What makes you like a certain brand of drums?

Boom

Silver Member
In the thread http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/s...d.php?t=132335, about what "you will never own/buy" and why, got me thinking. As I said in that thread, I took a writing class a few years ago where I learned that one of the reasons a person "chooses" a taste (favorite car, color shoes, taste in musical genres) is how they perceive how listening to that music or playing those drums will increase their social status.

Now there are other factors, but for sure this applies. For instance, I have always had a need to be "distinct", where my tastes didn't totally line up with what is most popular. There are exceptions to this, but I guess I perceive that I'll gain social status by being different in many instances and that "chooses" what I'll like.

With that in mind, why do you like certain drum brands or cymbal brands? Do you think you are truly capable of choosing objectively on just sound? If your kit was placed in a huge room full of other kits and you were blindfolded, would you still choose those drums out of the bunch? And if the kit/cymbals that you loved the sound of most, but was made by a maker that for some reason you don't like, would you run out and buy them?

I love Tama drums because they probably did a great job of marketing when I was in the market for my first high end kit. I think some of my favorite drummers were Tama endorsers. And then when I got the Tama Starclassic maple drums, they were immaculate. I recently bought one of the limited edition Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kits and it too is immaculate. Tama's quality control just puts me at ease when I buy the drums. I use mostly Sabian cymbals (but have owned Zildjian also). The reasons for that, is not clear to me. Why Sabian and not Paiste or Zildjian as my preferred choice? That might have more to do with sound as I would play all of the cymbals in the store and Sabian just felt/sounded best. But maybe there was some marketing that I was susceptible to?

What makes you a "X" drum lover? Why are you a Gretsch guy? Why are you a Ludwig girl?
 
I changed from Gretsch to DW.

I played in a band in the 90's (as a guitarist) with a great drummer who had a Gretsch kit that sounded fantastic.
When I started drumming I automatically went with Gretsch.

Over time I realised that DW were more the sort of sound I hear in my head so over time I sold my Gretsch kits (except for my first one which I'll keep forever) and bought a couple of DW Collectors (one for live, one set up in my studio) and a bunch of their snares.

I really should change my username. :)
 
1) the way it sounds
2) the way it packs up and sets up
 
I like just about all drums; cymbals are a different matter. I have owned the following brands of drums since my first drum set in 1968:

Drum Mate (typical stencil brand)
Ludwig
Slingerland
Gretsch
Pearl
Corder
Mapex
Pacific
Peace

I now have two Gretsch toms and one bass drum, a Pearl bass drum and one tom, a Mapex snare, a Pacific snare, and a Peace snare. They all sound (and look) good to me, and that is all I care about. I have no idea why I like this stuff, and that is how I prefer it. Yes, I prefer not to know. Peace and goodwill.
 
I don't think I could analyze it, really. Too complicated for my feeble brain. Part of it is brand identity, partly sound, partly finish. However, the major factor in my drum purchases is value. Can I afford it? Is it worth it to me?

I have a high end Ludwig that sounds decent and I love the looks of. And I have a Tama Silverstar that I bought because it was cheap. It looks like crap (finish wrap is wrinkly) but sounds excellent for the price. I like the sound of it better than the Luddies in some respects, but the sizes are different so I can't just sub one for the other.

Cymbals, on the other hand are different. I don't care much what they look like. Considerations are, can I afford it and do I like the sound?
 
I don't think I could analyze it, really. Too complicated for my feeble brain. Part of it is brand identity, partly sound, partly finish. However, the major factor in my drum purchases is value. Can I afford it? Is it worth it to me?

I have a high end Ludwig that sounds decent and I love the looks of. And I have a Tama Silverstar that I bought because it was cheap. It looks like crap (finish wrap is wrinkly) but sounds excellent for the price. I like the sound of it better than the Luddies in some respects, but the sizes are different so I can't just sub one for the other.

Cymbals, on the other hand are different. I don't care much what they look like. Considerations are, can I afford it and do I like the sound?

