Hey folks,

Someone has taken me to task for what they feel is my "bashing" of DW - felt by many as the top US drum company in the industry. Personally, IMO I feel they're crap and have been so for over 15 years now - nowhere near what they started out as. And, on this site and other places I have found small US drum makers who are putting out incredible quality drums. We don't hear much about them because they don't have the financial resource to advertise and it is cost prohibitive for them to think about getting into a GC, Sam Ash, or Musician's Friend - they'd have to sell their drums below cost - they'd go broke in the process of cranking out drums.

So, all that said and true: What would it take for you to seriously look at putting your money into a set of drums made in the USA where - too often, you have the opportunity to work with the manufacturer and craft a set to your individual specifications and desires?

This isn't about "flag waving" - we all know Sonor, Pearl, Yamaha and others make fine sets. It's a point of interest question.

Alden








_________________
Alden Merrill

Ford Drums
Zildjian Cymbals, Aquarian Heads
Vater, Cappella and Vic Firth Sticks
Proudly playing drums crafted in the USA.

honestly, you right dude. ide buy a kit made in usa if i had the $$$ but yamaha...oh boy yamaha. im in love with them. they make an amazing product. but it would be cool to have a custom kit made. ( and ive played a DW, it was awsome, DO NOT get me wrong. but it didnt set itself apart from say...yamaha ) lol.








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Yamaha Stage Custom
Sabian AA, HH, Sig, XS20 - Remo/Evans
Pro mark - Yamaha/Dixon Hardware
www.myspace.com/blessedblack

I play the finest drums ever made in America. Rogers 1964 and 1966. Plus two sets from the 1970s and a set from the early 80s.

Then theres Ayotte Custom. But that is Canadian.

I see DW as the King of Hype. I do like the hardware. I use it.








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ThePloughman

ThePloughman wrote:

Duct Tape, Moongells, and Remos...... with pinstripes

Rogers Drums USA

Check this out
http://www.pearldrummersforum.com/showthread.php?t=196158

Hi, I'm your average teenager soaking up knowledge from everywhere on the internet and putting countless hours behind a kit, learning about it, and feeling, loving and caring for it.


I DONT GIVE A SHIT WHERE THEY COME FROM.

As long as they sound good.

I've never heard a DW that i really was into. Pearls are it for me for american drums other than that, Mapex and Sonor are THE companies. Sonor is just disgusting these days. Honestly, i know they have a bigger price tag, but the drums are totally worth it.








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Drums are fun, cars are sick, music is great, and life is alright.

"I never said that gear makes the player...I just wanted to exploit the other side of the argument."

Dw drum sets are great but they are too expensive
to buy.

I'm American and I build drums.








_________________
www.pjclevenger.com

www.medicinemandrumsaz.com

DML Special: 20% off all drums.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left!

I'm in the minority of people who likes DW for their tone and finish options. I've played a few "custom" kits but like I've said before, I don't consider anything a custom drum unless it's a Pearl Masterworks where you can specify every ply of every drum.

edit:
I decided I wanted to add more to this, using cars as an analogy. Take a Honda Civic, put some clear/red tail lights on it, some angle eye headlights, new rims, maybe some racing seats, maybe some new gauge faces or even gauges, and you've customized it. Take a '32 coupe, chop and channel it, build a frame for it or put the chassis on an existing newer frame, flush mount some LED tail lights, etc. and you've got a custom car. While I truly respect what independent drum builders do, I do think they're a tad bit over-rated for Keller shells and mostly generic hardware. Go to PrecisionDrum.com and buy all of the same stuff. If you have wood working skills and tools you can build your own customized kit.









Last edited by SGarrett on Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________

Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

Timekeep69 wrote:

I'm American and I build drums.

Hey Timekeeper,

I'm glad you saw this - I was hoping it would get your attention as well -you were also one of the folks I was referring to. Perhaps you'll keep your eye on this thread and way-in on it occassionally.








_________________
Alden Merrill

Ford Drums
Zildjian Cymbals, Aquarian Heads
Vater, Cappella and Vic Firth Sticks
Proudly playing drums crafted in the USA.

I always weigh in.

Plies aren't the only way to make a kit custom. You'd be suprised at how many customers I've talked to who don't care about plies and even lug styles. Keller shells are very good shells.

I equate it to a painter. All painters use the same kind of paints (wether it be oils, acrylics, or water colors) and the same canvas but it's the talent of the painter that determines whether the painting is a masterpiece or crap.








_________________
www.pjclevenger.com

www.medicinemandrumsaz.com

DML Special: 20% off all drums.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left!

SGarrett wrote:

I'm in the minority of people who likes DW for their tone and finish options. I've played a few "custom" kits but like I've said before, I don't consider anything a custom drum unless it's a Pearl Masterworks where you can specify every ply of every drum.

edit:
I decided I wanted to add more to this, using cars as an analogy. Take a Honda Civic, put some clear/red tail lights on it, some angle eye headlights, new rims, maybe some racing seats, maybe some new gauge faces or even gauges, and you've customized it. Take a '32 coupe, chop and channel it, build a frame for it or put the chassis on an existing newer frame, flush mount some LED tail lights, etc. and you've got a custom car. While I truly respect what independent drum builders do, I do think they're a tad bit over-rated for Keller shells and mostly generic hardware. Go to PrecisionDrum.com and buy all of the same stuff. If you have wood working skills and tools you can build your own customized kit.

Hey Garrett,

It's interesting you mention the Precission drum thing. I had very seriously considered that option. Using Keller shells (their Mahogany series), purchasing lugs, rims, finish, heads, and sourcing the shells out for applying finish/bearing edges/drilling for lugs, the least I could have completed this set for myself was $3000.00. Granted, that was going die cast hoops, claws, and beavertail lugs which were the most expensive. Going a cheaper route, maybe $2000.00 if I could wheel 'n deal.

