CHEAP or EXPENSIVE Drums? Does It Matter?!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2017
- $500 or $5000...This video addresses the idea of putting the skills before the gear. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL for more cool lessons like this one!
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You're doing a great job with your channel Rob. Keep it up!
+Stephen Taylor Mista Stephen Taylor 😮 Don't think I haven't snooped around on your channel, too. Great stuff as well! Thanks for droppin' by, man.
You are both my goto guys.
You are too Stephen...
Yeah and everyone needs your validation
Great to see two great drum teachers supporting the craft and not their egos. The same thing defines their channels: it’s not about them, but about how we rookies can get better. Kudos
Cheaper drums are great, but cheap cymbals are terrible! If you are buying your first kit, spend your money on the cymbals, go cheap on the drums.
Exactly!
Sheldon Kreger I definitely agree but there is a cymbal in walmart I guess it was 20 dollars and it was a ride. I saw it in a video and it sounded damn nice for a 20 dollar cymbal. Its on a channel names rdavidr, you can look it up
James Ferrell yeah I tried to get my hands on it but I couldn't haha. Those things are perfect for budget drummers like me. I have been playing the drums for 2 or 3 years now, I just own 2 Istanbul mehmet crashes, my hats and the ride are just Tama's stock cymbals which sound like absolute crap
James Ferrell Well I can't easily order stuff online as they don't ship where I live. And yeah, let's just hope that my taste evolves into cheaper cymbals 😂😂
and learn how to hit your cymbals without breaking them too.
I've always maintained the ideal that it's the drummer who makes the gear, not the other way around. If you can tune drums, you can make cheap sets sound great. Nobody in the crowd knows if your set is worth $500 or $5,000. If you're good, you're good. On the same note, great drummers deserve great gear, it makes it that much more enjoyable. But great gear doesn't make a player great.
Exactly. And well put👌🏾
I agree with you 100%. I think that you should invest alittle more on the snare. A good snare can make a BIG difference.
Damn straight. I've spent thousands and I'm still fucken hopeless.
@@emlix1 😂😂
emlix1 LOL 😂🤣 🤣
Rob : " This thing isn't gonna do anything until i hit them "
Snarewires * exists * : bssshhhhh
Cheap and expensive cymbals have a much wider range of sound quality/difference imo. Nice positive message!
patrick.cs
I agree. Two things I don't believe a good drummer can really get away with. 1. Cheap cymbals and 2. Cheap snares.
jwebby85 and cheap heads
+jwebby85
I've owned very expensive snares, and very cheap snares; tuning and head choice are way more important than the cost of the shell. In fact, I just sold my most expensive snare, which was a DW Edge, after owning it for 20 years, and I'm not going to miss it.
+patrick.cs
I agree completely; I always tell my students to save their money for nice cymbals, and learn how to tune and properly maintain their cheap/starter drums instead of lusting after high-priced shells.
Cheap cymbals have their qualities, a lot of them make really good stacks, also check out rdavidr's 20$ walmart ride, that thing sounds amazing. Sabian's SBR splashes are really cool on recordings too, and this is coming from a dude who plays nothing but hi end Bosphorus Cymbals.
I'm a touring drummer and the only valid reason to use more expensive drums is the quality of the hardware, you don't want a tom arm breaking of during a gig or transport. Safe your money for good durable hardware, and stuff to make your drumming life easier en more comfortable
Lars Mombarg Good point but batter heads are more important than the tom in that case
Tomas Luoto both heads are important. Especially at a distance; when it sounds good up close, it may sound awful at a distance. I've found the bottom heads have a more significant effect (at least at a distance)
As an ex pro drummer, the hardware is the most important part , especially when your kit gets set up & taken down every day. When kits used to come with hardware, the top level kit came with the best stands & pedals. In the early 70,s my Ludwig super classic would regularly let me down
& getting spares was almost impossible, the shells never gave a problem.
