Drum Workshop Worth The Cash?

Drums558 said:
Henry,

I did own a Gretsch kit, and loved them, wish i still had them. I had to sell them to pay taxes after i divorced my ex.

I haven't been into drumsmith for a while, need to go check it out again. Anyway, I have been curious about carbon fiber drums, who makes them? We had a Pearl fiberglass kit in high school that sounded sweet, but man were they heavy to lug around. I do think my DW's tune up nicely in the bop range, but then again, i don't play bop and you do so i'll give you the edge on the debate. Because I don't really play bop outside of practise on ocasion maybe there are some subtleties that i am missing that your more aware of.
My DW's did cost too much, but I still luv them.

Mike

Paul Mason, owner of Tempus drums (formerly Milestone), is the current, preeminent maker of fiberglass and carbon fiber drums. He hangs at www.drumsmith.com. His site is at www.tempusdrums.com. I don't own them, but, I've tried the fiberglass version. Great drums, bigger sound than most wood drums with less harmonics (complicated ringing). The drums are very thin and light weight, and the gelcoat finish is next to indestructable, good for gigging.
 
Skitch said:
So basically, your Orions could be Pearl Mastersounds or Tama Starclassics? By the way, I have also heard that Mapex refuses to pay DW the royalties owed to DW for the chain drive system. DW owns the patent on this; any company who produces chain drive pedals is legally obligated to pay DW.

Possibly the lower end Pearl and Tama's are made on a common Chinese assembly line, I'm not certain about that. But Pearl and Tama definitely make their own high end drums using their own proprietary methods.
 
Henry II said:
Possibly the lower end Pearl and Tama's are made on a common Chinese assembly line, I'm not certain about that. But Pearl and Tama definitely make their own high end drums using their own proprietary methods.
Thank You! i dont know where some people get their information from but its most certainly wrong. I agree with you mapex high end lines are also unique so theres no way they are a"Tama or Pearl" with a Mapex badge. And upon a little research Dws pedals that have sprockets with teeth are patented, Mapex high end hardware which is the 950 series, uses a cam system not a sprocket with teeth like the Dw pedals you are talking about. And there are no such royalties owed because they did not violate the patent.
 
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The Executioner said:
Thank You! i dont know where some people get their information from but its most certainly wrong. I agree with you mapex high end lines are also unique so theres no way they are a"Tama or Pearl" with a Mapex badge. And upon a little research Dws pedals that have sprockets with teeth are patented, Mapex high end hardware which is the 950 series, uses a cam system not a sprocket with teeth like the Dw pedals you are talking about. And there are no such royalties owed because they did not violate the patent.

Well, I was just repeating what I was told. And, you might want to check that patent because the method could be patented, not just the physical construction. By the way this issue was raised not on any current Mapex product, Janus, but back in 1998. Maybe this is why they came out with the design you are talking about. And by the way, how is it that you are certain that I am wrong? Where is your research? Don't just walk in and spout your opinion. You martial an argument - back it up!! What about the low-end hardware you neglectfully left out?

I have actually been to DW's factory in Oxnard, CA, watched a guy make a drum with my own eyes. This is when I decided that a DW drum set was going to be my next drum kit. And they sounded great at the studio this past Tuesday (it makes for a great session when both the engineer and the producer start off raving about how great my drums sound!) and on all of the gigs this week!

But really what it gets down is that this is a pointless issue because you are blindly loyal to your drums and I and many others love DW drums. This seems alot like those "my team is better than yours" cries on sports message boards.



Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
 
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Skitch said:
So basically, your Orions could be Pearl Mastersounds or Tama Starclassics?

No.

My flatmate is a Tama and Yamaha salesman and recently took a trip with a bunch of guys from his company over to China, where they visited both the Tama and Yamaha installations. The Tama factory - even at the low end - is producing Tama equipment only. Ditto Yamaha. There is no common manufacturing of drums for Pearl or Mapex in those factories. The nearest you might get is that they might use hardware (lugs, etc) from the same factories in Taiwan - but so do many custom companies worldwide!

I believe, however, that Taye are responsible for making shells for Mapex and a variety of other smaller brands. This was their core business prior to launching their own brand and getting Ray Ayotte on board.
 
