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Thread: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

  1. #1

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    Default Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    What do you think are the top 5 drum companies and why. so to start here's my top 5 drum companies
    1) DW - they seem to innovative and not sticking to old ways and seem to provide very high quality products. Also there low end sound.

    2) Pearl- They have nice drum sets that sound great and look great. There various kits for all budgets and probably make one of the best intermediate level kits. And have very good marching line

    3) Ludwig- Both new and old they still sound great and have a lot of history.

    4) Vintage Slingerlands- They are great vintage drums that look beautiful then and now and some of the best used there kits.

    5) Detroit custom drum company- Reason for this is not all about superior shell building technology or the history. But the drums are built relatively close to my house sound great for being a small custom shop and look amazing. They have no limits on customization like some bigger companies. And is a small business.
    Sabian!!!

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    1) Gretsch -- I was very fortunate to be able to custom-order and purchase my USA shells in 1977............at that time, these shells were CLEARLY the best thing in drums that money could buy. Other drum manufacturers have since developed some incredibly fine shells of high quality but IMO, none of those companies have created anything so remarkably superior to the Gretsch USA legacy that I have to own it............not yet.

    2) Ludwig -- my first pro-line kit...........vintage 1973. Very high quality American-made drums and a veteran of many tough gigs. The '73 Supra was a very fine workhorse snare. The Gretsch USA shells described above is the only reason I no longer have the Luddies. I made my living during 1975 & 76 playing 6 nights per week and these Ludwigs were there every step of the way...........dependable equipment with no failures of any kind.

    3) Slingerland -- my first kit ever; purchased used by my Dad from the local newspaper want-ads..........given to me for my 11th birthday. This was easily my most memorable birthday. The vintage of these Duco shells was mid-50s. I taught myself all of the basics on this kit.

    4) Tama -- my first impression of Tama shells was not good............imported crap. They have since changed direction and convinced me of their drive to create high-quality products and stay a step ahead of the competition. I am most impressed with the functionality, quality and the true value of their hardware. As each piece of my mixed-brand hardware SLOWLY wears out, I find myself buying RoadPro every time in order to replace something/anything..........great stuff. In addition, the Speed Cobra double pedal is an amazing piece of equipment............very impressive and costs less than anything comparable.

    5) Drum Workshop -- because it is an American manufacturing entity that strives every day to create the best in quality equipment...........I'm not a believer (yet) that they have clearly surpassed other American manufacturers of drum shells, but they have certainly matched all competition............most of what they do was earlier an innovation of Gretsch or Ludwig............but I am convinced they try to do these things better than everyone else. Some day I might be impressed enough to buy DW equipment. It's not a far-fetched idea anymore.
    Last edited by Ricardo; 07-31-2014 at 08:50 AM.
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
    (What Else Would I Ever Need ?)


  3. #3

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Which is it? My favorite 5 companies, or the companies that I think are at the top?

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Yamaha

    Pearl

    Tama

    Gretsch

    Rogers
    Signature here

  5. #5

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    What types of drum companies? Remember there are percussion and other specialty makers in the business to consider.
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

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  6. #6

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Quote Originally Posted by quikstang2 View Post
    Which is it? My favorite 5 companies, or the companies that I think are at the top?
    personal favorites
    Sabian!!!

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Quote Originally Posted by Russ View Post
    What types of drum companies? Remember there are percussion and other specialty makers in the business to consider.
    what ever type of percussion your into for example if your into latin percussion maybe you would have like lp meinl on the list.
    Sabian!!!

