GMS Drums
- Thread starter fess
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Silzildrummer
Junior Member
Unfortunately, I still haven't had the chance to hear a GMS kit in person, but I have heard some on recordings. I have watched videos and listened to recordings of Nat Townsley who plays GMS drums and they sound wonderful.
harryconway
Platinum Member
One of the better "boutique" drum builders. 20+ years.....typically, they use Keller shells, like most "other" companies (Spaun, OCDP, Truth, etc.) Their hardware, if anything, really takes them that extra.......distance.
zambizzi
Platinum Member
Really? In reading their site you get the impression that they make their own shells, since they make frequent mention of "GMS 8-ply maple shells". I've seen them mentioned by folks at Ghostnote as well, mostly in high-regard...so it seems strange that builders would give any mention to the typical Keller shell builder/customizer.
Their hardware sounds great...all machined brass (so as to better resonate w/ the shell).
T
trkdrmr
Guest
I am not a GMS cheerleader per se. But:
The one difference is that Keller makes them proprietary white ash, cherry and other shells. They have a line of thicker (stadium) shells as well. They seem to be fairly conservative in terms of image. They do a nice job of building the kits, but they are definately not inexpensive. I'd say you get what you pay for though in terms of quality and finish.
zambizzi
Platinum Member
I don't know. I'm a little puzzled by anyone who would sink thousands upon thousands into *any* drums knowing that they're paying almost entirely for the brand name and the finish. I bought a DW kit two years ago but went with a wrap instead of lacquer, it saved me $800. I bought DW because I thought they were the best (seduced by marketing). It turned out that they were good...but pretty much like any other high-end maple drums out there.
Anyhow, it seems like you'd save yourself a lot of cash just by buying some Keller shells, staining them, and slapping some nice hardware on them. I priced it out around 6 mo. ago and it would have been about $1200 for a 4pc (10", 12" 16" 22"). Throw in the cost of the stain & sealant and your time invested....still money way ahead...and as custom as you want them to be.
I bet machined brass lugs don't make a HUGE difference, though the idea is cool.
Anyhow, it seems like you'd save yourself a lot of cash just by buying some Keller shells, staining them, and slapping some nice hardware on them. I priced it out around 6 mo. ago and it would have been about $1200 for a 4pc (10", 12" 16" 22"). Throw in the cost of the stain & sealant and your time invested....still money way ahead...and as custom as you want them to be.
I bet machined brass lugs don't make a HUGE difference, though the idea is cool.
T
trkdrmr
Guest
My former kit (I sold in August) was exactly that. Keller rock maple shells, 8 ply on the rack toms, 10 ply floor and kick. They sounded like anyone else's high-end maple drums and I spent probably 30% of a DW or GMS kit. Unlike DW, I used mini lugs. Much less weight on the shell.
DW, SONOR and other companies that make thier own stuff hold resale better. I must have had 10 inquiries asking "Who makes Keller shells?"
Sadly, market hype makes the "faithful" believe everything DW (or any other high end company) says. My new philosophy on that is: "When the recording mic drops, the BS stops!"
Knowing what I know now, if I was going to plunk down cash on the best sounding wood kit, it would be stave.
harryconway
Platinum Member
Honestly, I'm quite puzzled by a lot of things people do. But different strokes for different folks, right?
We had a huge thread on GMS a few months ago. I tried twice to look it up. Couldn't find it. Les Ismore totally had all the info. on the GMS lugs being the best of the best, outperforming any other lug, showing how other companies pot metal lugs deform, stretch, break, etc. If that kinda performance is important to someone, well, GMS is the company for them.
T
trkdrmr
Guest
I can buy into that a bit... here's why:
Many high end companies outsource lugs to worldmax. They are $3.00 lugs that are no better than lugs found on any intermediate kit.
Companies that use lugs machined by Ego and Trick are getting bulletproof lugs by compare.
Although... EGO lugs have a way of driving the price through the roof really fast. One set of 20 lugs will run $200 or more. Ouch.
While I like trick lugs, I never had a problem with $3.50 mini tom lugs. I go more for the concept of a lug taking up less shell space and not acting as a series of huge wood clamps...like DW's lugs.
harryconway
Platinum Member
You should have read the thread. With pictures of failed lugs, etc., it was a hoot. That's all fine and good. Not quite how I need to spend my money, however. If my drum kit was like a Moto GP bike, and the threat of a failed lug could send me into a wall of tires at 140+ mph, then, yeah, I might get the tricked out lugs. But since I've never had "catastrophic" drum equipment failure, I think I'm pretty safe with my vintage Rogers and Ludwig parts.
T
trkdrmr
Guest
Yeah, I see *plenty* of lugs from the 40's and 50's still in good shape. Factory lugs from tama (look at Rmandelbaum's tama superstar resto) built in the 80's hold up well now. They weren't machined from a block of unobtanium or whatever. You *know* those got some heavy use over the years. And they still hold up just fine.
I have to wonder what people are thinking when they crank a drum so tight that a lug breaks. At that tension, the drumhead itself gets choked anyway.
IIRC there was another suspect thread about broken drum pedal footboards. Like that happens every day...
drumhead61
Gold Member
yeah, even with cheap lugs there has got to be something wrong if you are breaking them, I cannot see how one could go to such stress points, but I could see how a cheap one could wear out faster and fail.
zambizzi
Platinum Member
Yeah Harry, I remember that thread. It turned into WW3 because of Les's comments on pot metal lugs...but in the end he was right. However as was pointed out, pot metal lugs appear to last just as long and perform just as well, in most cases.
I personally wouldn't pay 3x-4x (and more) for drums based solely on their hardware or their snappy finish (or God help me...the brand name)...but apparently that's not the consensus.
I personally wouldn't pay 3x-4x (and more) for drums based solely on their hardware or their snappy finish (or God help me...the brand name)...but apparently that's not the consensus.
lycanthropunk
Junior Member
I have recently bought the City Jazz kit from their cheaper CL series and it sounds AMAZING! Lovely resonant tone, and the 18"x14" bass sounds much bigger. I can't imagine how good their higher spec drums would sound!