Union hardware anyone?

Pyromaniac777

Pyromaniac777

Silver Member
Cascio Interstate Music has their own brand of drums and hardware called Union. They just released it in April I think. I was just looking at their hardware and it is so cheap! It looks pretty decent too. They have a beastly looking snare stand for only $41. And a double chain, solid base-plate pedal for only $50. All of their hardware is way cheap. Does anyone have any experience with this brand? How does it hold up?
http://www.uniondrums.com/hardware.html
 
Pyromaniac777 said:
Cascio Interstate Music has their own brand of drums and hardware called Union. They just released it in April I think. I was just looking at their hardware and it is so cheap! It looks pretty decent too. They have a beastly looking snare stand for only $41. And a double chain, solid base-plate pedal for only $50. All of their hardware is way cheap. Does anyone have any experience with this brand? How does it hold up?
http://www.uniondrums.com/hardware.html
Click to expand...

Looking at the drums and gear, it looks a lot like they simply branded some overseas kits.

Basically, you go to someplace like this, find a factory that makes drums, and order a shipping container full of stuff that is custom branded and has a 40% markup after import duties.

Anyone with ~$25,000 can effectively start their own drum company.
 
KamaK said:
Looking at the drums and gear, it looks a lot like they simply branded some overseas kits.

Basically, you go to someplace like this, find a factory that makes drums, and order a shipping container full of stuff that is custom branded and has a 40% markup after import duties.

Anyone with ~$25,000 can effectively start their own drum company.
Click to expand...

Well, I didn't really mean the drum kits. Those I could definitely tell were just cheap, overseas kits. I just want to know if the hardware is any good. It's at awesome prices, sadly I can't afford the $100+ hardware that's out there, so this hardware would be good for me if it is at least decent.
 
Pyromaniac777 said:
Well, I didn't really mean the drum kits. Those I could definitely tell were just cheap, overseas kits. I just want to know if the hardware is any good. It's at awesome prices, sadly I can't afford the $100+ hardware that's out there, so this hardware would be good for me if it is at least decent.
Click to expand...

I imagine that the hardware would be made by the same factory and be comparable to other similar offerings (Musician's Gear, Stage One, Rhythm Art, DXP).

Only a hands-on inspection would reveal what you are looking for though. I see no thorough reviews on youtube or elsewhere on the web.
 
For something like a snare stand, the really cheap stuff may not be that much worse than the really expensive stuff. In a cymbal stand you usually run in to unstable stands or pipes that easily dent from tensioning the screws. The biggest thing I dont like about the cheap stands is that they usually only come in 2 sections instead of 3. This makes them a bit larger when broken down and less stable when set up because the stand is nearing full extension when set up.

Honestly, look in to Tama Road Pro gear. Its not that expensive and is pretty stable stuff. Even used equipment can be had for less than this Union stuff is new and probably last a lot longer. Also, dont forget to type in what you want in a Google search and click the "shopping" tab. Sometimes you find amazing deals on stands at Overstock or Rakuten that are basically close out pricing. I have found some great deals at random sites like these that has cut prices almost in half.
 
Pyromaniac777 said:
Cascio Interstate Music has their own brand of drums and hardware called Union. They just released it in April I think. I was just looking at their hardware and it is so cheap! It looks pretty decent too. They have a beastly looking snare stand for only $41. And a double chain, solid base-plate pedal for only $50. All of their hardware is way cheap. Does anyone have any experience with this brand? How does it hold up?
http://www.uniondrums.com/hardware.html
Click to expand...

They've been selling it for years and years, actually. I have seen it in their catalogs since the mid-2000s or whenever. It can't be doing too badly to still be offered, but then I don't see much of it on the secondhand market either, which might speak to its quality and/or longevity.
 
Tommy_D said:
For something like a snare stand, the really cheap stuff may not be that much worse than the really expensive stuff. In a cymbal stand you usually run in to unstable stands or pipes that easily dent from tensioning the screws. The biggest thing I dont like about the cheap stands is that they usually only come in 2 sections instead of 3. This makes them a bit larger when broken down and less stable when set up because the stand is nearing full extension when set up.
Honestly, look in to Tama Road Pro gear. Its not that expensive and is pretty stable stuff. Even used equipment can be had for less than this Union stuff is new and probably last a lot longer. Also, dont forget to type in what you want in a Google search and click the "shopping" tab. Sometimes you find amazing deals on stands at Overstock or Rakuten that are basically close out pricing. I have found some great deals at random sites like these that has cut prices almost in half.
Click to expand...
The surprising about these union stands though, is that they do come in three tube sections. I'll check out overstock and see what they have.
 
alparrott said:
They've been selling it for years and years, actually. I have seen it in their catalogs since the mid-2000s or whenever. It can't be doing too badly to still be offered, but then I don't see much of it on the secondhand market either, which might speak to its quality and/or longevity.
Click to expand...

