Drum Inflation

Drum Guy said:
Europe
reverb.com

Yamaha RLS-1470 Recording Custom 7x14" Stainless Steel Snare Drum | Reverb

Steel drumShell Diameter: 14" (35,56 cm)Shell Depth: 7" (17,78 cm)Shell Material: SteelShell surface: MattRims: Steel, 2.3 mmTuning screws: 10Shell hardware: ChromeColour / Finish: Stainless SteelShell base colour: Steel1.2 mm thick Aluminium Shell with strengthening lipIncluding: Tuning key
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VS

America
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Yamaha Recording Custom Stainless Steel 7x14 Snare Drum | Reverb

Yamaha Recording Custom 14” x 7” Stainless Steel snare drum, model number RLS1470.Using input from Steve Gadd Yamaha has produces a drum that offers superb consistency with powerful open attack.The stainless steel shell is 1.2mm and comes outfitted with Yamaha's 2.3mm dyna hoops.Features Yamaha’s...
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Ludwig Raw Copperphonic 14 x 6.5" USA £740
Ludwig Raw Copperphonic 14 x 6.5 UK £995
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Ludwig LC663 Raw Copper Phonic 6.5x14" Snare Drum | Reverb UK

The signature patina process gives each of these drums their own unique 'fingerprint'. This one is especially stunning! Copperphonic With close to 100 years' experience building copper timpani, the newest member to the Ludwig USA snare drum range is the Copper Phonic snare drum. High Volume per...
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www.grahamrusselldrums.com

Ludwig Raw Shell 14”x6.5” Copperphonic Snare | Graham Russell Drums

Buy a new Ludwig Raw Copperphonic 14" x 6.5” Snare Drum, Imperial Lugs from Graham Russell Drums. Next day delivery when you order before 2pm.
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To me prices are almost always cheaper stateside, but your buying power from abroad due to the dollar has made it seem not so.
 
a new Ludwig 5x14 Supraphonic

in 1971 (71 catalog) - $106.00
in 2023 (sweetwater)- $599.00

that's a 465% price increase
 
you're right
Adjusted for inflation, $109 in 1971 is equal to $813 in 2023.

that's still a little bit above paper route money;
when you're starting out..

Seems professional equipment prices were attainable in 71. more so.
not to mention the used items in 71.
having "only" two choices/ tender toys Or Pro level was an advantage.
to the buyer
where Slingerland drum sets and supraphonic were as common as hubcaps.
Not convinced slicing and dicing of equipment; series and price points is as beneficial.
Rather have the 71 choices.
 
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right see above.
Ya gotta 'whole lotta meh' today...but the 'price' is right..
And the once common as hubcaps , professional stuff... is in the stratosphere..
 
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Thinking back to the 90s, a CB700 cost around $350. A Pearl Forum was around $450, a Pearl Export was around $550 and if you got the ISS mount then around $700 to not have a big pearl hole shell mount. If you got the intermediate Session kit for that one precious ply of inner birch, was around $1500....off the top of my head, would be fun to see an old catalog.
 
I recall in about 1970/71 my step-father worked for the railroad. I recall a specific conversation he had with my mother at the time. He was lamenting the fact that "people" seemed to have much nicer things than we had. He said (paraphrasing) "I make $10,000 dollars a year and I can't afford that stuff. How do they do it?"

Spoiler alert: It was credit, just as it is for many folk today that live beyond their means.

The point is, when someone quotes 1970 prices, remember the median yearly income was less than $10k at the time.

From the WEF:
Inflation adjusted wages (for what it's worth). I would suspect there are some smoke and mirrors kind of stuff going on in the chart below, but I don't want to turn this discussion political.

Regardless of prices, the fact does remain that mid level gear today is arguably on par with top level gear of yester-year.
Xkzpnpz_lnI-0WbTH1LJVUdu3JaQrM47Y1BpDDMpXro.jpg
 
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you mean Bill?
 
jda said:
you mean Bill?
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bill cosby GIF

 
J.D. said:
www.sweetwater.com

Gretsch Drums Renown RN2-E825 5-piece Shell Pack with Snare Drum - Cherry Burst

5-piece Drum Shell Pack with 10 and 12" Toms, 16" Floor Tom, 22" Bass Drum, and 14" Snare Drum - Cherry Burst
www.sweetwater.com www.sweetwater.com

(And I managed to get the 61/2" snare since they didn't have the 51/2")
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4 piece + snare for $2,100. To me that still is way high for an Asian kit. Stetch a little and can have a fine CM or Gretsch Brooklyn. And many drummers, me included, don't use kit snares. We already have a Supra or BB or Acro or some other fav snare.

