Hierarchy at various manufacturers?

I beg to differ.. not going to name brands but I know from experience..
 
What's the closest equivalent to TAMA Starclassic for the other companies (at least DW, Pearl, Yamaha, maybe Sonor)? I'm thinking ~$2K, not more than $3K for a 4 piece shell pack.
Among the Tama Starclassic .......... Birch/Walnut $1800 (4 pc.) ...... Maple $3000 (4 pc.)

DW ........ Design Series $1800 (5 pc,) ........ Performance $2400 (5pc.)

Yamaha ......... Tour Maple Custom $1300 (4pc.) that's it. Next kit above is above $3K.

Pearl ........ Studio Sessions Select $1700 (5pc.) ........ Masters Maple $1800 (4pc.)

Sonor ........ AQ2 $1350 (5pc.) ......... SQ1 $2600 (3pc.)
 
mine is obviously different to yours , isn't that sumth'n? but you are elevated and wise and handsome no?
 
This thread devolved quickly.
For some, if it's not boutique or custom, it's mass produced crap with poor standards.
For others, it's all good (I'm in this camp)
For the most part computerized manufacturing has improved tolerances beyond what we ever saw in the 70s and 80s. Machining has also improved exponentially. Any loss in quality is due to greed from the manufacturer, they cut operating costs to increase their margins and the product suffers.
If I go to the store with $1000USD what I leave with in the way of a drum kit is far superior to what that same amount would have gotten me 15 years ago, let alone 30.
Does it look good to your eye? Does it sound like angels singing to your ears? Then buy it. No one cares about the badge, and if they do, that's their materialism issue to sort, not yours.
 
Customer: I'd like to buy a Pearl drum set. Which one of their 18 different lines do you think would be right for me? And could you explain the differences?

Salesman:

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salesman- “this one is good. this other one is nice too.”

customer- “what’s the difference between the two?”

salesman- “i’d like you to leave now.”
 
Yamaha has a giant gaping hole between the Tours and Maple Hybrids.
The Oaks used to fill that hole, but had a massive price increase with the latest version that pushed them above the Maple Hybrid.
Absolute nonsense to me. :(
there also used to be the club customs and birch custom absolutes, WHY did they get discontinued… such good lines. i want to say that things went downhill after the japanese factory stopped making 90% of the kits, but then i’d be called a japanese manufacturing fanboy so i’m not going to indulge further
 
The Gretsch Site has their drums listed from Best to Lesser on their site from top to bottom on the drum page. Very Simple.
 
If it ain't Craviotto what good is it? right? lol
Wrong! I sold the big name modern flagship models , they all had issues. this 1969 Holiday kit has none.. Modern Methods my ass.. And this over used Singerland kit uses real mahogany ! pity it's not modern machined Meranti. Bummer. it does have Character though..
 

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DW confuses the absolute crap out of me. They'll be like "We've developed a new shell that consists of plies of the rare Ashbrittle Yew alongside plies developed from wood taken from upper deck of Noah's Ark. We have then inlaid it with unicorn horn and whispers from Mother Teresa's ghost."

And people buy it.
To have a drum made from Noah's ark would probably sound heavenly...

I'll see myself out. 😁
 
I assume the range is a notch below flagship if assuming Starclassic maple (but OP didn't distinguish between what Starclassic which is sort of important)

Of course this subjective list is completely accurate 😁

Tama - Starclassic Maple
Ludwig - Classic Maple or Oak
DW - ummmm
Pearl - ??? 🤷‍♂️
Gretsch - Brooklyn
Yamaha - Absolute or RC
Sonor - SQ1 or ProLite
Mapex - Saturn (?)
 
I assume the range is a notch below flagship if assuming Starclassic maple (but OP didn't distinguish between what Starclassic which is sort of important)

Of course this subjective list is completely accurate 😁

Tama - Starclassic Maple
Ludwig - Classic Maple or Oak
DW - ummmm
Pearl - ??? 🤷‍♂️
Gretsch - Brooklyn
Yamaha - Absolute or RC
Sonor - SQ1 or ProLite
Mapex - Saturn (?)
Mapex probably Saturn V, DW probably Performance and Pearl is very difficult to say since they have like 5 kits in this price range
 
Wrong! I sold the big name modern flagship models , they all had issues. this 1969 Holiday kit has none.. Modern Methods my ass.. And this over used Singerland kit uses real mahogany ! pity it's not modern machined Meranti. Bummer. it does have Character though..
Sentimental Vintage stuff. That's why they're both out of business.
 
I assume the range is a notch below flagship if assuming Starclassic maple (but OP didn't distinguish between what Starclassic which is sort of important)

Of course this subjective list is completely accurate 😁

Tama - Starclassic Maple
Ludwig - Classic Maple or Oak
DW - ummmm
Pearl - ??? 🤷‍♂️
Gretsch - Brooklyn
Yamaha - Absolute or RC
Sonor - SQ1 or ProLite
Mapex - Saturn (?)
Gretsch......USA Custom is the top.
 
I assume the range is a notch below flagship if assuming Starclassic maple (but OP didn't distinguish between what Starclassic which is sort of important)

Of course this subjective list is completely accurate 😁

Tama - Starclassic Maple
Ludwig - Classic Maple or Oak
DW - ummmm
Pearl - ??? 🤷‍♂️
Gretsch - Brooklyn
Yamaha - Absolute or RC
Sonor - SQ1 or ProLite
Mapex - Saturn (?)
That's a good range to operate in.
 
I talked with Pearls Gene okamoto concerning price and sound. We both agreed that (at the time) the midpriced kits outperformed high end kits but the endorsers weren't playing them and Pearl pushed the high end kits. Anyone remember when Remo Belli came out with the Remo kits?..he mentioned how higher prices made the kits more appealing. You know where I'm going with this.
 
DW probably Performance

They have so many grades of Collector, I would put the bottom Collector as my pick....if I only could figure out what that is!

Gretsch......USA Custom is the top.

Agreed. Broadcaster is a legacy line just like Sonor's vintage series, sort of special...now Pearl has one too and DW replicating Camco (perhaps Yamaha RC too). Ludwig is sort of different, they have their flagship as the Legacy line which makes sense since it too iconic not to. And though Classic Maple is iconic too, Legacy formula is senior and more pricey.
 
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