@@thekitowl Amen to that. Had a wonderful Gretsch a few decades ago (ala Phil Collins, open toms). The most wonderful drums, the most awful hardware ever. Made even non-pro play a drag. Nowadays it seems like the competition is such that a decent rack and pedals, stands etc aren't at the same premium they were years ago, fortunately.
John H 👍
As a recording engineer my experience is that tuning, heads, and hoops/bearing edges matter a lot more sonically than the shell material.
Cymbals are the one thing that you do have to invest a lot of money into - no tuning a cymbal.
Go with zultan and you don't have to even spend much on that. They make professional level cymbals for less than half the price of the big 4
@@deanfowles3707which line?
Absolutely. Thank you. I used to leave my fancy Yamaha Recording Customs in the drum room and take my cheapie CB700 kit to gigs and guys would always trip. Guys would show up with their DW's but they'd sound like dog ass. If you have a tuning "concept" you should be able to make a cardboard box sound golden.
OCdrmr Ditto
Well said. I have a concept of tuning myself and I can make my old Rogers snare sound way better than my churches new DW collectors series snare (I use the full DW kit except for the snare) and if just sounds like garbage compared to my Rogers.
Those old Roger's drums were really good. As good as anything made now.
+popeye ah man I know, I've got one that my dad owned in the 80's and just recently restored it. Sounds absolutely amazing!
OCdrmr just the same with my poor gig kit !
You're absolutely right about confidence, Rob. The more confident you are of your ability to play, the better you'll sound no matter what kind of kit you're playing. By now, everyone has seen the Benny Greb video where he plays a toy Sponge Bob kit, and as expected, he sounds great.
My used Mapex M series often sounds the best of any kit on a bill. Case in point, last week between my old intermediate level kit and a newer, much pricier DW kit, other drummers in the room complimented my drum sound and bad mouthed the DW. The owner of those drums wasn't a bad player either, he was very solid in fact, but he couldn't coax a great sound from them.
i agree 100%
In my opinion, i say its best to really invest your money into a good snare & cymbals. I feel like if you learn how to tune, you can make any kit sound good, but thats not the case with snares and cymbals. Cheap snares & cymbals just sound bad no matter what lol
Qui Tv I've got.crap-ass snares, wven cymbals sound.good enough. Moongel and tape ;)
I agree! a good snare is a big deal!
the idea of taking a 5000$ set of yamaha RC s to a gig that pays chump change aint happening with me ,good video man
The reason that the sound tech didn't need to mess with your kit is because you know what the heck you are doing! Thanks for posting such an awesome video! And you are right, the musician is who makes the kit sound great. A good drummer can play a plastic bucket and make it sound good. I can't. This is the first video I have viewed from you.... it's a great find! Thanks! Take care brother!
Every time I get the urge to buy a new kit I watch this video to bring me back down to Earth. Thanks for keeping it real.
Less expensive drums can be tuned to sound great most of the time. I've read that 90% of the sound comes from the heads anyways. Good heads and tuning can make a less expensive kit sound great, and poor tuning can make great drums sound terrible. Cymbals are a completely different story. You can't tune the cymbals.
High end drums are easier to tune and stay in tune much better though.
Larry Tate Not easier to tune and stay in tune? Well yes, but with a couple replacement lugs you can solve that problem.
100% agree. love watching your videos. thank you for being here. great smooth attitude. very encouraging.
"It's the musician that puts the value on the instrument..."
Wise words, indeed.
These days, even "inexpensive" drums can sound unbelievable with decent heads & knowledgeable tuning. I heard a recording with Pearl Export drums played by a really really good drummer and they sounded incredible. This was a great explanation.
Rob has hit the nail on the head in this video. I have been playing for ages and had this notion I needed to have bigger better badder faster etc. Through bad fortune in the last two years, I had to liquidate all of my high end stuff. ALL OF IT. It pained me to have to do that. I can happily say I am currently playing a poplar wood SPL kit and I am extremely pleased with the sounds I have gotten out of it. It is all about tuning, technique, and THE PLAYER that gets a great sound.
Love your videos. Thank you so much for being so open and real with us.
