no snare or kit tuned (they had a tama metalworks with o rings and just said its an automatic tuning system, and had a dennis chambers snare that sounded like turd.... And to add insult to injury actually told me not to buy the fibreskyn heads I was buying because "they are for old people and sound crap"

OK, thanks. Any thoughts about Adams in Ittervoort?
 
One of my fav pics is me on that set :)
Ah yes, now I remember you, & you did play well :) I'm glad we left a good impression of how a customer should be treated. TBH, it's difficult to get it right every time at a very busy exhibition. As you know, we don't just talk to people we believe are going to buy something. We're happy to talk with anyone who shows some genuine interest.

Hey Andy,

I listened with some good headphones and that kit sounds very good. Nice deep bass (especially considering how shallow it is) and great sounding toms. And it looks fabulous.

BTW: next time tell the other drummers to stop playing while a Guru kit is being recorded ;-).

An untuned or badly tuned drumkit sounds like crap. How are you ever gonna sell it?
Thank you, & yes, the others should shut TFU ;) ;) ;)

Your last point really is the bottom line here. I'm specifically pissed about tuning standards within major company reps at shows, but that malaise extends to stores too. We hear about failing stores all the time. That's a huge shame, & a loss for us all, but how many of those would have benefitted if they'd just bothered to tune up their drums? I suppose we'll never know.
 
The kit sounds incredible- helped even more by the very tasty playing I guess.

I think you should stop feeling down about this Andy and embrace it. Lets face it, if people buy drums with their ears, you'll never be short of a sale! World domination here you come!
 
You are too kind sir, I only did take 5, it's a standard.
Yes, but I love Take 5!!!!!

The kit sounds incredible- helped even more by the very tasty playing I guess.
Thanks Ian, & yes, Matt is a superb player, & general all round very cool Guru artist :) Matt will be featuring on our next instalment of "The Guru Sessions" natural recordings. He'll be playing our new In-Tense range kit. Dave McKeague will be returning to showcase the new snare range too. Good stuff - I love working with these guys :)
 
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