Brand Loyalty

Hey guys, I just have a silly little question. I am a Ludwig guy. Always have been since I started 17 years ago. More than just nostalgic value (first kit I ever owned was a cheap Accent), I have always been loyal to them for no particular reason other than the fact that their high-end kits are spectacular and they have been in the business since the drum kit was the drum kit. I initially chose them because they invented drums as we know today, so why not go with the company that, for all intents and purposes, pioneered the instrument I play? Their cheap kits are the cheap of the cheap lol, but my personal sound is the Ludwig sound. Whenever I even play around on another kit I feel like I am cheating on a better half. Does anyone else feel this way? Do any of you fellow head-smashers have a brand of choice that you feel more "at home" with?
 
Last edited:
I tend not to feel loyal to corporate entities because they sure as Hell aren't going to be loyal to you.

If you feel more at home on certain kits, that's fine. I see no issue there - as long as you don't push it on everybody else. We had a member not so long ago that was utterly obsessed with one brand and tried to push it on everybody in every thread.
 
Unless you have an endorsement that gives you free stuff you shouldn't feel bad about using other gear.

On stage it looks nice to have an old Ludwig and you get lots of compliments, they are great drums and the fact the old kits have gone up in price speaks volumes........but they sound different to a newer kit not better or worse just different.

Fair play if you've found a kit you're totally comfortable with.
 
I tend not to feel loyal to corporate entities because they sure as Hell aren't going to be loyal to you.

If you feel more at home on certain kits, that's fine. I see no issue there - as long as you don't push it on everybody else. We had a member not so long ago that was utterly obsessed with one brand and tried to push it on everybody in every thread.

I completely agree. I would never be pushy like that and try to shove a brand to people. We all have different tastes, styles and likes, as well as opinions of which everybody is entitled to. There really was a dude like that around here? Man, that's tacky lol. I'm glad I never ran into him. That would have driven me nuts
 
When my drums are set up the way I like them, and the sizes I like, then I feel comfortable. There is only a company or two that I won't buy, so the name on the shells (to me) is mostly irrelevant. I look for quality of course, and nowadays that isn't hard to find. Pretty much pick a drum company, and you'll find good/great hardware, gorgeous finishes, good/great quality, different types of woods to choose from, and more features included in a given price range than there used to be years back. All the companies are offering more to grab our attention, . . . and of course, our dollars. So to feel bad if I play on, and buy something else from what I have now? No, not at all. But, if someone like yourself wants to stay only with Ludwig or any other brand, that's perfectly okay in my book, too. I had three Ludwig sets over the years, and liked every one of them.
 
I tend to be a Ludwig guy, in spite of them. Why? sound. If they would only learn how to put drum key head screws on their throw offs, and offer something better than a P-85 on a $600 plus drum, well you know. Still I by for teh sound (and the snares just look sexy as heck . . .).
 
I think brand loyalty is a bit silly because in my assessment none of the brands really stand out as superior (having tried most) and I don't see a strong relationship between price and sound quality. And in fact the term "sound quality" is a bit ridiculous because with music and in sound it's only subjective.

Often a kit might sound good because of the tuning and the acoustics in the room its played in but many people put it down to the logo written on the bass drum. Or perhaps how well they're playing on that particular day affects their general experience and they think "oh, I'm having a great time, it's these drums!" when they aren't really the reason they're having a great time.

There are guys on here that log in and go to the search bar and type "sonor" or "yamaha" or "ludwig" and they go and talk positively about kits of that brand, and basically do the companies advertising for them. I think it's a bit like people following football teams. I can't stand football either.

Having said that, I do naturally have some affiliations with brands but I try to be as objective as I can when I buy something and I own or have owned stuff from most brands. I can observe differences in build quality, but as with anything, you can't "stereotype" a group or company because of one experience, and of course you get what you pay for.
 