When you get to the top of the line kits of any company it becomes impossible to state for a fact which drum company is on top. In all honesty, Pearl Reference, Tama Starclassic, Sonor Designer,Yamaha Recording Custom's and DW collectors drums are matched evenly. People only refer to DW as the porche of drums because they have a high price tag. Quality is matched in the top lines of the major drum companies and I believe that anyone of these kits can get a great sound simply by tuning and personal technique.
 
I have owned DWs, I have switched to Trick as my main set. DWs worth the money? That's a good question. I have to say yes and no. I like the look and sound of DWs but If you put DWs and lets say mapex pro ms in a room with the same drummer and you stood out side the room you think you could tell the DWs? To tell the truth you might but there really close and is it worth 2 to 3 grand more ? The fit and finish is outstanding on DWs. But it's all a matter of choice in high end drums.

I don't know why this always comes up. There are drums out there that cost more then DWs . My Trick kit cost more then my DWs did. I think it's because DWs are seen more then any other. If you saw Yamaha as much I think there price would be higher too. The more you see Pro drummers use stuff like DWs or say OCC thanks to Travis there price goes up.

Just what I think !

PS: I think my Yamaha Absolute Maple sound just as good the DWs did but not close to same price.
 
When it comes to smaller companies or custom companies, the prices are generaly higher becuase of less workers, smaller part orders and longer assembly times.
However, for the large companies such as Mapex, Pearl, Tama, Yamaha, Sonor and DW, I just don't see the justification of the higher price tag on DW. Yes, they are quality drums, but so are the other companies drums which can cost up 1-2k less.
 
Yambian said:
When it comes to smaller companies or custom companies, the prices are generaly higher becuase of less workers, smaller part orders and longer assembly times.
However, for the large companies such as Mapex, Pearl, Tama, Yamaha, Sonor and DW, I just don't see the justification of the higher price tag on DW. Yes, they are quality drums, but so are the other companies drums which can cost up 1-2k less.

Let's see - DW are made in the USA - here there is a guaranteed minimum wage -due to labor laws enacted in the 1930s under FDR. Pearl, Tama Yamaha, Mapex, Yamaha - made in Tiawan - what is the minimum wage there? What is the price tag on a Sonor drumkit these days? Also, at a company like DW, the drums are hand assembled, I have no idea what goes on in Tiawan. They may use a machine.

If you like Mapex, great but don't start a thread and insuate that anyone who owns DW drums is a knucklehead for paying too much for the highest quality and furhtermore, that we are all overpaying for what we are getting from the companies. Challenge - go out and start your own drum company! Be sure to give as much stuff away to everyone and everybody who asks! How long do you think you will last?

Before DW started coming into its own, the most exotic finish you could hope for was either Cherry Red Stain or Piano Black! And mapearltamaha wasn't interested in changing one thing!

If your choice in the Mapeartamaha is THAT MUCH superior, you shouldn't be whinning about why DWs cost so much. It pretty much proves in writing that you already believe your kit to be inferior! Basically, I would say this is a Yugo vs Porsche issue, if you want to reduce it to that level. Furthermore, one DW kit I ordered and one I found used which was a trade-in and negotiated a great deal on!

By the way, for those of you with plenty of time on your hands, go here to see the patents which DW owns.

http://www.uspto.gov


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
 
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Yugo vs Porsche? That's a bit unfair. I prefer Elvis' analogy of Subaru vs Porsche.

DW drums are great drums, that much is undeniable. But on the bat of your argument about the minimum wage, I can use exactly the same argument with the example of Premier drums. The top line Premier drums are all made in England. Where the equivalent minimum wage is higher (once currency has been taken into account). Do top end Premier's cost as much as DW's? No. Do they have a few thousand pounds worth of difference in sound? Not if you ask me.

As far as I see it, DW charge as much because they can afford to charge as much (after labour costs are taken into account) because of their brand reputation. There's a 'mystique' around DW drums and a brand image surrounding them that means they can afford to charge a lot more for any single product. DW pedals are a prime example. I have nothing against DW, they make great gear (I play a DW 5000 pedal) but they can afford to charge that bit more because of their brand image. If, for instance, Tama, started asking as much for their Starclassic series then nobody would buy them. Same with Sonor, and their high end kits are manufactured in Germany, where wages can be expensive.
 