Glad I didn't do either - ended up getting way more than I expected.








_________________
Alden Merrill

Ford Drums
Zildjian Cymbals, Aquarian Heads
Vater, Cappella and Vic Firth Sticks
Proudly playing drums crafted in the USA.

SGarrett wrote:

I'm in the minority of people who likes DW for their tone and finish options. I've played a few "custom" kits but like I've said before, I don't consider anything a custom drum unless it's a Pearl Masterworks where you can specify every ply of every drum.

edit:
I decided I wanted to add more to this, using cars as an analogy. Take a Honda Civic, put some clear/red tail lights on it, some angle eye headlights, new rims, maybe some racing seats, maybe some new gauge faces or even gauges, and you've customized it. Take a '32 coupe, chop and channel it, build a frame for it or put the chassis on an existing newer frame, flush mount some LED tail lights, etc. and you've got a custom car. While I truly respect what independent drum builders do, I do think they're a tad bit over-rated for Keller shells and mostly generic hardware. Go to PrecisionDrum.com and buy all of the same stuff. If you have wood working skills and tools you can build your own customized kit.

To build on this analogy...

The civic (in my version being all the keller companies that charge way to much and DW) should be the cheaper workhorse vehicle that has plenty of power, mobility, and function to do the job and do it well.

The coupe should be that true custom (pearl with the individual ply specs) that should cost you a bundle (i mean come on, it's completely custom!). Instead, however, the civic costs a lot more. Why? Hype of course!

Everyone wants their hands on what the big boys use and they don't realize that being payed to play a brand of drums is wayyy TO much of an incentive just to do so. You're cheating yourself people. Don't you get it?








_________________
Drums are fun, cars are sick, music is great, and life is alright.

"I never said that gear makes the player...I just wanted to exploit the other side of the argument."

Timekeep69 wrote:

I always weigh in.

Plies aren't the only way to make a kit custom. You'd be suprised at how many customers I've talked to who don't care about plies and even lug styles. Keller shells are very good shells.

I equate it to a painter. All painters use the same kind of paints (wether it be oils, acrylics, or water colors) and the same canvas but it's the talent of the painter that determines whether the painting is a masterpiece or crap.

First let me say that I don't want to take anything away from what you do. I'm actually thinking about building myself a birch kit once I get settled into a new place.

I just equate it customizing an existing product instead of being custom made. Ever see a Civic with a Cadi front end? That's custom. But how many customized Civics do you see just driving around town that all look largely similar? I even fit DW into that category, and I like them.








_________________

Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

SGarrett wrote:

Timekeep69 wrote:

I always weigh in.

Plies aren't the only way to make a kit custom. You'd be suprised at how many customers I've talked to who don't care about plies and even lug styles. Keller shells are very good shells.

I equate it to a painter. All painters use the same kind of paints (wether it be oils, acrylics, or water colors) and the same canvas but it's the talent of the painter that determines whether the painting is a masterpiece or crap.

First let me say that I don't want to take anything away from what you do. I'm actually thinking about building myself a birch kit once I get settled into a new place.

I just equate it customizing an existing product instead of being custom made. Ever see a Civic with a Cadi front end? That's custom. But how many customized Civics do you see just driving around town that all look largely similar? I even fit DW into that category, and I like them.

That's like saying that a Yugo and a Ferrari are the same because they're both made from steel.

When you buy a DW kit, you have to choose from the colors they give you, you don't even get a choice of lug options.

Pearl's ply option is really more of a gimmick than anything else. Most drummers don't understand the properties of different woods. From what I can see, Pearl only offers maple, birch, & Mahogany for plies. What about walnut, Wenge, Purpleheart, Ash & for God's sake Bubinga? The shell (4, 6, 8, & 10 ply)thicknesses they offer are standard, I don't see them offering 12 ply, 15 ply, 16 ply, 18 ply, 30 ply, or 50 ply) do they offer custom graphic finishes? What if someone has some artwork they want as a wrap? Does Pearl offer to make the artwork into a wrap? Does Pearl offer lug options? Can you get a Pearl kit with Tube lugs or Beavertail lugs?

These are just a few of the things custom companies offer which makes us more custom than being able to pick out your plies from the options of three woods.








_________________
www.pjclevenger.com

www.medicinemandrumsaz.com

DML Special: 20% off all drums.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left!

Atmerrill almost everthing i read by you makes me laught. you know nothing about DW drums. stop spreding lies. they are not carp. i dont bash your kit so dont bash mine. if you dont like them that fine but saying some of the the best drums out there is crap is giving the drum industry a slap in the face. show some respect. the craftmenship on these drums are outstanding and the hardware the best. and they have true tone unlike most drum kits. get a life and stop bash peoples choice of drum kit.

Maynardjames wrote:

Atmerrill almost everthing i read by you makes me laught. you know nothing about DW drums. stop spreding lies. they are not carp. i dont bash your kit so dont bash mine. if you dont like them that fine but saying some of the the best drums out there is crap is giving the drum industry a slap in the face. show some respect. the craftmenship on these drums are outstanding and the hardware the best. and they have true tone unlike most drum kits. get a life and stop bash peoples choice of drum kit.

Glad to provide the comic relief. Since you're already playing American drums, you won't have much to offer here. Why don't you just quietly read the posts - you might learn something.

PS You'd look a lot more intelligent to folks if you'd first proof/spellcheck your posts before you submit them.








_________________
Alden Merrill

Ford Drums
Zildjian Cymbals, Aquarian Heads
Vater, Cappella and Vic Firth Sticks
Proudly playing drums crafted in the USA.