You sure that Renown was selling for $2,100 last summer?
 
DW NOB Design snare was $315 about 2 years ago ,now $415.
 
jda said:
right see above.
Ya gotta 'whole lotta meh' today...but the 'price' is right..
And the once common as hubcaps , professional stuff... is in the stratosphere..
Click to expand...
Current CM and Brooklyn are not Stratosphere IMHO. But I do wonder about some kits from various manufacturers that are $5,000+ who exactly is buying those?
 
Rattlin' Bones said:
4 piece + snare for $2,100. To me that still is way high for an Asian kit. Stetch a little and can have a fine CM or Gretsch Brooklyn. And many drummers, me included, don't use kit snares. We already have a Supra or BB or Acro or some other fav snare.

You sure that Renown was selling for $2,100 last summer?
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An "Asian kit". I did a LOT of research on that kit, and I'd put it up against anything. I like it better than the CM I play. And I have other snares, I just wanted this one. And it is the exact same $, $2149 that I have on my receipt from 6/22.
 
J.D. said:
An "Asian kit". I did a LOT of research on that kit, and I'd put it up against anything. I like it better than the CM I play. And I have other snares, I just wanted this one. And it is the exact same $, $2149 that I have on my receipt from 6/22.
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Must be a lot of markup on the hugely popular Renown compared to Brooklyn or CM. The whole reason for offshore manufacturing is to lower costs.
 
Rattlin' Bones said:
Must be a lot of markup on the hugely popular Renown compared to Brooklyn or CM. The whole reason for offshore manufacturing is to lower costs.
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I read somewhere (maybe here) a post where someone was at the Gretsch factory in Taiwan. Said they had VERY high standards. The workers were good at their jobs, highly paid (for there), and wanted to keep their jobs. So they were very motivated to make quality drums. I can't speak for the Brooklyns (or USA), or why they cost so much more (and are they worth spending more? IDK). I do know that I have a Renown and CM at my church. I like them both, but I thought the hardware was pretty cheap on the CM. Since they both sound great, I saved $ and went with the Renowns. I just advised another church, that told me they had a $5k budget, to go with the Renowns (+ cymbals/hardware/etc). With nice cymbals/hardware, it'll be <$5k.
 
J.D. said:
I read somewhere (maybe here) a post where someone was at the Gretsch factory in Taiwan. Said they had VERY high standards. The workers were good at their jobs, highly paid (for there), and wanted to keep their jobs. So they were very motivated to make quality drums. I can't speak for the Brooklyns (or USA), or why they cost so much more (and are they worth spending more? IDK). I do know that I have a Renown and CM at my church. I like them both, but I thought the hardware was pretty cheap on the CM. Since they both sound great, I saved $ and went with the Renowns. I just advised another church, that told me they had a $5k budget, to go with the Renowns (+ cymbals/hardware/etc). With nice cymbals/hardware, it'll be <$5k.
Click to expand...


I've never seen photos of this .. I think it is just a contracted situation and not an actual "Gretsch" factory..

Here below in Drum magazine they claim the asian stuff is made at a dw factory.. which I also think that is a contracted situation.. not dw's own facility.

at the bottom of the article at the conclusion section: https://drummagazine.com/where-are-gretsch-drums-made
 
Artstar said:
I've never seen photos of this .. I think it is just a contracted situation and not an actual "Gretsch" factory..

Here below in Drum magazine they claim the asian stuff is made at a dw factory.. which I also think that is a contracted situation.. not dw's own facility.

at the bottom of the article at the conclusion section: https://drummagazine.com/where-are-gretsch-drums-made
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Right. Doesn't change my point though. The people making them are good at what they do. If they weren't, they'd lose their jobs. And none of them wants that.
 
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