  8. #8

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    1. Tama, terrific hardware, great rock sound. I have played them for almost 30yrs and I have never been dissapointed.
    2. Ludwig, classic sound.
    3. Gibraltar, great pedals at a great price.
    4. Regal Tip, I keep trying different sticks but always seem to go back to them.
    5. Remo

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Okay then.. In no particular order.. (this list is non-reflective of all companies i'm a fan of, i've simply chosen five of all of the ones I like, so some are not included but only because I ran out of room to list them all)

    1. Latin Percussion(great percussives, love the effect pieces like cowbells/tambourines, I like their accessory line as well, such as the mic/cymbal claws)

    2. Hang drums(don't remember the company name unless this is it, but a mesmerizing sound to their drums)

    3. Pearl(grew up playing them, high quality, exhausting list of true custom options)

    4. Slingerland(had some of the greatest jazz artists on their roster)

    5. Yamaha(Wayne's World made me love you, and a number of Yamaha artists as well)
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

    Forum Rules
    DrumBum
    No metronome?
    The Rudiments

  10. #10

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    1) Pearl (no contest)- Not that their drums are the best, but as a drum manufacturing company, I feel they are the one everyone else is (and has been) chasing. Market share. They changed the landscape of drum manufacturing forever, snd continue to be a leader. Been around for a long time and have always been strong, innovative and set the standards. First to offer a quality, mass produced import line for entry level, then built drums for everyone else. The success of the Export line alone puts them at #1.

    2) Ludwig - Their history and name recognition alone puts them at #2. IMO, one of the founding father companies of drums...and still in it today.

    3) Tama
    4) Gretch
    5) DW
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  11. #11

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    Haha, I gotta hand it to Pearl on the business side. They really know how to market a product, know the customers, and are a near scientist when it comes to drum design. Plus in the early days, a lot of companies were getting their shells from Pearl! If nothing else their business strategies and history are enough to create a level of appeal. But the way they put all these exotic finishes on mid level and sometimes entry level lines to give customers a taste of the big time, is awesome. They might be or might not be the best, but in my experience they've got to be pretty close.
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

    Forum Rules
    DrumBum
    No metronome?
    The Rudiments

  12. #12

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Quote Originally Posted by Russ View Post
    2. Hang drums(don't remember the company name unless this is it, but a mesmerizing sound to their drums)
    The company is PanArt and they stopped making the Hang in favor of a different instrument but similar called a Gubal. Very unfortunate, but there are builders starting to pop up in the States making instruments VERY similar (identical)to the hang. I can't wait until these are more readily available. The buying process through PanArt was so ridiculous I gave up on the dream of owning one. I'd list the instrument as one of my favorites, but definitely not the makers. They wouldn't make it more accessible and affordable and the whole thing felt very elitist. But I guess that's part of what makes the instrument so desirable.

    Anyway.

    1) Ludwig. Absolutely love Ludwig and my Classic Maples. Classic drums.
    2) Zildjian. See Ludwig.
    3) DW. I don't have any plans to buy any of their drums, but I love their hardware.
    4) Dynasty. Their marching equipment is great. A lot of corps guys complain and say they're too heavy, but I love them.
    5) Remo. See Ludwig and Zildjian. Three classic companies with consistently awesome products.
    Drums:
    Ludwig Classic Maple
    Tama Starclassic Performer

    Cymbals:
    20" K ride
    20" K custom dry ride
    16" A custom crash
    14" New Beat hats
    14" K custom dark crash
    Ensembles
    Oregon Crusaders (DCI) 09 - bass 4
    OC Indoor (WGI) '10 - Snare 3rd place PIO
    OC Indoor (WGI) '11 - Snare PIW FINALIST!
    University of Oregon marching band '09 '10 '11 - Snare

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Ah Dynasty! A name I have not heard in quite some time, thanks for mentioning them and describing their products a little bit. I was kind of curious about the company for awhile, how they fared in the marching band market. You are an owner of their drums?
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

    Forum Rules
    DrumBum
    No metronome?
    The Rudiments

  14. #14

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    I don't have 5 favorites . I'm pretty much set for the rest of my life with my PDP kits. However if I were to hit the power ball I'd be buying me a SQ2 Sonor kit, I believe they are the best drums on the planet.

  15. #15

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    I'll list my five favorites, I'm going to list them in alphabetic order as I think each bring something great to the table.