Are DWs worth the cash? Here's my answer, nice and short. No.
 
michaeldangelo said:
I think personal preference reigns supreme.

In terms of sound: it is all about the player. One person can make a kit sound completely different than another person, not to mention style. I have an $800 Pearl Export Radical kit down at North Texas and we have every variety of drum there. Sonor, DW, Yamaha, Gretsch, Pearl, Mapex, even custom kits from Keller shells.

I must admit, I believe my kit sounds just as good, if not better, than some of the other guys down there. I've noticed that some people who have $4000 drum kits that sound like crap to be honest. I believe it is all about the player. Pure and simple. The rest is just preference. You might like round lugs, or artisan finishes, or 18" bass drum lift kits, or free floating shells, but it's really about how the drummer plays them.


I disagree to a point, I've seen some talented drummers play in the local bar scene but their kits sounded like crap because they were playing crappy kits. My first kit was a continental blue sparkle and at the time I got it I could play very well but it was all I could afford, but it wasn't until I upgraded to my Remo Mastertouch that I noticed a huge difference in sound and quality and even my band noticed and some of the regulars that would come to see us play. I will just never believe that a CB700 or Pear Export would sound as good as any of the top of the line kit out there if they are all equally tuned and being played by equally talented drummers. And also Mike being realistic how many drummers at your school are on your level? I bet the number would fit on one hand and that is a compliment to your playing. I mean not many 18 year olds walk into a college already with a Pearl and Sabian sponsorship? I mean you are sort of a prodigy....
 
DW's are great drums and hardware. For the money I would buy a high-end Yamaha or Pearl maple-shell set and spend the rest on lots of Sabian cymbals.
 
Most of the people care for cash...so DW are too expensive.

But there also many people not caring for cash...

Bernhard
 
I had the chance to own a "custom" DW 3 piece kit for 3200
or a "custom" Pork Pie 4 piece for 2250. Same sizes and finish.
I decided that DW's are not worth the cash in that case.
 
I play with a DW drum kit, and I love my drum kit, it's the best drum kit I've ever played on, the sound is just så lovely, that you can't describe it, so I would say "year Drum Workshop is worth the cash, but I think it's up to yourself to decide wich drum kit you wanna play on, choose the kit that makes you happy, the kit that makes you "fly", it's what I've done and it just feels amazing, you wanna play Pearl? you wanna play Sonor? you wanna play Ludwig? it dosen't matter what brand it is, it's what you feel is right to play on, hope I could help you on the way. :)
 
Mikkel said:
I play with a DW drum kit, and I love my drum kit, it's the best drum kit I've ever played on, the sound is just så lovely, that you can't describe it, so I would say "year Drum Workshop is worth the cash, but I think it's up to yourself to decide wich drum kit you wanna play on, choose the kit that makes you happy, the kit that makes you "fly", it's what I've done and it just feels amazing, you wanna play Pearl? you wanna play Sonor? you wanna play Ludwig? it dosen't matter what brand it is, it's what you feel is right to play on, hope I could help you on the way. :)
Good answer. Thanks for your reply.
 
my answer is no
i say this not because i think they are bad drums but because i think there are other companies making drums that are just as good if not better than the dws for a lesser price.

for me it all comes down to personal preference
if you like DWs buy them if you dont, dont.
end of story
 
I think DWs sound is overrated, but their finishes are amazing. The Kurillian Birch with the natural to regal blue fade is amazing. ive never seen another kit that even comes close to it.
 
Skitch said:
You got you feelings hurt when I brought this up about Tama Mapex and Pearl all being made at the same factory - which they could be! And then you got you feelings even more hurt when I insinuated you could actually be playing on a set of Tama Starclassics.

I hate to interrupt a good bitch-fight, but you seem to have missed my prior post on this topic.

Mapex use shells made by Taye. The other large brands all have their own facilities in China and do not share production, right down to the Stagestar/Forum/Rydeen or whatever. If you want to confirm this I can give you the telephone number of an independent person who has seen the Yamaha and Tama facilities in China with their own eyes.
 
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