With me it's not so much loyalty but rather what I'm used to. I have been playing Yamaha for years and I like their hardware. I would rather have my toms on the bass drum and with Yamaha mounts it makes it very easy. I want simple, fast setups. Besides their drums sound great.
 
I prefer certain brands because they work for me, but if something else catches my interest and I have a need or use for it I will purchase it. I do have my favourites but I play other brands as well. I choose my equipment for it's sonic properties first and foremost not for the name on the label.
 
I'll play a variety of sticks and heads, I've been playing Tama drums for the last 20 years. I liked my first kit. Sold it to buy another Tama kit. That was a great kit too. Had to leave it behind when I went to work in Indiana. Now I have a third Tama kit because I liked the first two kits so much. I'm sure there are plenty of kits out there that I'd like. I liked that Gretsch Marquee that I tried out in GC last week, but not as much as I liked that Superstar kit that I tried out a couple weeks before. And I liked the Superstar better than the DW Design kit too. So when Tama puts out quality like that, it keeps you coming back, and I have yet to own a Starclassic kit.

I feel the same way about my Mitsubishi too. Damn fine cars.
 
No secret that I'm a big Yamaha fan and I participate in discussing all things Yamaha on this website. I do own, and enjoy playing other drums as well. I never push the brand on others.
I see nothing wrong with brand loyalty.

The Sub-Forum that contains this thread is called Drum Gear. It's where we discuss, well - drum gear. Discussing brands and their wares is what we do here. There is a lot of good information contained within for those who are searching. I certainly have learned a lot here.
Often, the most fanatical, brand loyal people are the ones most likely to post about it. It's all good to me.

Neal
 
Last edited:
I think brand loyalty is a bit silly because in my assessment none of the brands really stand out as superior (having tried most) and I don't see a strong relationship between price and sound quality. And in fact the term "sound quality" is a bit ridiculous because with music and in sound it's only subjective.

Often a kit might sound good because of the tuning and the acoustics in the room its played in but many people put it down to the logo written on the bass drum. Or perhaps how well they're playing on that particular day affects their general experience and they think "oh, I'm having a great time, it's these drums!" when they aren't really the reason they're having a great time.

There are guys on here that log in and go to the search bar and type "sonor" or "yamaha" or "ludwig" and they go and talk positively about kits of that brand, and basically do the companies advertising for them. I think it's a bit like people following football teams. I can't stand football either.

Having said that, I do naturally have some affiliations with brands but I try to be as objective as I can when I buy something and I own or have owned stuff from most brands. I can observe differences in build quality, but as with anything, you can't "stereotype" a group or company because of one experience, and of course you get what you pay for.

Quoted for truth. We have brands we prefer but I don't think loyalty is really necessary.
 
I don't feel any particular loyalty to a brand. But who cares if it's silly or not? Music and the arts aren't just about being logical. It's okay to fall in love with a brand, whether it makes sense or not. Just go with it!
 
I have a Pearl, Sonor, Premier, and Roland kit. hahaha So no.


I'd say I'm more loyal to sticks.. but thats just because it throws me off when the weight is different. If another company made THE EXACT same stick... I wouldn't care.

I do find when I find a product be it sticks.. or heads, that I like, I will use them for years without change. But then often I do change and kick myself for not doing so earlier.

I recently changed stick brands and size for a test and after a week I was so much more relaxed...
 
With cymbals I'm all over the map. I freely mix and match.

For drums I seem to gravitate toward Sonor and Yamaha. I love Yammie snares, and Sonor kits. If I had to choose a desert island drum kit, it would be Sonor all the way. The thin maple shells sound just right to me, and have a nice tuning range. The hardware is awesome. I love the tom mounts. The drums really sing in a musical way, and they are equally adept at loud and quiet volumes. Perfection!!

That said, a birch Yamaha kit is the bees knees. So nice for live playing, with lots of punch. A 14" BCA floor tom is just a joy to behold.