Maybe I should just buy a union stand the next time I need one and just try it out. I'll make sure to get some reviews out on some websites.
 
I haven't seen the stuff first hand, but my guess would be it's a good value.

If you are a metal basher pounding the snot out of your kit, you can effectively stop reading here. Everyone else: the reality is that hardware has been over designed. We went from light poorly designed stands that would knock over, to megapound super heavy stuff that a dinosaur couldn't knock over. At a high price.

In all likelihood, that hardware is totally viable at a good price - and probably a lighter weight.
 
I recently bought 3 single-braced straight stands for my Jungle kit. They are decent but a little odd. The lever release is Tama-like but it doesn't tighten well because it requires too much tension to flip closed. Therefore, there are screws/bolts that can be tightened once the lever is closed.

They seem decent enough for what I use the kit for and the price was right. The spread on the legs is a little much but I can't complain.
 
The main challenge with inexpensive hardware seems to be setup / breakdown related.

A PDP-700 boom stand is perfect if it stays on a kit that is a fixture (basement, music room, studio). The moment you start disassembling, resembling, tossing it in the van every night... That's where good hardware demonstrates its value and mediocre hardware strips wing nuts, flakes chrome, and protrudes metal through the rubber feet.
 
Frank said:
I haven't seen the stuff first hand, but my guess would be it's a good value.

If you are a metal basher pounding the snot out of your kit, you can effectively stop reading here. Everyone else: the reality is that hardware has been over designed. We went from light poorly designed stands that would knock over, to megapound super heavy stuff that a dinosaur couldn't knock over. At a high price.

In all likelihood, that hardware is totally viable at a good price - and probably a lighter weight.
Click to expand...

Amen.

Pearl used to make light to middle weight hardware that was good for the weekend warrior ,now everything is very expensive and heavy.
 
KamaK said:
The main challenge with inexpensive hardware seems to be setup / breakdown related.

A PDP-700 boom stand is perfect if it stays on a kit that is a fixture (basement, music room, studio). The moment you start disassembling, resembling, tossing it in the van every night... That's where good hardware demonstrates its value and mediocre hardware strips wing nuts, flakes chrome, and protrudes metal through the rubber feet.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. I would definitely feel uncomfortable taking those stands to gigs. I have a PDP 700 boom stand that has a 20" ride on it that has lasted me almost 2 years, but again, I haven't ever had to move it. Maybe the Union stands would be decent for someone that doesn't have to do a lot of drum and hardware moving.

How do I use multiple quotes in a post? :)
I should probably know how to by now
 
Pyromaniac777 said:
That makes sense. I would definitely feel uncomfortable taking those stands to gigs. I have a PDP 700 boom stand that has a 20" ride on it that has lasted me almost 2 years, but again, I haven't ever had to move it. Maybe the Union stands would be decent for someone that doesn't have to do a lot of drum and hardware moving.
Click to expand...

The best compromise is to buy a high-quality single-braced stand like the Yamaha 700 series. I've had mine for almost 20 years and hundreds of gigs with zero -- I'll say it again -- zero issues.

I'm not a big fan of "buy cheap hardware for non-gig kits". The hardware still takes the abuse of repetitive vibration and you *do* move it from time to time to clean or whatever. Better to have one set of hardware you can trust for years. I have seen the "good enough" hardware strip out wingbolts and lose grip on boom tilters after a couple of years of "same spot" playing.

Pyromaniac777 said:
How do I use multiple quotes in a post? :)
I should probably know how to by now
Click to expand...

Use the button to the right of the "Quote" button on each post you want to quote, then hit "Reply".
 
Yamaha 700 series and Tama Road Pro are both good. Peace and goodwill.
 
alparrott said:
The best compromise is to buy a high-quality single-braced stand like the Yamaha 700 series. I've had mine for almost 20 years and hundreds of gigs with zero -- I'll say it again -- zero issues.

I'm not a big fan of "buy cheap hardware for non-gig kits". The hardware still takes the abuse of repetitive vibration and you *do* move it from time to time to clean or whatever. Better to have one set of hardware you can trust for years. I have seen the "good enough" hardware strip out wingbolts and lose grip on boom tilters after a couple of years of "same spot" playing.



Use the button to the right of the "Quote" button on each post you want to quote, then hit "Reply".
Click to expand...
Yes! It worked! :)

Drumolator said:
Yamaha 700 series and Tama Road Pro are both good. Peace and goodwill.
Click to expand...
I'll have to look into both of those.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top