I've been playing for 35 years on all kinds of kits (mostly Pearl). As Rob says, the most important things are the drummer, good tuning and understanding of tuning and good heads. Expensive kits are a goal not a necessity. Beautiful style of playing Rob!
You have an insane amount of control when you play
Luke Datema Thanks, dude 🙂
Luke Datema Hey bro I see your comments everywhere in other type of videos as well and you always get a good amount of likes man whays the secret
Fluid Tempo Just keep it positive, man. You get back what'cha put out 🙂
Yeah, Rob's got some serious chops.
Karma's not always a bitch, is it Rob?
Hi Rob, thanks a lot for your great videos. I had a big road accident 2 years ago and I could not play or practice during a little more than a year. I came across your videos a few months ago and dude I love it and it's really motivating and very informative. Keep up the good work!
I bought a kit after not playing for thirty years. Put on some good heads and tuned em up and they sound great. I've got a couple of grand in the whole set up
I bought mid level with good hardware and am slowly up grading my cymbals. Everytime I get together with friends and play, they always complement me on how the kit is sounding better and better
It's a process that takes time and patience. And it's so much fun
I've learned a lot watching you Rob and want to thank you for the time and effort you put in
yes, it matters but the drummer matters more.
My first drum teacher the late great Max Mariash said this, "A great drummer can make a bad drum set sound good but a bad drummer can make a good drum set sound bad." Which led him to say, "It's the drummer that counts, not the drums!" Yes, it's also a clever play on words. Keep Practicing and keep Positive! No one likes the youtube show off drummers with foul mouthed pessimistic comments. Glad we are not of of them!
Mark S This here is a positive troll free zone, man. My viewers are the coolest 👌🏽
padistedor .. if you cant tune the heads it will sound crap
It was the same with my teacher but for guitar.
usually more expensive and higher end equipment is easier to tune, is made out of "nicer" wood and material does change the sound, the drums retain their tune more easily. just a couple of perks to a more expensive set. you can make a cheap drum set sound great, but obviously the extra money is paying for some nice touches, convenient for experts/masters
This is a great point to make. Been a long time believer and always has a soft spot for the cheaper kits. I have been more often than not dissapointed by the flagship models of the big manufactures. I am of often surprise by the cheaper end equipment :)
100% spot on my man!! Tuning and skill are where it's at. When I was a young drummer an experienced guy sat at my cheapie beginners kit and rocked it. My jaw dropped off of my face.....and then I really honed in my skills once I had witnessed what my kit "could" sound like.
I cannot tell you how many times I watched this video.
Rewinding it from beginning to end.
Your message on this topic was so touching & VERY interesting.
It really hit me, realizing no matter how much you pay for a kit it's about the drummer not the drums
Thank you so much, for putting this video out there 🙏👏
Here's the thing... a better built set of drum shells are only that... better built... but not necessarily better sounding. Achieving good sound from a drum set for stage or studio only comes when all other factors are dialed in.. I.E. player skill, head selection, drum set tuning, room acoustics, microphone selection & placement, PA system (does it have adequate power/headroom?), FOH or studio engineer's skill & experience in recording or re-enforcing drum audio, etc... A lot of time and money is spent by drum manufactures on advertising to convince drummers that their product is "the best choice"... but without the above mentioned variables all working together, your drum sound is likely to never be very good not matter what brand you buy.
Yep, the snare is still high-end. Goes to show how important a snare is.
Love how he doesn't bring that up. He's still a good guy 🥁🤘
we dont want ST.Anger accident to happen again
Hey Rob, I was at a clinic you did in Pickering this May. Thank you for your insight and a lot of things you said clicked with me.
Cheers.
Yes. So much this. I've never bought a new kit since going to school for music. Picked up a used Taye tour pro and a restored old Stewart kit for lighter styles and practicing. They both sound great, because of how I tune them. Getting compliments from sound guys and other musicians when your cheap drums sound great is the best feeling.
The only drum that matters is the snare, everything else is tuneable...
