I have been always interested in what is a American Master and disagreed with some points. Natural talent, or learned. A drummers brain activity has been proven to be quite different to others , which adds to the talent or learned as well the question of motor control to articulation being acquired as a skill or adaptive physical function
There is a studio web cast online that takes cheap instruments and run them against the top line models. Easy there online to find, check it out to have a view on instrument costs to quality
Going back to a Mastery of skill and play ones choice of instruments. Practice is inevitable to become accomplished, As drummers having taken lessons, practice becomes important as playing with music or a group. Knowledge , skill and adaptability becomes one and a higher awareness of the whole group, (audiation) , process of seeing music as a language and hearing each instrument collective separately as part of the music piece as you play
Understanding drums and sounds, multiple woods, combinations of woods and sizes, not to mention metal types and mountings. These all have an impact on the sizes and sounds they produce with out heads on them. Now drum heads , multiple materials, sizes . Makers all talk and advertise what correct for your use as a drummer. For myself I see it as each drum has its own special sound. When place a drum head on the drum the sound changes to what is expect for that drum,(not what you believe it should be). You may not get the sound you want with the drums and heads you use.
