A much greater difference than I expected. The Camco's have a mellower sound, the DWs sound a little more 'brittle' IMO. Both sound nice but I would choose the Camco set over the DW for my ears....
Camco is so warm and the projection is punchy and very dynamic. The DW Santa Monica kit sounds bright a tad of warmth, but kind of doll compared to the Camco so the Camco takes the win for sure.
Camco ¡My God! What a sound and you Mister..... Wow! What a elegant drumming you have! I enjoy the Camco sound but the way you played both is superb. Thank you and God blesses you with a exquisite talent.
That's just marketing. Very similar thing with drilled toms and BD. A great example is the old Yamaha Recording Custom, or better yet the Yamaha YD9000. The sound of these drums can't be compared to this new fake Recording Custom, which is an insult to the legendary original.
All the talk about the wraps killing the sound was usually from the same people who said tone controls were useless. Most people who said that have only seen tone controls while looking at an old kit in need of repair or maintenance, And the tone controls were no longer working or working poorly after 60 plus years. So they looked at that and they assumed. Wraps do not kill the sound. We just learned that fact from this video of how and old 1960's professional kit could out perform a new seriously over priced drum company.
And the person who tunes the drums for steve should tune all the drums in the universe ! Someone who knows what he or she is doing!!! Sounds perfect!!! And that person didn't screw the pooch when it came to the bass drum , for some reason people are afraid to pitch up the bass drum which results in that awful dull thud we've been subjected to for since the decline of the big band sound in drums This video is a clinic on proper drum tuning ! Hooray!!!!
Steve has tremendous chops just Smooth as silk I'm truly impressed Your no joke your the real deal Steve And I Love Personally that Camco set I owned 4 sets Oakland being the best The DW is a Great Set Brighter because the wood didn't cure as long but incredible sounding drums Fantastic Steve I sold you a Leedy and Slingerland Black Gold Veil Sets the Leedy was My Dream with an 18x14 BD 8x12 14x14 the Slingerland was a 20x14 same size Toms Your gave me a Great Deal thank you.
Interesting , just saw a Camco $ 2,500. I reviewed these back in the 70’. Great little kit.If the shells are well finished with the right plys, changing heads can transform, but just makes it easier to work with.I have a Leedy vintage which has a killer bottom end due to rounded bearing edges, which another drum company just started to do as well.
That camco set sounds insane ! The DW was close though ! But the CAMCO had an immediate impact on my senses , louder , crisper, incredible timbre ! Then the DW set with its stunning beauty! Almost ! I want both !!!
Great comparison and Steve's playing is awesome as usual and they are both nice kids but to me the Camco vintage kit just has a better tone especially the mounted and floor toms... the snares were pretty close but to me the camco was a little warmer but still had a crispy bite to it. Now the bass drums are miked so close that they just have that drone super Bassy fundamental sound that is hard to distinguish between each other or any other bass drum...wish they would mike the bass drums a little farther away so you get a more natural sound that doesn't rip your face off or vibrate your head like you are listening to rap music but other than that great comparison!
I agree wholeheartedly, especially about the bass drum. I'm old fashioned when it comes to tuning. Get rid of the stuffing: pillows, blankets, and such. Put a 3" wide strip of felt 1/3 of the way over under both heads. Keep the tension of each lug even and tighten the heads until you have a constant "whap" sound all around. Then, tighten each lug until the "whap" is gone. Carefully tighten the heads until the bass is in tune with itself and the rest of the set (assuming they are tuned). You should have a nice melodic TONE with no need to even mic it with a smaller group. If you're playing with a heavily amplified group, then you may want to put a mic a foot or 2 in front. It should carry nicely. Most drums today are so heavily dampened they sound more like cardboard boxes than musical instruments.
Bill Matthews I’m not into the pillow thing,either. An Aquarian Super Kick 1 is enough in my really cheap pdp Encore set. Don’t judge,please...it’s a holdover set. I’m poor.
I def think the Camco has more body. I own both, a beautiful early 60s Camco in Aqua Moire in those sizes and a 2017 DW Birch in similar sizes. Both my sets sound great. DW def has the edge over the old 60s hardware for sure, and they are very solid drums!
The kits are not tuned anything alike first of all. The DW set was tuned to high in my opinion and the camco set was not tuned correctly imo. However I like the tone of the Camco kit better
The DW is alive and brighter, the Camco is warmer and rounder. I guess each drum kit has some very unique qualities, personally your damned if you do and damned if you don't, ha!
The Camco (especially the 12") has more body in my opinion. I own an Oak lawn Camco in those sizes and a Birch DW. Both sound great. My Camcos do have the edge however.
The Camco set is far superior. It's warm and full. The DW set sounds thin and tinny. If you can find a great set of Camco, buy them! They were good enough for Jim Gordon......