I disagree; the tuning and head choice on all the drums matter, including the snare. If you can't make a cheap snare sound good: you're picking the wrong heads and/or don't know how to set-up a snare. I've owned a number of snares across almost 30 years of being a drummer, and the expensive drums are just different than the cheap drums; it's all about the heads I put on them, how they are tuned, the room/venue in which they are being played, and the person hitting them.
The Timesmyth totally agree. Havent spent more that 300 on a snare ever. Get the right heads, tune em up and you could play the 1000 dollar snare and mine and u wudnt be able to tell the difference. I only spend on cymbals
Music to my poorboy's ears ( : But do genres of music demand specific snare types? I'm veering towards funk myself. Same with hihat, cymbals, bass size.@@vic9844
True that's why I have a
beginner/ intermediate drum set with a black beauty snare.
I'd go for a mid range everytime.. something affordable with good tone, because playing a set that doesn't sound good isn't fun, and if it isn't fun, you don't want to play.
Great advice Rob!
Particularly when you said about keeping the kit to your skill level, when I got my 1st kit I wasn’t learning the way I am now and wasn’t motivated the way I am now.
After a few months of learning songs by ear casually I was buying extra cymbals and got myself a double pedal, another person might have been motivated to master these tools but it didn’t go that way for me, I was no more motivated than before.
Nowadays my strategy would be to get faster with one pedal, then try improving my left by swapping the kit round, then when you’re decent at that sure get a cheap double pedal and work on that, you are right it can feel so rewarding to work in this way 👏🏼
Man rob, I just started wanting to learn this month. Been practicing all the exercises you’ve been giving out, but this vid makes me feel better. I gotta put in the work, not the money, to sound good!
You can buy second hand Stage Customs these for days for around £300 that sound better than some kits I've heard that sell for £2,000.
The bell on that ride sounds delicious
Just found your videos the other day and I've enjoyed them all. Haven't agreed with everything but your easy going, patient and laid back nature is a real gift for a teacher. I know this is 3 years old but you are so right on about this one. Almost everything that makes a high end kit a high end kit has very little to do with how a kit sounds outside of a studio. Good heads and hoops has more effect on drum sound than finish, woods, hardware and to some extent, drum size. That's all about nuances that means nothing in a club full of people making noise playing in an open air space. The ability to tune and play is more valuable than the money spent on a kit. What's been lost in lessons now though is the teaching of tuning to the space or room your playing in. Students are now taught to tune to what they hear and not what the listener is hearing. Playing a lot of college\university field houses was a nightmare to tune to. Cinderblock walls, high ceilings, a lot of echo and unpredictable natural reverb at what frequencies. A drummer needs to get out from the kit and hear it being played. It's great that your tuning worked in the situation you describe but the exact same tuning can just as well fall on its in a different space.
Thanks for this, Rob. One of the coolest drummers I've ever seen live was a blues player who helmed a 5-piece, beat to hell kit, with no two drums from the same manufacturer. They sounded great, and he was a marvelous, laid back, and very tasteful player.
I've always said at the end of the day you're still strapping a $10 piece of plastic across a wood shell. If you know how to tune your drums, you can make just about any kit sound great. Yeah high end kits are cool,are a status symbol and they have great features but you can still get plenty of miles off innexpensive kits. What's the point of spending $5000 on a kit that you're lugging to a $600 gig that you're maybe getting $100 to play?
Questlove Breakbeats are great sounding cheap kits if tuned correctly.
I like these types of videos. its good to get your perspective on drumming trends or misconceptions.
I work at guitar center and its really common to see people that are all caught up on the gear they play rather than the skills they have. Even if you think everyone is there to talk about music, retail is still retail i guess.
This guy is smooth in playing and HS vides. I learn so much and he makes it so easy to listen to. His playing is on point. And thanks Rob for being upfront and honest. Any videos you have or can make on the hierarchy of cymbals from each of the top manufacturers?