Of course, I've heard really nice examples of each of the major drum makers. DW has always been a bit 'meh' to me, but I recently heard a jazz kit that might be one of the most gorgeously lush kits I've ever heard. Wow. Like seriously, the 20" kick should be illegal to own. Soooo sweet! Good on ya, DW! There are some smaller makers who are killing it to. RBH makes absolutely smoking drums. Probably the nicest toms I've ever heard.

So yeah, I'm attached to certain brands for sure, though this attachment is up for renegotiation at any time!
 
Loyalty to the extreme isn't always possible. I endorsed Impact fiberglass drums for over 20 years, and while the kicks and toms always did exactly what I wanted, there were times a song or gig demanded a metal snare (which they didn't offer.) I didn't feel bad about using a competitor's product under those circumstances, although I never went out of my way to advertise it.

But if a company offers everything I need, I don't have an inherent resistance to using their products exclusively. That doesn't mean I believe "brand X can do no wrong", I don't pretend to love everything that every company makes. But if there's something I like, I use it. And if a company makes a bunch of stuff that I like and use, I endorse them.

Bermuda
 
I have owned, and still own, a Tama kit, Gretsch kit, and Ddrum kit. I have Roland, 2Box and Yamaha electronic gear. I have cymbals from Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste and Wuhan. I have hardware from Tama, Pearl, Mapex, PDP, OCDP, and Gibraltar. Thrones from Roc-n-Soc and Pork Pie.

So, no, I am not brand loyal. The OCD instincts in me feel that my kits are a bit hodge-podge because of this, but I get over it and just play.
 
I will stand by everything Dre25 wrote, and add that I have owned kits from a lot of different brands myself (Yamaha, Sonor, Premier, Tama, Mapex, Pearl). I used to be kinda loyal to Tama for a long time, until I found out that there is so much more fun trying out/buying kits from other brands as well, if not just to broaden my experience with what's out there... I've found out that as long as I invest enough in at least semi-pro grade kits (or even better, pro-kits), it's hard/impossible to go "wrong" with any well-known brand today. I used to have a big aversion towards Mapex and lesser known brands in the 90's/early 2000's, but what do you know, I was completely blown away when I tried out their Saturn series in 2006. So much that I now own my third Mapex kit since then. So for me at least, I'll buy whatever drums that feel right to me at the time of purchase, and not because I feel that brand "X" makes the best drums. Every big brand today makes excellent drums if you pay enough money for it, or else they wouldn't have made it this big. It might be nice to have a favorite brand of drums, but I would feel very limited by that myself, at least if you're planning to buy new kits not too many years apart. It's fun trying out different drums and hardware solutions, decide on finish etc.
 
I'm an odd duck because I don't have any loyalty towards drums and to some extent hardware, but I am a true-blue Sabian guy since 1982. I played them before Chester and Phil did!! And through the years, I've gone from AA to HH and now to HHX and I find their inovation keeps me buying more and not 'switching teams' to another brand. I have no explanation for it. Drums? I'll try anything. Heck, I got bored with my Ayotte kit and sold it for my current Keystone just for the heck of it (well, really for gig purposes) just to try something new. I like most brands of hardware from the big ones, too.
 
I have loyalty to the instruments that make the sounds I'm after, no matter what name is on them. Instrument loyalty, not necessarily brand loyalty.

But my tastes change and instruments I love sometimes get replaced with new instruments I want to try. I've accepted the fact that what I want today might not what I want 5 years from now. Initially, I only wanted to play Guru stuff. As good as Guru stuff is, I like to experiment with sounds, so I decided to try and let go of that mindset. I'm no pro and not under contract with anyone. I play drums to make myself happy and to hopefully make people want to dance and party.

Part of making myself happy is experimenting with different gear. So that's what I'm doing. I have a thing for steambent. I ordered a steambent birdseye maple snare from Jeff (motleyh) who owns Carolina Drumworks. Should be here soon. I've always wanted a steambent birdseye maple snare.
 
Back
Top