    Craviotto - I've never owned one of their kits. I played a set of Craviotto's for the first time at Steve Maxwell's in New York. If I were not retired, I would own a kit. They are astounding.

    DW - I own a large set of DW Collector's Series drums. I've played a ton of gigs on them in every size configuration in many different genres since 2008. They are still like brand new. The quality of the shells and the hardware is first rate. I remember when they first started making a mark with their drums in the early nineties. They were an underdog, a company that was making great American drums and doing innovative things. They have come so far.

    Gretsch - I bought my Gretsch USA Custom kit used, I had played many of their kits over the years, they have a sound unto their own. (Admittedly DW has copied it well with their Jazz line, but I digress...) There is something magic about their sound to me.

    Rogers - I owned a set of 1966 Rogers for three days. (A story for another time.) To me Rogers was the Cadillac of drums back in the 1960s. The shells, the finishes and the hardware was on a different level overall. Gretsch had great sounding shells, but Rogers was the total package. I have a ton of cool snare drums, but if you walk into my practice room tonight, you'll find a 1960's COB Dynasonic. Enough said.

    Slingerland - When I was a teen in the 1970's everyone I knew either owned Ludwigs or wanted to own Ludwigs. I personally leaned to the Slingerland brand. I got a chance to play an old Radio King snare early on and I was hooked. My first "good" kit was a set of 1965 Slingerlands. I currently own three vintage Slingerland kits and a vintage set of 1964 Leedy's which are essentially Slingerlands with different lugs and different badges. They had a sound of their own as well and I've played Rock, pop, jazz, country and blues with them and loved every minute.



    I left out Ludwigs. I love their snares. I currently own two Black Beauties, a Supraphonic and an Acrolite. I've owned several of their maple snares as well. When I'm playing a backline kit and it ends up being Ludwigs, I'm always comfortable with them. But I've never come across a set of Ludwigs that I liked enough to pull the trigger on. They get an honorable mention, but they don't make my top five.
    -Mike


    "We don't stop playing because we grow old.
    We grow old because we stop playing."

    "I wish that my playing reminded people of Steve Gadd. But they seem to confuse me with his little known cousin... E."

    "Snare drums happen."

  16. #16

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Favorite or the best?

    1) DW - the entire drum landscape looks like it does because of what they've done.
    2) Craviotto - thin solid shell construction. The only maker on the planet that does this.
    3) Brady - Made of hardwoods indigenous to Australia, they are the most original looking and sounding.
    4) C&C - the most innovative ply shell maker in the business right now.
    5) Sakae - These guys built all of Yamahas custom/high end drums for the last 40 yrs.

    Collectors Black Ice Finishply
    10x8,12x9,15x12,16x14,20x18,24x16
    14X6 Collectors 10 and 6 snare Natural Satin
    14x8 Collectors Black Nickel over Brass

  17. #17

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Quote Originally Posted by Russ View Post
    You are an owner of their drums?
    No, but I used Dynasty equipment when I marched DCI and WGI.
    Drums:
    Ludwig Classic Maple
    Tama Starclassic Performer

    Cymbals:
    20" K ride
    20" K custom dry ride
    16" A custom crash
    14" New Beat hats
    14" K custom dark crash
    Ensembles
    Oregon Crusaders (DCI) 09 - bass 4
    OC Indoor (WGI) '10 - Snare 3rd place PIO
    OC Indoor (WGI) '11 - Snare PIW FINALIST!
    University of Oregon marching band '09 '10 '11 - Snare

  18. #18

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    A poll would have been a great addition to this thread.