The drummer in my band had a relatively inexpensive Tama kit many years ago. It sounded great. Then he sold it and bought a MUCH more expensive DW kit. It didn't sound as good! After a few years of us telling him that, he finally came to his senses and got rid of it and bought another Tama. All's right with the world again.
OddTimeMan lol. Funny that it took him a while to realize they are shit. Such a huge marketing scam. Fukk D.W
DW sucks balls. Overpriced overrated garbage unless you have an old one with keller shells.
Man. DW is a marketing genius. That’s it. Last set is ever buy. I agree with you
I would never ever throw away my money on DW. For that amount of money, I would choose some boutique drums (George Way, Ayotte, SJC, Noble & Cooley etc...), not even Sonor SQ2 or the Pearl Reference, which are the best sounding serial production kits. Unfortunately, I'm not a millionaire, so I would be more than happy with Tama Starclassic Performer or Mapex Saturn, or Gretsch Renown Maple, along with some Istanbul Mehmet cymbals :)
OddTimeMan me exactly. I have a seven-piece Tama Superstar Classic. Can’t complain. I think DW kits sound sort of plasitcy and canny, and isn’t fair with how god-forsaken expensive their kits are
man you had me making ugly faces with that beginning groove. Solid stuff
When I started drumming less than 2 years ago I bought a 'Basix' kit for $100 second hand and spent a few hours learning how to tune them by ear. Now I play them without any muffling (except some in the kick) and I get compliments on the sound all the time.
Rob Brown, you are completly right!
I have the same kit Yamaha Gig Maker, and since I've got it, I'm so satisfied with the sound..
I tuned it the same way you showed in tunning video, it really works..
Also I put this drum on stage, got the same reaction of guy on mixer..
I love your videos, keep doing it, your work is awesome!
1.) That opening solo was really great. 2.) I'm a beginner/intermediate drummer (~4 years) and I believe the player makes the difference. That said: 3.) I have a Yamaha Gigmaker kit (for practice) and a Pearl Vision Birch kit (gigs). 4.) The Pearl Vision Birch kit is (for whatever reason) easier for me to tune, and holds the tuning better. It definitely sounds better than my beloved Gigmaker kit. I really have to fuss with the Gigmaker kit to get it to sound good. The Pearl kit just has to come out of the bags, and BAM, there it is. Thanks for the vids.
Have you given the gigmaker kit a good once over to find and correct the problem? Heads in good shape? Remove the heads and set the shell on a flat surface. See any gaps? Run your fingers around the bearing edges, are they smooth? Will the head slide over the edges as you tune or does it get hung up on something? A bit of paste wax on the edges at head change helps facilitate this. Rods, inserts good? Any resistance needs to be rectified. Nylon washers all present? Tap the shell with the heads and rims removed, any weird sounds? Watch a good video about seating and tuning new heads. Drums are about as simple as instruments get, just move step by step through the drum and track down the problem. 99/100 times it is a super simple fix to get a drum sounding great. Good luck!
Thanks for the reply. I've gone over the Gigmaker kit a few times. All is well, no obvious defects. I just have found that it requires more tweaking to get the sound I want -- it has lots of overtones. It could be that I should go with some more self-dampened heads, or try a slightly higher tuning range. By contrast, my Pearl kit lives in my (hot/cold/humid/dry depending on the season) garage in bags during the week, and on weekends, I put it in the car all day, and come gig time I set it up and find that it sounds good with very minimal tuning.
Have you tried different head combinations on your Yamaha? I've found different heads match better with different drums. For example, on my Gretsch USA Custom kit, I can't use Remo heads at all.
Saw a street drummer playing on spakly buckets and it got my attention and sounded good what he was doing only because he was good
really enjoying your channel Rob.Youve had a huge positive impact in my playing
Great video. Thanks for sharing that "it's more about the player than what equipment they're playing on". Take what you've got and make it work for you.
another thing i never use, is mic's for my Drum's, that's not me, i like 2 be 100% real & the Truth. i enjoy playing Drum's in the Street's of Out Town.
you make great tutorials
tim churchill Thanx, man. Thanks for watchin' 🙂
Keep up the awesome work dude!
