DW problem

It seems that you didn't specify which shell construction you wanted when you ordered the drum. You simply ordered an "8 tom" and they made a standard 8 tom. (as they do when not specified)
Using the serials doesn't tell them what construction your kit was, only a base timeline in which they would have been made.

I regards to what DW said about the VLT, X, Etc...is correct.
For instance my kits are
8, 16 X
10,12,14 VLT
KICKS AND 18 VLX,
This ensure's I can get the lowest possible note from each drum and still be relative to each drum in intervals.

They will not normally make anything other than an X tom (within their own configurations) Unless ordered by a customer.
And even then John will talk most out of it. Haha.
When not specified, they make standards.

The standard drum you have is fine and unless you tune really low like me, you'll never hear a difference.

Cheers
D

I checked with the vendor when ordering to make sure the tom would match the construction of my other rack toms and he said yes, they will know all this from my serial numbers.

You say that the serial numbers only give them an idea of when the kit was made and nothing about shell construction so why then are they implying that an X shell is definitely the correct one due to tonal interval differential between constructions of my existing toms (even though they don’t even seem to realise they made me a maple standard)?

If the vendor didn’t specify the shell construction when ordering and just assumed that DW would match it to the other toms via the info that DW derived from the serial numbers then some of the blame lies at their door.

Why did DW not contact them to have a conversation about shell constructions before starting work on the tom though and more than that, why do DW think they sent me an X shell when it was a standard?

Sounds to me that they lifted the first shell they could find, wrapped it and sent it off.

I have put new heads on the tom this weekend (Evans clear G2 over clear G1) and have tried every tuning combination to try and match it with my kit.
My other rack toms with the same heads are tuned just above wrinkle on the batter and have a moderately tuned resonant head and sound great.

The 8” sounds terrible when tuned like this. In fact its sweet spot seems to be around 80/80 on the drum dial but this makes it sound like I have 1 roto tom and 2 rack toms.

I am disillusioned with DW over this whole debacle and wish I had stuck with Sonor.
 
I checked with the vendor when ordering to make sure the tom would match the construction of my other rack toms and he said yes, they will know all this from my serial numbers.

They would only be able to find that through an "order number" which was most likely lost since the kit was a used purchase

so why then are they implying that an X shell is definitely the correct one due to tonal interval differential between constructions of my existing toms (even though they don’t even seem to realise they made me a maple standard)?

Because an 8 X is what they suggest for most ALL of their kits. It's on most every one of their videos talking about it.
It's what's on my kit and almost every DW artist and non professional drummer I know whose gotten a kit from them in the last decade.


If the vendor didn’t specify the shell construction when ordering and just assumed that DW would match it to the other toms via the info that DW derived from the serial numbers then some of the blame lies at their door.

It mostly lies on the vender, DW are not mind readers and when they get an order, they make the order. They did not know to make you a VLX, VLT, X, etc because the vender only specified an 8 and nothing else.

Why did DW not contact them to have a conversation about shell constructions before starting work on the tom though and more than that, why do DW think they sent me an X shell when it was a standard?

Why would they contact the vender when they have the order in front of them?.....nothing questionable about the order other than the fact that the shell construction you wanted wasn't indicated (which means they make a standard) and also most likely because the person you are corresponding with isn't the person who built your drum, so they wouldn't know the details about your order. It's not up to them to predict if you want either of the shell constructions other than standard if it's not indicated. And nobody is at fault for that other than not being aware that's how it works. Although, I'm pretty surprised the vender didn't know this.

Regardless,
I'm sure that DW will make the drum for you in the configuration you want.

They're EASILY one of the best companies to deal with on a "dealer level".

D
 
They would only be able to find that through an "order number" which was most likely lost since the kit was a used purchase

They requested photos of the serial number and the order number, which was not “lost” as its printed in big bold digits on the labels inside every collector’s series drum made after a certain date.

It’s quite bizarre that they specifically requested all this photographic evidence then proceeded to make a standard tom without any consultation.
 
They requested photos of the serial number and the order number, which was not “lost” as its printed in big bold digits on the labels inside every collector’s series drum made after a certain date.

It’s quite bizarre that they specifically requested all this photographic evidence then proceeded to make a standard tom without any consultation.

What finish is your kit? I know you already have the drum, but on certain finishes, DW may require a photo or sending one of the toms in to match the finish.

My DW is in Finish Ply [Twisted Blue Oyster] so I didn't have to send them a picture of my tom or send a tom in to clarify the finish. They'll just wrap my 8" in Finish Ply after it's made.

I believe DW takes photos of every drum/set they make before they ship it off to the a store. I know they keep track of every order there as well, hence the order number you had to provide them for reference so they should have known that information when they were looking to add one, or I would think. That is what they requested of my order anyway.

If they had all of this information correct, they should have been able to look up your set and found what would have matched up better give its construction.

So it sounds like either DW messed up or the store you purchased it through messed up the order.

I have put new heads on the tom this weekend (Evans clear G2 over clear G1) and have tried every tuning combination to try and match it with my kit.
My other rack toms with the same heads are tuned just above wrinkle on the batter and have a moderately tuned resonant head and sound great.

The 8” sounds terrible when tuned like this. In fact its sweet spot seems to be around 80/80 on the drum dial but this makes it sound like I have 1 roto tom and 2 rack toms.

That is frustrating to hear!!! This is probably why they recommended a VLT for my 8" because the Standard Maple shell might be too high pitched for the rest of the kit, even though mine is Collector's Standard. So it also appears that your 8" is too high pitched for the rest of your kit since you have VLT rack toms.

If anything, they should have recommended a VLT or X Shell for the 8" given the configuration of your kit.

