Sakae in 2020

IBitePrettyHard

Senior Member
It's hard to find information on Sakae drums. Maybe it's their lack of marketing or maybe they barely have a presence in the US/UK market, I dunno. This video is the first I've seen from them in a while. What are your thoughts?

P.S. I hate the new badges

 
P.S. I hate the new badges

Yikes, they went from bad to worse on those. They should use the same round badges on the toms and kicks that they do on the snares. I just hate it because their drums sound great (at least they do online). I have yet to hear a bad recording of the Almighty Birch.
 
So they choose not to use the Japanese craftsmen that was the selling point in the first place.
I think they’ll become another Crush, Ddrum, Dixon, etc. Good drums, but no point to buy them.
 
So they choose not to use the Japanese craftsmen that was the selling point in the first place.
I think they’ll become another Crush, Ddrum, Dixon, etc. Good drums, but no point to buy them.
Absolutely right.
Sakae was discussed on another thread a few months back. Sakae were never a big well known brand, their unique selling point was that drummers in the know knew that Sakae made the Yamaha 9000, a kit with a price tag that means many drummers appreciate but never own one. Those same drummers in the know, now know that Sakae is now a mass produced Taiwanese brand. Nothing wrong with that, most of the kits I’ve ever owned are Taiwanese mass produced ones, but they’re not hand crafted drums, the cachet has gone.
A kit branded Fender, Gibson or Ibanez would be more likely to sell than one branded Sakae because to “beginners” those are widely identifiable musical brands.
 
So there is only one line now ? The fact they changed the production site doesn't bother me ; the drums are nice, I still can't understand how they can produce such a ugly badge though.
The configurations are original and interesting, with equal depth / shallow toms. (12x7-13x8 - 16x14 or 10x7 12x7 - 14x13...) the colours and hardware design are very nice.
 
So there is only one line now ? The fact they changed the production site doesn't bother me ; the drums are nice, I still can't understand how they can produce such a ugly badge though.
The configurations are original and interesting, with equal depth / shallow toms. (12x7-13x8 - 16x14 or 10x7 12x7 - 14x13...) the colours and hardware design are very nice.

if they’re literally making kits to exactly the same standard as before, along with those eye popping finishes, ten absolutely fair play, the fact it’s Taiwan and not Japan is irrelevant. If on the other hand they’re building kits to a mass produced lower spec and price point it stops having the Sakae USP.
But to contradict myself, if they’re priced below Saturn and Renown, and offer similiar build quality the idea seriously consider one becaus the main kit’s finish looked stunning.
Throwing something into the mix, the amount and mixes of finishes did remind me of the volume of finishes that Peace used to put out in their own name, Peace being a company that as far as I was told made kits and componentry on a third party basis for many other companies mid and lower range lines. Basically what I’m saying, is Sakae Peace? No bad thing if they are.
 
if they’re literally making kits to exactly the same standard as before, along with those eye popping finishes, ten absolutely fair play, the fact it’s Taiwan and not Japan is irrelevant. If on the other hand they’re building kits to a mass produced lower spec and price point it stops having the Sakae USP.
But to contradict myself, if they’re priced below Saturn and Renown, and offer similiar build quality the idea seriously consider one becaus the main kit’s finish looked stunning.
Throwing something into the mix, the amount and mixes of finishes did remind me of the volume of finishes that Peace used to put out in their own name, Peace being a company that as far as I was told made kits and componentry on a third party basis for many other companies mid and lower range lines. Basically what I’m saying, is Sakae Peace? No bad thing if they are.

I have to say - I agree with this whole Taiwan vs. Japan statement.

I know Ronn Dunnett recently visited some factories in Taiwan and had absolutely nothing but wonderful things to say about the shell manufacturers he visited. He raved about their passion and the quality of work.

In 2020 - I'm not sure if equating Asian Made products with poor quality is always accurate.

Regardless - they made some amazing sounding drums before - I hope they are just as good. I know their Yamaha shells were some of the best production drums ever made.

(And yes...that logo is rough haha)
 
I recently purchased two NOS Sakae snares: a Trilogy Maple and an aluminum. The Trilogy is a forever-keeper drum. The aluminum not so much - an Acolyte is a much better sounding drum.
 
I have to say - I agree with this whole Taiwan vs. Japan statement.

I know Ronn Dunnett recently visited some factories in Taiwan and had absolutely nothing but wonderful things to say about the shell manufacturers he visited. He raved about their passion and the quality of work.

In 2020 - I'm not sure if equating Asian Made products with poor quality is always accurate.

Regardless - they made some amazing sounding drums before - I hope they are just as good. I know their Yamaha shells were some of the best production drums ever made.

(And yes...that logo is rough haha)
He has to, because they make his George Way shells there.
 
I checked out the George Way Tuxedo Acacia kit. Looks really nice. I like the thin shells with re-rings. What I don't like are those single center lugs - those long tension rods are a major pain when gigging. So easy to bend them. They're just not very practical. For gigging I need reliability. I tried a kit with those (not a George Way) but didn't like those long rods. I sold after 1 gig. It's an $1,800 kit. Not sure that's reasonable for a Chinese/ Taiwan kit. Looks great and would be fine in my basement but not at 1am at end of gig trying to pack up and get out fast. I'd have bent rods.

I'm looking for a MIJ Sakae Trilogy kit.

Even so those drums are second to none. My dream kit is a George Way Acacia bop kit. The fact that it's reasonably priced doesn't hurt.
 
Even so those drums are second to none. My dream kit is a George Way Acacia bop kit. The fact that it's reasonably priced doesn't hurt.
I got an Acacia kit. 14snr, 24/13/16. It’s a great kit and the finish is flawless. I dont gig with it, so I don’t have the concerns Rattling Bone mentions above.
I don’t really care where drums are made as long as it’s a good construction and finish.
iPhone being the best example of that.
 
I checked out the George Way Tuxedo Acacia kit. Looks really nice. I like the thin shells with re-rings. What I don't like are those single center lugs -

Yes but I do believe George Way drums have recently started using the old Camco/DW turret style lugs. I would not hesitate to buy a new kit from Sakae or George Way.
 
Yes but I do believe George Way drums have recently started using the old Camco/DW turret style lugs. I would not hesitate to buy a new kit from Sakae or George Way.

That's interesting as I thought Drum Workshop would have considered the turret lug an intellectual property item since they acquired that portion of the Cambo assets.
 
Have a listen to an interview with Ronn Dunnett on The Drum History podcast titled The Legacy Of George Way Drums With Ronn Dunnett. It was only listed about a month ago so it’s the first but one podcast on whatever app you use to listen.
Ronn has worked with, and is good friends with, Don Lombardi from DW and without him going into detail it appears that the two of them have come to an agreement. He also says in the podcast that part of this is down to the George Way lug being visually different (it has a kind of rectangular base), and the type of customer buying a George Way kit will be more knowledgable and know what they are buying, I.e it’s not a case of George Way drums trying to pass themselves off as DWs. Without listening and quoting directly, in my words the story goes that George Way lost his business to Camco who in turn went out of business at which point DW bought some of their assets including the turret lug. Ronn also said in the interview that he can’t make drums forever and suggests that there may come a day when things go full circle and DW take in the brand.
Have a listen, there’s a whole lot of the history of the man George Way in it and when talk turns to the turret lug about 20 minutes from the end there’s absolutely no mistake that there’s only mutual love and respect between Ronn and Don Lombardi from DW, it comes across as a throwback to the days of a handshake, a promise kept and a solution reached between two people as opposed contracts signatures and high paid lawyers.
 
Back
Top