Dw has some phenomenal drums. That's for sure. I'll give them that. I'm not a big fan. I'll take the camco set over dw any day of the week. Things to consider. Wood type. Bearing edges. Reinforcement rings. Shell thickness. Hoop thickness. Finish type. Also, wood seasons as it ages.
I think I could make those DW drums sound very much like the Camco’s, but I wouldn’t be using the same heads as I’m using on the Camco’s... that’s for sure. You need to compensate for the huge difference in the age of the wood. The tension would also have to be taken down on the DW’s because they’re considerably brighter than the Camco’s. Treating them as equals will give you very different results.
The 15 DW badges on every drum definitely make them sounds so much bedda. And the "DW TRUE HOOP" scrawled on the rims are the IceShit on the cake. Seriously ... The Camcos are richer in tone with a very even consistent decay on each drum. Every drum on the VW kit sounds thin and brittle. The Camcos look classy while the Marketing Exercise from John the Goode Gab looks crass. NO COMPARISON WHATSOEVER ... UNLESS YOUR DEAF, BRAINDEAD OR BOTH. The continuity is there on the Camco from Oaklawn to LA series, which I own 2 of. Different but you can hear the lineage. My SONOR Force 3002 sound better than the DWobbleU. DW have never publicly acknowledged anything to Camco for their Lugs, Pedals or their "Oh So (UN-)Original" grain rotation "TechnoTheivery" patented years before in varying forms by Jasper and/or Keller. DDWibbling makes good drums, as do Pearl and Tama ... no better, no worse. But SONOR german made are the apex of the current crop. DW are like BMW ... good but common as muck. Camco and SONOR are like Aston Martins ... pure excellence and class. Sorry to be so critical if your a DW player but Mediocrity and Marketing never wins over magnificent sound. IMNSHO
Camco proving once again if you want a good kit, Don't buy new drums. Buy older 50's and 60's kits and clean them up install new worm gear tone controls. New Heads. But try to use all the old metal parts if possible. Back in the mid 20th century the U S had abundance of quality wood, And the metal/steel made in our steel mills were plenty full And incredibly strong and heavy. Just pick up a drum lug from a Ludwig kit from the 1950's or 60's, and then pick up a new lug. The difference is like picking up a heavy dinner plate and then picking up a plastic plate. And they used heavy springs inside the lugs to hold the nut to accept the threaded rod, Today that's all done, Its a thin metal made from recycled metals, A good analogy is think of the metal on a 1960's Cadillac or Buick and then think of the metal on a 2021 Toyota. Yea you get the picture. Quality vs crap. They no longer allow steel/metal to be made like it was in the U S due to the ecology, Metal in the U S today is made with an electrical process. Which is weak.
These Camco kits are absolutely amazing. In my opinion one of the top 3 best sounding kits of all times.
A much greater difference than I expected. The Camco's have a mellower sound, the DWs sound a little more 'brittle' IMO. Both sound nice but I would choose the Camco set over the DW for my ears....
Camco is so warm and the projection is punchy and very dynamic. The DW Santa Monica kit sounds bright a tad of warmth, but kind of doll compared to the Camco so the Camco takes the win for sure.
Those Camco's are like vintage Gretsch...amazing!!
The Camco projected a much fuller and sweeter tone. Great video!
Have to join in with the winner Camco.. great warmth and fundamental. DW sounds choked. Could be that the two just don't respond to the same tuning.
Camco ¡My God! What a sound and you Mister..... Wow! What a elegant drumming you have! I enjoy the Camco sound but the way you played both is superb. Thank you and God blesses you with a exquisite talent.
Wow Steve. Listening to you on that Camco kit is pretty inspirational, brougham.
Camco, so much more warm and mellow.
interesting video Steve, both kits sound great, I prefer Camco
Nothing better than 60s era drums . The less plies or the more stave the better .
I like the sound that comes out of the Camco much better.
Thanks for the post Steve!
I've been anticipating this
shootout for quite awhile!
A wrapped kit vs. Stained kit. All the talk about wraps killing the sound? I prefer that Camco sound.
That's just marketing. Very similar thing with drilled toms and BD. A great example is the old Yamaha Recording Custom, or better yet the Yamaha YD9000. The sound of these drums can't be compared to this new fake Recording Custom, which is an insult to the legendary original.
All the talk about the wraps killing the sound was usually from the same people who said tone controls were useless. Most people who said that have only seen tone controls while looking at an old kit in need of repair or maintenance, And the tone controls were no longer working or working poorly after 60 plus years. So they looked at that and they assumed. Wraps do not kill the sound. We just learned that fact from this video of how and old 1960's professional kit could out perform a new seriously over priced drum company.