I would contact the store you purchased it from and see if they can contact DW and see if there is something you can work out to get it resolved.
 
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Using the serials doesn't tell them what construction your kit was, only a base timeline in which they would have been made.

Wow, this is really sloppy documentation IMO...especially on such a high-end instrument.

A serial number in a Taylor guitar tells where it was made, the year, the month, the day, and the guitar's position in that particular day's production sequence. If you call them and give them your serial number, they will tell you what the guitar is made of in regards to tonewoods, etc., even on Built to Order (BTO) guitars.
 
I haven't posted in ages but to let you know, I had similar problem(s). First off my kit is a standard construction set. The sizes are 8,10,12,14 with an added 16. My first problem starts with the stamped shell note of the 8". It is an A and my 10 is a C followed by G & D so right there the 8 is too high. Years later I ordered a 16" floor tom and where I ordered it made the same mistake of not telling DW that it was a standard shell, he just asked me for the note of the last drum. Therefore the new 16" should have been an A but, DW sends me not only a B# shell which isn't that off the mark but to make it worse it was in VLT construction. I can make these drums work but it takes some needless finessing. The standard shells are probably a rarity for DW now.
 
I haven't posted in ages but to let you know, I had similar problem(s). First off my kit is a standard construction set. The sizes are 8,10,12,14 with an added 16. My first problem starts with the stamped shell note of the 8". It is an A and my 10 is a C followed by G & D so right there the 8 is too high. Years later I ordered a 16" floor tom and where I ordered it made the same mistake of not telling DW that it was a standard shell, he just asked me for the note of the last drum. Therefore the new 16" should have been an A but, DW sends me not only a B# shell which isn't that off the mark but to make it worse it was in VLT construction. I can make these drums work but it takes some needless finessing. The standard shells are probably a rarity for DW now.

I am a self-admitted DW fan boy. I have been since the 80s. I have 2 Collectors kits. But I will tell you that timbre matching is a bunch of hooey once you add a finish (wrap, lacquer, stain, whatever), hardware, heads, and your preferred tuning to the shell. I honestly couldn't tell you what note values are stamped on the inside of my shells. I also couldn't tell you what intervals I tune my drums as I tune them to sound good together to me.

I think the concept of timbre matching is interesting and it makes fundamental sense, but this is a pre-build status. Just like a 1/4 pound hamburger is only a 1/4 in its precooked weight. Once you cook it, and toppings, condiments, and a bun, it's no longer a 1/4 pounder. It started that way, but it's not anymore. Just like a 12" tom marked w/ a note of C is no longer a 12" C-tom when it's built.

I feel for the OP in his challenges. As I've mentioned, I've worked w/ DW as a dealer and consumer. As a dealer I worked w/ DW on customers behalf to resolve issues. As a consumer, I've interacted w/ DW directly on a minor issue and it was resolved. It all comes down to complete communication. It appears the dealer in question may have not understood or properly attained all the information needed upfront.

DW is very proactive on their Facebook page and if the OP isn't getting resolution through his dealer, I would suggest contacting DW directly through FB.
 
I haven't posted in ages but to let you know, I had similar problem(s). First off my kit is a standard construction set. The sizes are 8,10,12,14 with an added 16. My first problem starts with the stamped shell note of the 8". It is an A and my 10 is a C followed by G & D so right there the 8 is too high. Years later I ordered a 16" floor tom and where I ordered it made the same mistake of not telling DW that it was a standard shell, he just asked me for the note of the last drum. Therefore the new 16" should have been an A but, DW sends me not only a B# shell which isn't that off the mark but to make it worse it was in VLT construction. I can make these drums work but it takes some needless finessing. The standard shells are probably a rarity for DW now.

I made the mistake of telling my music store the Serial Number on the outside of my shells, when in-fact, they wanted the Order Number that was inside the drum to be able to research my kit.

DW is very proactive on their Facebook page and if the OP isn't getting resolution through his dealer, I would suggest contacting DW directly through FB.

Agreed with this.

I had a minor issue when one of lugs broke and I contacted my music store for a replacement. They contacted DW about the lug and DW shipped a new lug to my music store and I didn't have to pay anything. I just had to go pick it up.

Granted that is a minor issue than an actual drum, but they were pro-active and wanted to make things right for me.

When I was waiting for my Edge Snare this past summer, it was beyond the estimated time wait, so I contacted my music store for an update and DW reported to them that they were having some machine problems but would be up and running ASAP. Not only did they provide that update, DW went a step further and took a picture of my snare after it was all constructed to let me know the progress of my snare & that it would be out for delivery soon.

I appreciated the updates, even though DW didn't have to go that far, and my snare eventually came in. It's little things like that that keep me a customer and a fan of them.
 
I agree that if you ordered a VLT tom you should have gotten one, I am a DW guy. Two kits and a dozen snares.

If you are tuning just above wrinkle the 8 isn't going to fit in very well. They have a sweet spot and it's a fairly narrow range. On the drum dial between 70 and 75 top and bottom. you may need to adjust the tuning of your other toms in about the same range to get the right intervals.

Just above wrinkle may sound good from the throne, but it will sound muddy out front. FWIW.

I spent three hours messing with a Yamaha 8 inch tom yesterday, using the same heads you use, and got it sounding good but it took some work.

Hope that helps.
 
I just got my 8" VLT Collector's Tom yesterday.

So far I like it & have missed this voice for a few years.

I have been experimenting with different tunings, different heads, different mics and placement around my kit.

I probably won't always play my full set-up at shows and what not, bring what I need more than anything, but recording wise, I got all of my bases covered now.
 

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