How could I forget this? Of course perceived value too. I'm more drawn to purchase something if I think the resale value will also be good. So yeah, I love sound and looks, but if it is some kit that no one knows about? I'm less likely to buy it because I want to get more bang for my buck. Good point.
 
1) the way it sounds
2) the way it packs up and sets up

Dr Watso, you aren't drawn to a certain brand of drums? If it fits these requirements you will take any?

The sound, the look, the build quality

GD - you are a Gretsch guy though right? Maybe I'm wrong. But if you are a Gretsch guy, why? Why not a Ludwig or Mapex guy?

I like just about all drums; cymbals are a different matter. I have owned the following brands of drums since my first drum set in 1968:

Drum Mate (typical stencil brand)
Ludwig
Slingerland
Gretsch
Pearl
Corder
Mapex
Pacific
Peace

I now have two Gretsch toms and one bass drum, a Pearl bass drum and one tom, a Mapex snare, a Pacific snare, and a Peace snare. They all sound (and look) good to me, and that is all I care about. I have no idea why I like this stuff, and that is how I prefer it. Yes, I prefer not to know. Peace and goodwill.

That's pretty amazing to me that you appear to not care at all about brands. You are impervious to marketing! :)
 
Cost is my first consideration, as in price bracket. Mid range is my thing as I go with head choice and tuning for my sound. Then its drum sizes, I like 20" BDs and short stack toms. Then its mounting systems, I would never go for Tama as I hate the look of the bent angle iron on the mid range kits. The Yamaha Stage Custom ticked all the boxes as I love the mounting system, the price point and the build quality.

Cymbals are another matter. Cost is not really a consideration, up to a point. I tried almost every cymbal in the shop before I bought my last ride cymbal. I have a mish mash of cymbal brands but I love the sound they all make.
 
Dr Watso, you aren't drawn to a certain brand of drums? If it fits these requirements you will take any?



GD - you are a Gretsch guy though right? Maybe I'm wrong. But if you are a Gretsch guy, why? Why not a Ludwig or Mapex guy?



That's pretty amazing to me that you appear to not care at all about brands. You are impervious to marketing! :)

My first set of drums back in 1963 0r 64 were Gretsch and they were good. Fast forward to 2007 and I started looking for a set of new drums and what I found that fit my budget were a set of birch Taye drums. Great drums, but all big sizes. I wanted smaller, so I perused CL daily and a guy had a new set of Gretsch Renown, never set up or played for 900.00. I waited and 2 weeks later they were 700.00 so I went to look and ended up getting them of 650.00, a steal. If I could buy new again I would have no trouble with Tama, Pearl or Ludwig and not necessarily in the order. I promote Gretsch because I own a set and like the sound, look, and build. But not stuck on Gretsch
 
Dr Watso, you aren't drawn to a certain brand of drums? If it fits these requirements you will take any?[\quote]
Not really. I bought a few tama kits, but that just happens to be what came up at the right price and right sound. I also like gretch and a bunch of others. More likely to dislike the bargain brands than prefer a name brand.

The only stuff I'm really "drawn" to would be the super artsy drums you know, the gurus\bradys\etc and other hand made art pieces that are just beautiful along with function. But, in my current life, I can't really justify spending for the diminishing gains.
 
In this order: Sound. Build Quality. Appearance. Price point.

I've stuck with Yamaha drums since '79 because they do everything I want.
I'm loyal to the end if the product consistently delivers.

I've only owned one Yamaha snare and was not satisfied with it, nor any of their other snares for that matter.
Snares are totally a sound driven choice for me. The older I get the more particular I get about snare sound/quality.

Cymbals were a long journey over decades. That was a long, slow learning process until I finally understood the
precise sound I was after. The internet helped expedite some of that educational process. Then I finally stumbled
across Istanbul Agop cymbals in the last 10 years and I never looked back. I kept a few other cymbal brands in the
mix based solely on sound and how they blend with the Agops. But I'm an Istanbul devotee until I die.
 