    Acoustic & Electronic:
    Pearl Prestige World Series WLX 1988
    Tama Swingstar 1983
    Tama Superstar Hyper-Drive (Birch) 2007
    Ludwig Acrolite Snare 1976
    Ludwig Supraphonic 6.5x14" 2021
    Pearl Sensitone Elite Aluminum 5.5" and 6.5" Snare
    Pearl COB Custom Deluxe [Gladstone] (75-76) Snare
    Love Drum Co. Hammered Steel 5.5" Snare
    Roland TD-1KV

    Paiste
    Accent 8"

    Paiste Signature:
    6", 10" Splash
    14" Dark Crisp Hi-Hats
    14" Sound Edge Hi-Hats
    16", 17", 18",19", 20" Full Crash
    22" Symphonic Med-Heavy (use as a Ride)

    Paiste Formula 602:
    22" Formula 602 Modern Essentials Ride

    Paiste 2oo2:
    22" Ride
    16" Crash
    8",10" Splash

    Paiste 2oo2 Big Beat:
    15" Hi-Hats
    19", 20", 21" Big Beat Multifunctional

    Paiste Sound Formula:
    16" Crash
    20" Full Ride (Frankenstein)

    Paiste Twenty:
    16" China

    Paiste Alpha (original Swiss made):
    12" Splash

    Paiste PST7:
    Medium
    16", 18" Crash
    20" Ride
    14" Hi-Hats

    Sabian:
    XS20 18" China
    AA 14" Fusion Hi-Hats


  19. #19

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    1. DW - Sound, construction, quality. Top notch. Great company, great drums. Most of my kits are DWs for this reason.
    2. Tama - Ok, so this one is all about sound. I like the sound of Tama drums. I don't like their hardware, personally.
    3. Gretsch - I like the old Gretsch kits I've played on, and the new ones are good too.
    4. Ludwig - Might be higher, but I've heard horror stories of their customer service. Either way, my vintage stuff sounds good, and the modern stuff I've played sounds good.
    5. Drumcraft - Maybe I'm just up on the hype of these guys being like "this stuff is engineered, yo." I just like the way these look - the simplicity. They sound good too.

    To be fair, I haven't heard the top offerings from every manufacturer in person, but of the kits I've heard, this is my list. This list may change.

    The only two constants I have are DW and Zildjian.

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by EyePea View Post
    A poll would have been a great addition to this thread.
    I thought about it but there is so many drum companies i would have forgotten one of them big or small.
    Sabian!!!

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by drummer5359 View Post
    I'll list my five favorites, I'm going to list them in alphabetic order as I think each bring something great to the table.
    Good way to put it!
    Sabian!!!

  22. #22

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    1 Brady

    2 mapex

    3 drum craft

    4 yamaha

    5 dw

  23. #23

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Not all are drum companies.....but these are my top 5 that have to do with my drumming.

    1. Monster Cables
    2. Sure Microphones
    3. Silverfox Drumsticks
    4. Anvil Cases
    5. I like Pearl and Yamaha drums the best. (tie) But I'm not to particular and don't hate on the other major brands.
    "The problem with information on the Internet is that you can not validate it's authenticity. " -Abraham Lincoln

    SILVERFOX DRUMSTICKS & SOULTONE CYMBALS Endorsing Artist.

  24. #24

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    When you get beyond the drums themselves, one company stands out to me. This is not an "official" endorsement, think of it as a personal endorsement.

    I use drums, cymbals and other products from many different companies. I only use Vic Firth sticks. I feel very strongly about their products.
    -Mike


    "We don't stop playing because we grow old.
    We grow old because we stop playing."

    "I wish that my playing reminded people of Steve Gadd. But they seem to confuse me with his little known cousin... E."

    "Snare drums happen."

  25. #25

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    Default Re: Your top 5 favorite drum companies

    Quote Originally Posted by drummer5359 View Post
    When you get beyond the drums themselves, one company stands out to me. This is not an "official" endorsement, think of it as a personal endorsement.

    I use drums, cymbals and other products from many different companies. I only use Vic Firth sticks. I feel very strongly about their products.
    Yes when you get our of the realms of drums also the other one is drum heads however I don't have a favorite one sense I have only owned two brand eavans and aquaria an
    Sabian!!!

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