Drumwerx quality and value

EDrums

Member
I stumbled across Drumwerx a custom drum maker. I was wondering if anybody has seen, owns or plays one. From the pictures, they make gorgeous shells and if they sound and are constructed as good and if priced reasonably, they should give the standards a run for the market. Here's a link http://www.drumwerx.com/redwooddrumset.html
 
That look is great. I especially like the Vise looking adjusters on the rack. A sort of Home Depot look.
 
Since the drumwerx site's photo's are blocked, I had to scour the web to see what they look like. I am picking up a very Odery vibe here. Beautiful exotic wood...

From Harmony Central News:
Rocky Mountain High-End

Drumwerx Drums
Joe Bifano was in the exotic wood business for twenty-seven years, manufacturing grandfather clocks, furniture, and kitchen and bath cabinets. But he has more of a passion for drums, so he's turned his woodworking skills to the creation of exotic, top-of-the-line drumkits. According to Joe, the main goal of his Colorado-based Drumwerx is "to provide premium-quality drums in exotic and burl veneers at an affordable price. Drumwerx is small enough to be customer-friendly, and anyone with one of our kits can reach the ‘big dog' at any time."

Drumwerx drums feature 6- and 8-ply 100% maple shells. Each bearing edge is precision-cut, hand-sanded, and polished to ensure consistent head alignment. All toms are factory equipped with suspension mounts. Top-of-the-line hardware, low-mass lugs, and Remo and Aquarian heads round out the kits

KOA

Drumwerx_Koa_drum.jpg
 
Since the drumwerx site's photo's are blocked, I had to scour the web to see what they look like. I am picking up a very Odery vibe here. Beautiful exotic wood...

From Harmony Central News:
Rocky Mountain High-End

Drumwerx Drums
Joe Bifano was in the exotic wood business for twenty-seven years, manufacturing grandfather clocks, furniture, and kitchen and bath cabinets. But he has more of a passion for drums, so he's turned his woodworking skills to the creation of exotic, top-of-the-line drumkits. According to Joe, the main goal of his Colorado-based Drumwerx is "to provide premium-quality drums in exotic and burl veneers at an affordable price. Drumwerx is small enough to be customer-friendly, and anyone with one of our kits can reach the ‘big dog' at any time."

Drumwerx drums feature 6- and 8-ply 100% maple shells. Each bearing edge is precision-cut, hand-sanded, and polished to ensure consistent head alignment. All toms are factory equipped with suspension mounts. Top-of-the-line hardware, low-mass lugs, and Remo and Aquarian heads round out the kits

KOA

Drumwerx_Koa_drum.jpg

That's also available from their website. But, has anybody played them and compared them ????
 
I don't know if there's anything affordable about a drumwerx kit, i see them from the custom shop direct on ebay BIN for usually 5-7k for a 5 or 6 six piece, depending on the configuration and finish. I've never seen one or heard one in person but i'm sure they're just fine. Pics that i've seen online are gorgeous to say the least and as everyone knows, drums always look way better in person.


here's more pics:

eucalyptus:

eucalyptusdrumwerx.jpg

eucalyptusdrumwerx2.jpg


sapele pomele:

SapelePomele1.jpg

sapelepomele2.jpg


Hawaiin Koa
hawaiinkoa.jpg


He's got a bunch of kits over on ebay with awesome pics, go check 'em out:

http://myworld.ebay.com/drumwerx/
 
That's also available from their website. But, has anybody played them and compared them ????

Like I said... thier drum site is blocked here. I had to google the brand to find out what they looked like from a non-blocked site.
 
I don't know if there's anything affordable about a drumwerx kit, i see them from the custom shop direct on ebay BIN for usually 5-7k for a 5 or 6 six piece,


He's got a bunch of kits over on ebay with awesome pics, go check 'em out:

http://myworld.ebay.com/drumwerx/

So much for the resonable price.. He also has a comment that is a little concerning "... same shells as major manufactures.." or something like that. I wonder if he is using keller shells and then wrapping a veneer on them?
 
So much for the resonable price.. He also has a comment that is a little concerning "... same shells as major manufactures.." or something like that. I wonder if he is using keller shells and then wrapping a veneer on them?

i think he uses the top of the line keller american maple shells. Nothing wrong with that, i think they're on par with most high end maple kits. He does apply the outer veneer though which, imo, makes it the equal to a DW collectors or Sonor sq2. If those badges were on his drums they'd probably be the same price.
 
i think he uses the top of the line keller american maple shells. Nothing wrong with that, i think they're on par with most high end maple kits. He does apply the outer veneer though which, imo, makes it the equal to a DW collectors or Sonor sq2. If those badges were on his drums they'd probably be the same price.

I don't know that much about DW's or Sonor sq2's but is Drumwerx pricing comparable to those? From what I've seen in stores this pricing still seems high to me. If so then Unix kits are a bargain.
 
I don't know that much about DW's or Sonor sq2's but is Drumwerx pricing comparable to those? From what I've seen in stores this pricing still seems high to me. If so then Unix kits are a bargain.

I have to be honest here. Were I after the best performing kit made of wood, not to mention a reasonable price I would stop at the UNIX bubinga stave. I have played all manner of Keller shelled kits. As is Keller is on equal footing to Sonor and DW for shells and sound.

But the UNIX don't just cost less. There is much more "wood" tone, volume and projection.

Another difference is: with UNIX it's solid bubinga, it's not just an outer veneer over maple.

I can't see forking over $5-$7K when a UNIX is an option.
 