Love the “I earned” it advice 👍🏻 .. I’m a beginning drummer and got to slow down, commit, and accept where I’m at while I set some realistic goals. That’ll make the sweet reward at the end much sweeter! Thanks Man!
Totally get your point and I agree 100% but, still; you're playing a Yamaha. You see, the thing about playing a Yamaha kit, is that no matter how cheap it may be; it is still a Yamaha and a Yamaha kit will always be a Yamaha kit no matter how affordable. In my opinion and very respectfully, I think you picked the only exception among cheap kits to make this video. Yamaha's are the best, most subtle kits ever crafted by a manufacturer. (And no I don't work for or sell Yamaha LOL) I'm just a very satisfied customer. Mad respect brother!
I thought the exact same thing!! Nothing Yamaha makes is bad. I love my stage custom!
Totally agree. Entry Yamaha is always better than some no name brand kit.
Does this mean a Tama Stagestar/Rhythm Mate or Ludwig Accent will sound worse than the cheapest Yamaha?
Yes
@@ColtraneTaylor I had a Ludwig accent and i think it sounded worse than a cheap Yamaha.
In the end , it boils down to the ability of the drummer.
Good drummers make cheaper drums sound good.
Bad drummers make expensive kits sound bad.
A good sounding snare and cymbals are the most important.
An audience can’t tell an expensive kit from an ordinary kit, as they are hard to hear over electric guitars.
They look at the drummer’s playing.
A drummer can hear the difference from behind the kit while playing, but not the audience.
Great video! Very down-to-earth and encouraging.
Great video Rob! Good reminder of priorities and what matters.
Thank you so much for doing this! I'm a 43 yr old beginner, and I was pretty torn between whether to start out on a cheap set or spend more for "better sound". There seems to be a lot of brand snobs on drum forums wanting to people believe if they don't go expensive, they'll sound terrible.
Agree. Older than you, we're both old enough to be aware of that, and hopefully discerning enough to ignore that kind of ego driven 'expertise'. Same as guitar, decent quality instruments are now so very affordable, competently tuned and played, in my observation they won't present a restrictive factor to either lay ear or average ability.
Ye it’s a scam. I’ve been playing 17 years and I’ve played cheap kits with good heads that feel and sound just as good as my pro kit…. Now cymbals are are what you should focus on
But I don't even play the drums .. how did I get here?
it's a sign, i guess you gotta get a cheap drum kit and start learning ;)
Great video. Years ago I was at a drum talk workshop with Mitch Dorge. He played a cheap beginner kit and made it sing. He then played his own high end kit and made it sound great as well. He made the same point. A great drummer can still make a poor kit sound good.
Great video! I still have a 1970s percussion plus 5 piece garage find that I have had for 8 years and it's still a beast...
Killer video man! I played a Mapex Prodigy for years, and I loved that kit because I took the time to buy the right heads, tune it the best way I could and learned to play it well. Now that I play a DW Design kit, that work just makes it that much more rewarding to have a much better kit.
Love your channel Rob, and I appreciate it. There are four or five situations where I play a house kit or music room kit that are generally cheap drums. I appreciate that they're there, because it means all I have to pack in are my snare, brass, and maybe my throne. And tuned right, some of those kits sound amazing...they all have a character of their own. One of the kit owners was talking about how good his drums sounded, and a dear old friend of mine said, "I think it's the operator more than the machine."
that is some great advise. I play super high end kits but what he just said makes me think about it.
Rob, that has got to be one of the best sayings ever. Keep it with your experience level! An so true. Over my years of playing I have done the same. From a 3pc Gretsch - Pearl Export - Pearl Masters - now finally- DW. An you get to appreciate each set/lvl as you put time in to gain knowledge, an experience. There's nothing else like it!
