Regardless of model, most brands have a recognisable thing they're going for and then you still have those various versions of typical desings in those models if they do such things at all.
Any drumset that works and is fully functional sounds good for what it was intended to be.
Now, Craviotto, Guru, N&C and so on are NOT household names and do not hold that brand name value as Ludwig, Gretsch or like e.g. Fender and Gibson do in the guiar world. That is very imporant to many people.
Though it seems to be changing a little bit these days, we have had a long period of time in the western world where it's now been possible to afford more special and custom made stuff from small specialicd builders, the web spreads the information about such things, like here on Drummerworld, and the average Joe and Jill hobbyis or weekend warrior can get involved with the fancy schmancy stuff as opposed to just being happy they have an instrument at all.
Even in this case, people will often stay with their old fav brand and instead get a few special snares. In many ways a kit is a kit if you have one, but even if e.g. someone like me who just likes the Gretsch sound those extra snare make the bigger difference. They are the heart of the kit and when I scale down that is the drum that will stay together with the bass drum, which even if it has character, to most people is just a bass drum.
My sound preferrnce is simply what I like, for a number of reasons. It's what I relate to.
Superior sound is subjective and it's also a little bit about context. I can appreciate the qualities of different brands, but the me that Great Gretsch Sound is it. It is also purely the sound to me. It was inspired because I was exposed mainly through my here Vincent, which is sort of why a future kit will be "Vinnie white", but I would never consider it unless I had such a love for that particular sound,and the I can sort of humorously honour my hero like that, but I naturally like the look, too.
For some people it's different. It's just the brand, rhe same kit as Ringo or whatever...
Some well built specialist things sound good, but better?, no, just different.
Slingerlands are single ply and that's a big thing in what makes them unique. If you have a multi ply drum you laike and a metal shell you like I guess a nice single ply would be the obvious next option. The wood differences are more pronounced in such designs. It's a different type of drum, often with more tonal complexity.
These differences in design sound so different that it will often be hard to mistake one for the other.
If you do a lot of different things, you have a very dynamic style and would like to have just one drum I wouldn't be surprised if a single ply drum won out, though.
Still, it's just about taste and what seems to work.
Other variables are just what we are used to, what's accepted in our environment as the good stuff and so on...
But, in the end.... who cares?
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