I covet a set of 3-ply Ludwigs because that's what my heroes played: Bonham, Ringo, Mason, Mitchell, Ward. When you listen to Zeppelin or the Beatles you hear the details in every drum; you hear the head, the shell, the tuning, the stroke, the room. Those drums are alive. They move me because they're unique and imperfect, and that's rock and roll.

When I see a 10-piece Pearl Reference with 15 cymbals I just think of how boring I find most music that calls for all of those drums, and I think of how the "perfect" studio drum sound doesn't appeal to me at all. When I was a teenager it seemed like all the modern music was intent on eliminating the instrument and focusing instead on the note. To me that's dull and impersonal.

I don't care about virgin bass drums or touching only the edge of a cymbal to maintain its factory finish and sound. I don't want rim mounts on my toms and cradles for my floor toms. I want drums that contribute to the music, drums that make music on their own.

Now, whether most major drum companies are making their drums to meet that studio-perfect standard, I'm not sure, but the music I associate those companies with are what influences my opinion.
 
In this order: Sound. Build Quality. Appearance. Price point.

I've stuck with Yamaha drums since '79 because they do everything I want.
I'm loyal to the end if the product consistently delivers.

I've only owned one Yamaha snare and was not satisfied with it, nor any of their other snares for that matter.
Snares are totally a sound driven choice for me. The older I get the more particular I get about snare sound/quality.

Cymbals were a long journey over decades. That was a long, slow learning process until I finally understood the
precise sound I was after. The internet helped expedite some of that educational process. Then I finally stumbled
across Istanbul Agop cymbals in the last 10 years and I never looked back. I kept a few other cymbal brands in the
mix based solely on sound and how they blend with the Agops. But I'm an Istanbul devotee until I die.

I like this but would put the price first. None of us should spend what we can't afford. Anything I buy price is first. If I can't afford it , the build quality, sound , and appearance mean nothing.
 
In a way Gruntersdad put it, price point is what gets me the product. I love DWs for their sound and esthetics and quality, however i cant pay 5k for them. I make it my part time job to constantly lurk around quality preowned high end gear and contact seller for reasonable price. How much would it be for this particular model and dimension if it were out of the factory vs what the sellers asking for? And then i would look at quality and condition to see if the sellers asking price fits the bill.

I got my DW collectors off a private sale for $2800 canadian dollars. Considering the year of make (2012) and quality and quantity of it (bass + 2 toms 2 floor toms) I was ecstatic to make the purchase. Never regretted that buy.

That said, this is my order:
Price - build quality - sound - esthetics

I believe within most high end kits that you like within the genre of music you play, you can tune the drum properly into any sound you desire. It is the durability and quality the kit is in that i consider more of a priority.

In terms of esthetics, I will simply avoid any preowned or new gear no matter what quality if it isnt the colour or style I want.
 
Price point is #1 for me, since there's no point drooling, if I can't touch it. Sound is absolutely second. Can't live with something I don't like the sound of. These two are why I've been stuck with my PDP set the past 10 years. The last is looks. That said, when I finally get to get a new set, it had better look as good as it sounds with workmanship to match. I would have never picked up the PDPs, if they weren't as cheap as they were ($300), then turn around and redo the bearing edges. I did it, because I knew they would meet the first two requements. I didn't hate the color, but never loved it either. The HW is fine and I'll likely keep them around on the next set, till I replace them with that absolutely awesome Yamaha HW.
 
Yamaha fanboy here and it really comes down to nostalgia. As a teen, many of my heroes were playing them and within my circle of players, Recording Customs were the coveted kit to have. I couldn't afford those but I save up my coin and with a little loan from my old man, bought my first new kit, Pro Tour Customs (I think that's what they were calling them at that point; the mahogany/birch shells). I don't think they're better than most other ply shell manufacturers but just as good and I think for the most part, Yamaha doesn't try to present as something they're not.
 
Yamaha fanboy here and it really comes down to nostalgia.
Oh, I hear that. Something about a green sparkle Ludwig kit I still covet because that's what I lusted after as a teen worshipping Bonham. I even prefer the 70's Ludwig logo for the same reason. Nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool that is often deliberately used. Still comes down to price and value, ultimately.
 
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