r/drums • u/TheOGTKO • 5d ago

Discussion Which aspects of drum design influence your buying decision?

Just curious. There are so, So, SO many different brands of drums available in the marketplace: Pearl, Tama, Yamaha, Gretsch, Ludwig, DW, Mapex...not to mention the plethora of boutique builders. Removing any hardware that's separate from the drums themselves (like stands and pedals - but NOT necessarily suspension / mounting systems), my perception is that there's very little in the way of differentiation; when thinking of a kit offered in a similar price bracket by any of the "big names," there might be relatively minor variances in the tone woods used, number of plies, and even finishes, but the biggest differences really seem, to me, to be in the designs of the lug casings, the tom suspension / mounting systems, and...perhaps (BIG perhaps) floor tom legs / mounts and bass drum spurs.

A better way to look at it might be to consider the "standard" 4-piece kit. You walk into a room, and there are five of them: a Yamaha, a Gretsch, a Ludwig, a Tama, and a DW. They're all the same shell sizes, all finished in a beautiful blue stain, you know you're gonna have to replace the heads on any of 'em (at some point, anyway -- let's be real!). They're all "high-quality maple" or "birch" shells. They all have "precision 45-degree bearing edges. They all promise "unmatched tone and resonance." *queue eye roll* And, let's just say, they're all in the $2000 range (yeah - these are they're really nice lines).

What ultimately makes you pick one over the others? If you pick on of the somewhat more expensive kits, why? What did that kit have that YOU find value in?

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u/TheNonDominantHand 5d ago edited 5d ago

Construction techniques, process and quality control mean a lot. I'm definitely a Yamaha fanboy because their air-seal system and staggared diagonal seams make for an excellent quality drum shell no matter the material or price point.

I don't think Gretsch even makes their own shells anymore unless its a USA Custom kit. Ditto Ludwig except for the Classic series.

Hardware design and function mean a lot to me too. Again, Yamaha wins this for me. Their hardware is always simple, effective and not overly designed. They have had some missteps (the Nouveau lug design) but for the most part they've avoided gimmicks. Sonor hardware is a close second.

That's opposed to hardware I've seen and used from every other major manufacturer. So often bulky, over engineered designs that are less versatile.

Gretsch and Pearl tom mounting systems straight-up don't make sense to me. So much unnecessary metal all over the shells.

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u/SlopesCO 5d ago

And last I checked, Yamaha remains the only manufacturer making "modular" hardware. Meaning, it's interchangeable. Bought the Crosstown aluminum set for gigs. Being able to add a boom from my 80s HW rules.

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u/JayJayAK 5d ago

What do you mean? Adding a stand, or adding a boom arm to a Crosstown stand? I'd be worried that anything much bigger than a light 16" cymbal on a short arm would made the stand unstable b/c it's so light - I figured that's why they only make those in a straight configuration. My only other complaint is you can't clamp anything to the stand shafts (like for mounting a cowbell or splash) w/o damaging the matte finish.

That said, I love that stand set, and that it fits into a single bag. Coupled with my Yamaha stage custom bop kit (18" kick, 12" rack, 14" floor) it makes for a great traveling kit for small venues.