Rob, thanks again for another great video. I am a newbie to the drums. I saw your video review of the Yamaha Custom Stage set and went out and got it along with the Paiste PST 7 Universal Cymbal Box Set. And after watching your videos on tuning the snare, the toms, and the bass, I think the kit sounds fantastic! I don't see the Maximum Thumpification T-s though in the Merch shop, I only see the hoodies for it. Be great to have a T with it. Keep up the great instruction videos. Looking forward to them.
Your speaking and concepts are clear, and totally agree with you. There is nowdays a trend specially into young people that the instrument should give you everything...and it´s all the way round... thank you for your always generous uploading. Cheers, Joe
I've been playing off and on for about a decade, moved a lot, didnt have my kit, etc... but I just recently got a mapex mars kit ($600) and after that ordered a practice pad for the FIRST time in my life, due to your content. I owe you a huge thank you, you've motivated me.
Excellent attitude with this video Rob. Thanks.
A great message! Thanks for the video.
My first kit was super low-end and I couldn’t wait to upgrade until I had something better. Then a friend who went to Berklee came and my cheap drums and cymbals sound absolutely amazing. One of the best lessons I ever had.
THANK YOU! Im not going to say what band I was in back in 2007 here in San Diego California. but for two straight years we went to the San Diego Music Awards and Won in our category. I will also say I toured with this drum kit for four straight years and had many front-of-house sound men and other musicians consistently comment on how good my kit sound. when I told them what it really was and how much it cost they thought I was lying but then I showed them a little bit underneath the glitter wrapping they are always freaked out. so I just wanted to say thank you so much for bringing this up because I had been preaching it for so long the more comfortable you are behind your kit the better you sound the better you feel the loser you are you're just more confident. good luck to you and all your future endeavors.
Absolutely right on. If you don't have the soul or the feel, it won't happen.
It's all in the the tuning, the touch and the feel. Well done Rob.
Dude, I took a long break from playing and got back into it a couple years ago. Of course, I have my eyes on a beautiful Tama StarClassic, but I went back to my beginning and found a replacement for my very first kit, a Tama Swingstar. Good heads, took some time tuning, sounds amazing. My budget doesn't allow the higher end, so I make the best of the lower end. No complaints. All smiles. I'll get my StarClassic some day, but for now I'll enjoy all the complements I get on my old Swingstar. :)
Thanks, Rob. I learn a ton from your channel.
I totally agree. This video encourages me to practise more. I am a beginner and self taught drummer. I used a very cheap, cheap kit I bought for my son decades ago. I just subscribed to your channel. Thanks.
100%, many thanks for taking the time.
So true. When I headlined the BMI Snowball the only kit I had available was my old Pearl Forum I got back in sixth grade. I stripped the ugly wraps off, sanded the kit down to automotive-grade grit, re-did the bearing edges and gave it new heads/hoops/snares. Tuned it up and everyone at the gig from other drummers to the president of BMI told me how great my kit looked and sounded. While I'm now lucky enough to get my kits/cymbals/hardware at a pretty significant discount, I play a big kit so a high-end setup is still quite an investment even with my endorsements. I only spent the cash because I plan on recording/touring fairly soon and custom kits take a few months to build. I can definitely agree with Rob that you don't need to spend a whole lot of cash on gear until you are to a point where it actually qualifies as an investment.
Mr. Rob Brown, that was some nice stuff you played to open the video. Good ideas, feel, time and technique. Enjoyed hearing you play, keep it goin' on. Best wishes!
Played a pearl export for a long time that I had fixed up with 2.3 hoops, new heads top/ bottom, and cleaned up bearing edges.
Put a good quality snare and cymbals with it and never had a single complaint playing live. Sounded great and never had to worry about someone spilling booze on it or bumping it.
Love the channel man, good stuff!
Those are great kits
Dude, great video. Glad to see I'm not alone, but more out of necessity for me. Being a working stiff with 3 kids, daddy is the last on the totem pole to get what I want. But no worries, have made the most of a Pearl Forum kit that a Marine buddy bought for me when I got back from Iraq in 2006. I've done over 100 gigs with it and it sounds great. Now, I've done a lot of work on it, replaced all the mounting hardware, cymbal stands and pedals along with flattening and rerouting the bearing edges. It tunes up really nice with new heads. Cymbals are top of the line Sabians that I bought piecemeal off of Ebay. Can't go the cheap route on cymbals, you'll never make trashcan lids sound good. But there's some great deals on Ebay.