I have to be honest here. As is Keller is on equal footing to Sonor and DW for shells and sound.

The fact that no one owns these Drummerwurx kits makes them a risky investment for the huge kickdown.
Sonor is legendary for craftsmanship, longevity, and sound.
The difference between Keller and Sonor is night and day. Most Keller companies only offer Maple or Birch shells, and in limited thicknesses.
Sonor SQ2 offers beech, maple, birch and acryllic shels with interior and exterior veneers, in 4 different ply configurations.
No contest.

Also, Odery is much more exotic than these kits. Odery uses exotic wood shells, not just veneers.
 
The fact that no one owns these Drummerwurx kits makes them a risky investment for the huge kickdown.
Sonor is legendary for craftsmanship, longevity, and sound.
The difference between Keller and Sonor is night and day. Most Keller companies only offer Maple or Birch shells, and in limited thicknesses.
Sonor SQ2 offers beech, maple, birch and acryllic shels with interior and exterior veneers, in 4 different ply configurations.
No contest.

Try again.

GMS has Keller ash. DDRUM and others have Keller Bubinga. Pork Pie has Keller cherry. And so on. Ask pearl folks about the vintage mahogany Keller made for pearl drums.

They come in any thickness specified by the company that sells them. And solid woods like bubinga, not just a veneer over maple beech or birch. Those are added by custom shops or Keller as ordered.

Incidentally, how many thicknesses do you need? There is 4mm with or without re-rings, 6mm, 6.7mm and 8mm. They will even go (gasp) 13mm if enough are in demand. 20,30 and 50 ply snare shells. I can order any of them from places like precision drum and Lee custom.

Sonor has no advantage in material or configuration.

I'd say if anything Keller makes more stuff. And make sure that SQ2 acrylic isn't the solid shells sourced from the same German company that provides them for DDRUM (Kirchhoff schlagwerk).

The only difference we really have here is name brand loyalty (name recognition), not variety or sound or quality. Sonor sq2 are not automatically higher in quality than brands using Keller shells.

Keller offers more, and solid exotic wood. You are right, no contest. Sonor falls way short of Keller.

Solid bubinga Keller > Sonor bubinga veneer over beech.
 
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Try again.

.
Truly you are a wealth of knowledge, but I am referring to Drummerwurx Keller shell availability. They don't offer Cherry, Ash, Poplar, etc. Thats what this thread is supposed to be about, right?
I've owned about 7 kits, including a DW exotic kit. And a 7-piece custom Pork Pie (Keller). I own an SQ2 kit, and can actually tell you from first hand experience that there is no comparison in projection and resonance between my Sonor and my Pork Pie.

Oh, yeah, I also owned a UNIX birch Stave snare. You said you've heard a Unix kit, what does yours look like?
 
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Dear Lord!

Taken from the website. I'll take it down if it bothers anyone
 
Truly you are a wealth of knowledge, but I am referring to Drummerwurx Keller shell availability. They don't offer Cherry, Ash, Poplar, etc. Thats what this thread is supposed to be about, right?
I've owned about 7 kits, including a DW exotic kit. And a 7-piece custom Pork Pie (Keller). I own an SQ2 kit, and can actually tell you from first hand experience that there is no comparison in projection and resonance between my Sonor and my Pork Pie.

And from my firsthand experiance, solid bubinga (tama Sc for example) makes sonor sq2 sound small. No contest. The 12" tama sc bubinga tom has as much low end as the sonor 13 or 14". So again, there isn't always an SQ2 advantage. If we compared apples to apples (maple to maple) Keller can be built in the same configuration, and sq2 doesn't magically blow them away. I have owned enough Keller to have tried this.

But I agree with you, the stuff Sonor make is first rate quality, and there are plenty of options that outperform standard maple shells. That point is not in contest. But I have to say Sonor, despite it's many virtues, is not "the best" available. They do outperform the standard shells.
 
Which SQ2 did you play?

A few of them. I have been to a few 5 star shops here and there. And which Keller do you play? Standard 8 ply? Thicker? Re-ringed? Vintage? There are dozens of possibilities I am sure you have not tried. I have built a bunch and I haven't tried them all.

But your statement indicates to me that you are attempting to disprove something I said, and try to make the sq2 stand out on top. While you state this thread is supposed to be about sq2 vs drumwerx (by proxy, Keller shells) it's really more about how you believe sq2 just blow everything else on the market away.

There are a few drum companies that make drums that will outperform Sonor. I can't think of a single sq2 configuration that I'd rather have than a Stave Unix for example. Or a Dunnett titanium kit.

As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm for Sonor, there is a huge world out there of alternatives.

I seem to recall a similar converasation I read where a DW collectors enthusiast tried to make the point that DW is the "best."

While "the best" is subjective, I'd bet the measured output of a stave kit vs the measured output of a sonor sq2 ply kit would tell the tale better than any subjective opinion.

It's nothing personal, Sonor is great...but there are other things I like better for performance reasons.
 
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While "the best" is subjective, I'd bet the measured output of a stave kit vs the measured output of a sonor sq2 ply kit would tell the tale better than any subjective opinion.

Careful, you are beginning to contradict yourself. There is no objectivity here. It's up to the individual.
I think a thick ply shell sounds better than a stave shell. I've owned both.

ANYWAY...
.

NOBODY owns one of these Drummerwerx kits. Just because it looks pretty, and is made with the same shells as every other "custom" shop in America, doesn't mean it's going to last or even sound good. Why gamble?
 
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