Canopus Neo Vintage M1

taiko

Senior Member
There are not a lot of reviews of Canopus drum sets online so I wanted to add one here on the Neo Vintage M1. I recently purchased a used bop kit (12, 14, 18) and this is, quite simply, the best drum set I have ever owned (and I've had more than twenty different kits including Ludwig, Gretsch, DW, Yamaha and others).

Build Quality

Exquisite seems like a good word to describe this. The bearing edges are a work of art and the overall quality of construction is just fantastic. Everything is done with great care that is typical of Japanese artisans. My kit is in the red sparkle wrap and the wrap is perfectly applied.

Sound

They sound amazing. Having said that, it is important to recognize that these are intended to produce a vintage sound. The bearing edges are inverted (high side on the inside of the drum) to create a warm, round sound. They sound like what you hear on jazz recordings from the 1960s, which is what Canopus intended. If that is the sound you want, this kit is perfect.

Use

Well, it's a jazz kit and that is what it's intended for. I am using the kit in my jazz trio and they sound amazing. The others in the group also are really enjoying them. I have it set up with Paiste 602 cymbals and there is a wonderfully musically quality to the entire kit. I also play them with Meinl Byzance jazz, which also sounds great.

Verdict

These are amazing drums made with tremendous care. I've been to the Canopus store (which is right next to their factory/workshop) in Tokyo, which is a lot of fun and gives you an opportunity to try a lot of different Canopus products (they also have vintage Gretsch and other kits there). They all sound great. The folks at Canopus have a deep love for drums and it comes through in the spectacular quality they maintain in building these. I can't say enough good about both the drums and the company.

These are not cheap. New, this kit will set you back around $2600 without a snare. They are pro quality drums with pro quality sound. But they are worth every penny. If you are a jazz drummer, or just want a vintage sound, then these are the perfect drums in every way.
 
Must post pics and video/sound samples.
Canopus kits are highly rated.
 
Very nice sounding drums indeed. They sounded like a cross between my 65 Slingerland Bop kit and My Mapex Saturn Manhattan Bop kit. Sort of like Old meets new.
 
I played some Canopus toms at Drum Center of Portsmouth (New Hampshire) not long ago, and they sounded rich, and big for their size - 12 & 14". Just lovely. It's one of just a couple of companies that an artist with a major company can switch to, and the former company says "yeah, we get it."

FYI, the name is pronounced kuh-NO-pss... not CAN o' puss.

Bermuda
 
I played some Canopus toms at Drum Center of Portsmouth (New Hampshire) not long ago, and they sounded rich, and big for their size - 12 & 14". Just lovely. It's one of just a couple of companies that an artist with a major company can switch to, and the former company says "yeah, we get it."

FYI, the name is pronounced kuh-NO-pss... not CAN o' puss.

Bermuda

Well, actually, it would be kah-no-poo-su in Japanese--カノウプス.
 
I was surprised to learn that the shells are 7 ply. I was expecting 5 or 6 ply.
 
It's a star, and is pronounced as follows:

Canopus (/kəˈnoʊpəs/; α Car, α Carinae, Alpha Carinae) is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina, and the second brightest star in the night-time sky, after Sirius. Canopus's visual magnitude is −0.72, and it has an absolute magnitude of −5.53.
 
It's a star, and is pronounced as follows:

Canopus (/kəˈnoʊpəs/; α Car, α Carinae, Alpha Carinae) is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina, and the second brightest star in the night-time sky, after Sirius. Canopus's visual magnitude is −0.72, and it has an absolute magnitude of −5.53.

It is, but it's pronounced differently in Japanese.
 
Canopus make great drums. I like their research, & their general approach to the instrument. Have to say though, I don't think that video was representative of their abilities. I applaud the honest recording, but the bass drum was just plain terrible, & the 12" tom was choking at higher dynamic. All sounded fine when tickling the heads, but all the toms failed to deliver a satisfying tone when pushed a bit. I suspect tuning was mostly responsible, but the high tom was at it's choke point at the higher tuning.
 
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