Do You Feel a Need for Everything to Match?

All drums except the snare. Even if it's the same series as the whole kit, I'd pay extra for a different finish.
I like cymbal stands and booms the same brand and series and actually recently achieved that for the first time ever.
I need matched crashes, that's about it for cymbals.
 
For most of my life-- like, from age 5 until two years ago, I rarely had a snare that matched the toms and bass. The cymbals were never all the same brand, all the stands didn't match, etc. But then something happened in my head and I wanted everything to match. There's no really good reason for it except maybe that I'm getting older and have a little more money and I was bored out of my mind at times during the pandemic.

So, now I play Yamaha drums (including snares most of the time), Yamaha hardware, Paiste cymbals, Evans drum heads, Protection Racket cases (except for cymbals and sticks). My throne is a roc n soc but I've thought of switching. I still have some gear that's not from these brands but I don't use it very often.

Back when I was gigging 150-200 gigs a year I NEVER matched and never considered even trying to match. But I DO like it and will probably keep it up for the most part.

How about you?

Yup. I like it all to match when possible. OCD is a son'of'a lol
 
A thought has occured to me, I'm extremely glad that hardware companies have collectively settled on chrome and tripods for stands. At least they match aesthetically. Imagine a world where stands were chrome, brushed chrome, black, nickel, brass, etc., and had tripods, quadpod (?), weights, roller base, etc. A mash up of that would look horrid.
 
A thought has occured to me, I'm extremely glad that hardware companies have collectively settled on chrome and tripods for stands. At least they match aesthetically. Imagine a world where stands were chrome, brushed chrome, black, nickel, brass, etc., and had tripods, quadpod (?), weights, roller base, etc. A mash up of that would look horrid.
Then came Yamaha with their Crosstowns and disrupted the balance of the universe!
 
My drums are all black, except for the snare drums (well, the side snare is black, too). The other snare drums are orange with black hardware, red/black burst with a mix of chrome and satin hardware, or a sort of bone/bisque natural color. Stands are a mix of PDP and Yamaha.

So...I guess not.
 
I do find myself being more drawn to having everything match, even though in my head I know it's dumb and it doesn't matter to anyone other than myself. I have lightened up a bit over the years, even if just a little. Head brands have to match to a certain extent. (Tom and snare batters mostly. Resonant heads can be whatever, since I don't seem them while playing.) My cymbals are usually all from one manufacturer. (Paiste these days.) But my biggest hurdle is that for a long while now, I've been NOT playing the matching snare that goes with my kit. It's from a completely different manufacturer even. Folks, that's huge for this guy. Baby steps here...baby steps.
 
For me, having bronze all from the same manufacturer is too limiting. Too much of a "common thread" thing going on for me. I like having complimentary sounds from different manufacturers. They all do it a little different. It's more interesting to me that way.

Heads don't have to match either. Hardware? Pfft no way. It just doesn't matter to me. My sticks match though :)
 
I absolutely need my sticks to match (pitch- and weightwise), I´m anal about that.
The rest of the kit - no. If it sounds good, it is good.
 
Mixing brands doesn't bother me, but I'm glad most of my drums are Ludwig and the finishes match well enough that I can mix and match sizes and still have what looks like a cohesive kit.
Like virtually everyone else I think the snare drum matching the rest of the kit is very optional.
Hardware...I mix and match a lot depending on what I need for a particular set up but I will say I bought a specific hi hat stand just so the footboard would match with the bass pedal.
Cymbals...I'll use whatever brand got me the sound I wanted, but I tend to stay with one alloy at a time, though.
Heads...Most of my heads are Aquarian, though I'm currently trying out using progressively thicker heads as the drum size increases. For me all tom heads either have to be clear or coated though.
 
At one point yes...painfully so but over the years I'd become insanely particular and now if I could have the SOUND I want from a given drum I'll take mismatch color or brand with sheer joy.
 
No don’t matter
 
the thing with having several kits and them mixing and matching the toms is kind of silly. it makes it seem like brand A has a better 12 inch but the 14 inch for brand B is better than A so i need to use that one...really??? Snare doesn't matter but at least stick to one brand for the rest of the kit, it just looks like a kit full of indecision!
 
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