And the person who tunes the drums for steve should tune all the drums in the universe ! Someone who knows what he or she is doing!!! Sounds perfect!!!
And that person didn't screw the pooch when it came to the bass drum , for some reason people are afraid to pitch up the bass drum which results in that awful dull thud we've been subjected to for since the decline of the big band sound in drums
This video is a clinic on proper drum tuning ! Hooray!!!!
yes 'thud!' exactly that... brrrr
Jim Gordon played a Camco kit. Sounds different when you play it.
Camco all day....DW's sound 'boingy'... A clearer attack, but the richness of the Camco's wins hands down.
Did you guys purposely tune the DW kit bad? It's almost a joke how much better the Camco toms sound.
Hearing these, you wonder why both CAMCO and SLINGERLAND disappeared..
Such great sounding drums.
Camco by a fair distance for me Steve what a sound! and great drumming Steve!
Steve has tremendous chops just Smooth as silk I'm truly impressed Your no joke your the real deal Steve And I Love Personally that Camco set I owned 4 sets Oakland being the best The DW is a Great Set Brighter because the wood didn't cure as long but incredible sounding drums Fantastic Steve I sold you a Leedy and Slingerland Black Gold Veil Sets the Leedy was My Dream with an 18x14 BD 8x12 14x14 the Slingerland was a 20x14 same size Toms Your gave me a Great Deal thank you.
Camco's hands down. No comparison.
I am incredibly lucky to own a 18,12,14 Oaklawn camco. It begs to be played.
I have a 20,22,12,12,14, matching and metal snares in Oaklawn Camco and they are just incredible!!!
Interesting , just saw a Camco $ 2,500. I reviewed these back in the 70’. Great little kit.If the shells are well finished with the right plys, changing heads can transform, but just makes it easier to work with.I have a Leedy vintage which has a killer bottom end due to rounded bearing edges, which another drum company just started to do as well.
That camco set sounds insane ! The DW was close though ! But the CAMCO had an immediate impact on my senses , louder , crisper, incredible timbre ! Then the DW set with its stunning beauty! Almost !
I want both !!!
My thoughts exactly.
Damn that Camco sounds nice!
Love the Camco!!!!!
Great comparison and Steve's playing is awesome as usual and they are both nice kids but to me the Camco vintage kit just has a better tone especially the mounted and floor toms... the snares were pretty close but to me the camco was a little warmer but still had a crispy bite to it. Now the bass drums are miked so close that they just have that drone super Bassy fundamental sound that is hard to distinguish between each other or any other bass drum...wish they would mike the bass drums a little farther away so you get a more natural sound that doesn't rip your face off or vibrate your head like you are listening to rap music but other than that great comparison!
I agree wholeheartedly, especially about the bass drum. I'm old fashioned when it comes to tuning. Get rid of the stuffing: pillows, blankets, and such. Put a 3" wide strip of felt 1/3 of the way over under both heads. Keep the tension of each lug even and tighten the heads until you have a constant "whap" sound all around. Then, tighten each lug until the "whap" is gone. Carefully tighten the heads until the bass is in tune with itself and the rest of the set (assuming they are tuned). You should have a nice melodic TONE with no need to even mic it with a smaller group. If you're playing with a heavily amplified group, then you may want to put a mic a foot or 2 in front. It should carry nicely.
Most drums today are so heavily dampened they sound more like cardboard boxes than musical instruments.
Bill Matthews I’m not into the pillow thing,either. An Aquarian Super Kick 1 is enough in my really cheap pdp Encore set. Don’t judge,please...it’s a holdover set. I’m poor.
I personally like the Camco kit!
Love the Camco finish
I def think the Camco has more body. I own both, a beautiful early 60s Camco in Aqua Moire in those sizes and a 2017 DW Birch in similar sizes. Both my sets sound great. DW def has the edge over the old 60s hardware for sure, and they are very solid drums!
The kits are not tuned anything alike first of all. The DW set was tuned to high in my opinion and the camco set was not tuned correctly imo. However I like the tone of the Camco kit better
The DW is alive and brighter, the Camco is warmer and rounder. I guess each drum kit has some very unique qualities, personally your damned if you do and damned if you don't, ha!
The Camco (especially the 12") has more body in my opinion. I own an Oak lawn Camco in those sizes and a Birch DW. Both sound great. My Camcos do have the edge however.
I really shocked at how much better the Camco Drums sounded over the DW's.
I'm not
Camco was better.
The Camco kit sounds better, hands down.
your a fantastic drummer love the traditional grip
I played Camco's four twelve years. Nothing has come close...ever.
Camco kit's wood has had time to age. A lot of comments seem to miss this point of disregard this point. The people at DW are wizards.
Sell those DW S Steve! Great Ad, Camco obvo winner!
Camco sounded warmer.