Also love your nice, relaxed feel on the the drum solos. Great stuff.
Very good channel and Job You do on it Man !
THIS is really good info. I'm not even a drummer but this is really useful. I've always wanted to play the drums. I'll definitely keep this in mind. Thank you for making this video!
Once again, you killed it, bro!
That's just what I feel playing rent drums every different gig a play.
I can only talk about my reality
I am an active drummer/producer living and working in São Paulo - Brazil.
The kits i usually find around are Pearl Ex or Vision, Tama Superstar, Yamaha Stage Custom, Gretsch Catalina, it takes some tuning and tweaking, but to my ears.
In the end of the day, they all sound great.
Of course none of them is perfect, but they all do the job very well.
Excellent channel Rob, love your playing and all the great common sense advice. Thanks.
Excellent commentary and sound advice. I have owned the Ludwigs and the Rogers over time. Recently obtained a used Sonor 5 piece + cymbals and fittings, all made in China under licence. Paid around $100 for the lot. Spent time tuning, dampening etc and am proud to play it. Cymbals are almost of Avedis quality and the hardware is sturdy and robust.
Wow what an infectious groove, just love your stuff!
It's good to know that my long held, often challenged opinion aligns with someone with your skills and experience. Thank you for posting.
Rob, I met you years ago when you were employed at a music store near the GTA! I have been playing a long time and used to teach for a living. I am very impressed by your presentation. I have in fact stolen a few musical ideas from watching your videos. There is ALWAYS one more thing to learn. I love high end drums and have owned far too many. I have now defined the sound that I am looking for and what drums will more readily deliver the tone sustain and timbre that I am looking for in my playing. I would love to see you do a video that addresses the tonal qualities produced by different shell construction and materials. As well, it would be cool to hear your views on various tuning approaches and head selection. Thanks for the vid!!!
I think you hit the nail on the head. I play a 60's model Rogers drum kit. Got it for 80 bucks years ago. The time has been spent in finding the right heads, and tunings for those shells. The little 20" bass drum is very potent for it and the Tom's have nice punch and sustain. It sounds great mic'd too. So yes, where the money is spent is cymbals, heads, and hardware
Awesome drum room set up!! Great drumming!!!
Yeh!!!! Your a Canadian!!! Soooo Damn Kwel!!! Rob! You are my go to drum ninja! The Best drum teacher & beat guru online today. Sooo down to earth and passionate about drum playing. But what I love most about you is... "ZERO PRETENCE"!
I knew a guy who could make 5 gallon plastic buckets and a wooden kick box sound expensive. Thank you for your positive message! I haven't drummed in 40 years and picked up a Ludwig accent series last week (at my therapist's suggestion). They sounded good enough for me. Again many thanks for your perspective.
Good points bud, In the middle of a kit search now.
Cracking video, thanks for sharing your view on this matter. Cheers
Thanks a lot Rob this is helping me in 2022 I'm looking at buying my first kit as an adult up until now I've had a cheap goodwill kit an electric kit and lastly some rockband kit. I feel a lot better about buying a cheaper kit on Amazon for $300 now knowing that it will still be worth it.
One of the most honest advices I've ever heard bro.
Thanks so much. I've got a new subscriber.
Nice 🤘🏽Welcome to the channel, man 🙂
Rob you are a great teacher!! I couldn't agree with you more I have been playing for 48 years and played all kinds of kits over the years live and recording. Most important thing is tuning and technique drum heads. I have played on some very expensive kits and played some real cheap kits and everything in between. The tuning technique and drum heads in that order are the most important things as far as the drums go cymbals are the most important thing because you can't tune them. cymbals make or break the sound around your kit. I enjoy your channel and I recommend you to young drummers coming up!!! Keep the groove going my friend you are great!!