Camco's for the win, hands down. They sound like 60's 3 ply Slingerlands.
Camco all the way!!!
Yeah the Camco is richer, and warmer.
That is shocking! The Camco sounds fantastic miles ahead of the DW.
Camco definitely wins
The Camco set is far superior. It's warm and full. The DW set sounds thin and tinny. If you can find a great set of Camco, buy them! They were good enough for Jim Gordon......
Camco rules !!!
Camco was the best, followed by Rogers then Gretsch.
Camco wins!
I don't have the best ear but the Camco sounds much better in my opinion. Each drum has a purer fundamental tone... and much more resonance.
Camco!
Camco sounded a bit more warm, but both sets have great sound.
I preferred the Camco set, in this comparison. In the era, Camco was also the best bargain. DWs are pricey.
Nice drumming, both sets sound great but for me the DW’s sound just a little better, both winners.
camco, vintage always sounds better imo
The Camco kick sounded just a bit better than the DW.
Camco by a country mile!
TOP SOUND!!!
Camco
Dennis Wilson made em famous.
I don't think one sounds better than the other, but they do not sound the same to me.
TUTTE DUE SUPER BIUTIFUL !!! 💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘
Not even close..... the Camco sound so much better!
This comparison does not show DW in a good light. DW knows how to build drums and Steve knows how to tune them. What went wrong?
Dw has some phenomenal drums. That's for sure. I'll give them that. I'm not a big fan. I'll take the camco set over dw any day of the week. Things to consider. Wood type. Bearing edges. Reinforcement rings. Shell thickness. Hoop thickness. Finish type. Also, wood seasons as it ages.
Frank Spikes : As I understand it, this is DW DRUMS attempt at remaking Camco, as their Jazz series was in remaking older Gretsch.
I think I could make those DW drums sound very much like the Camco’s, but I wouldn’t be using the same heads as I’m using on the Camco’s... that’s for sure. You need to compensate for the huge difference in the age of the wood. The tension would also have to be taken down on the DW’s because they’re considerably brighter than the Camco’s. Treating them as equals will give you very different results.
CAMCO= 💘💘👄👄
DW all day long
The 15 DW badges on every drum definitely make them sounds so much bedda. And the "DW TRUE HOOP" scrawled on the rims are the IceShit on the cake.
Seriously ... The Camcos are richer in tone with a very even consistent decay on each drum. Every drum on the VW kit sounds thin and brittle. The Camcos look classy while the Marketing Exercise from John the Goode Gab looks crass.
NO COMPARISON WHATSOEVER ... UNLESS YOUR DEAF, BRAINDEAD OR BOTH.
The continuity is there on the Camco from Oaklawn to LA series, which I own 2 of. Different but you can hear the lineage.
My SONOR Force 3002 sound better than the DWobbleU.
DW have never publicly acknowledged anything to Camco for their Lugs, Pedals or their "Oh So (UN-)Original" grain rotation "TechnoTheivery" patented years before in varying forms by Jasper and/or Keller. DDWibbling makes good drums, as do Pearl and Tama ... no better, no worse. But SONOR german made are the apex of the current crop.
DW are like BMW ... good but common as muck. Camco and SONOR are like Aston Martins ... pure excellence and class.
Sorry to be so critical if your a DW player but Mediocrity and Marketing never wins over magnificent sound. IMNSHO
The Camco's are much more musical. The frequencies blend much better. The DW's have a harsh tone.
Sound nothing alike....Camco blows the dw out the water....
JMO, I'd take the Camco's, DW sounded to bright to me.
Camco proving once again if you want a good kit, Don't buy new drums. Buy older 50's and 60's kits and clean them up install new worm gear tone controls. New Heads. But try to use all the old metal parts if possible. Back in the mid 20th century the U S had abundance of quality wood, And the metal/steel made in our steel mills were plenty full And incredibly strong and heavy. Just pick up a drum lug from a Ludwig kit from the 1950's or 60's, and then pick up a new lug. The difference is like picking up a heavy dinner plate and then picking up a plastic plate. And they used heavy springs inside the lugs to hold the nut to accept the threaded rod, Today that's all done, Its a thin metal made from recycled metals, A good analogy is think of the metal on a 1960's Cadillac or Buick and then think of the metal on a 2021 Toyota. Yea you get the picture. Quality vs crap. They no longer allow steel/metal to be made like it was in the U S due to the ecology, Metal in the U S today is made with an electrical process. Which is weak.
Camco are much better drums. Not a big fan of DW......
La Camco “canta” meglio. 👍
Dw kit is tuned too high compared the the camco... that makes this pretty useless...
Camco's win by a mile, sorry.
How drums are tuned aside-----DW sounds tubby by comparison. CAMCO is the sound I prefer.
Camco!
Camco
Camco!