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Thread: Cheap gear isn't always cheap

  1. #1

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    Default Cheap gear isn't always cheap

    I bought a double kick pedal 4 years ago. A Westbury dp1000rb. It was something cheap to learn double bass on. The pedals are one of those rebranded products. They're the exact same as Vex Pedals. I oiled them regularly but never really took it apart like I did this evening. I was able to take it apart no problem down to the bearings. Full of solid parts. Cleaned and oiled up, one of the best pedals I've ever played. The beaters move very smooth and the balance is equal. Both beaters can move at the same time.

    The point is, some of the cheaper equipment you can find out there is superior to the name brand stuff that's way more expensive.
    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    There is intelligent life out there. The problem is that there isn't any here.

    -Mike

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Cheap gear isn't always cheap

    very true indeed
    Some of those cheaper no name brands are built to last for sure.
    But it also depends how the owner takes care of them.
    Sounds like you did a great job.

  3. #3

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    Definitely true! Wuhan cymbals are another one...a friend with a high-end splash said he would rather be using the Wuhan 10" I had for sale at the time. I was almost thinking about keeping it too. Their splashes really do sound awesome. Super cheap, too.

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Cheap gear isn't always cheap

    Its hit or miss with Wuhan, but some of their cymbals are really nice.I really liked the s series they had.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Ludwig centennial natural 11 piece
    Gp jungle natural 4 piece
    Yamaha dtxpress3
    Saluda cymbals
    zildjian a customs
    Sabian aax

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Cheap gear isn't always cheap

    @carbohydrate kid

    when i was working at a big box music store, most of the time Wuhans would come back cracked.. but I guess they were so cheap people just bought them again.
    Too Much Stuff.

  6. #6

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    Yeah, their quality control is pretty bad, but if you have a pile of them to go through there are some great ones in there.

  7. #7

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    Just go with high quality Zildjians and settle it forever.

    all the best...

  8. #8

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    I'm addicted to my Wuhans. Once you get used to that dark, full pallet of overtones with a slightly trashy tinge, they really grow on you. They have character. Normal cymbals almost start to sound boring. The more you beat them, the smoother they sound....and in the live mix of a band they sound great. So far, I have the 10"&12" splashes, 14" thin crash, 14"med crash, 16"med crash, 16"China and 18" crash/ride. I still want to get their 20" med-heavy ride. I did buy a used Zildjian A 18" ride, but I only used it once and went back to the Wuhan. So.....I guess the next gig I'll be playing a Sound Percussion drum kit and hardware with Wuhan cymbals and leaving the PDP's, Paistes and Zildjians at home, LOL. At least if the bar catches fire and all my equipment is destroyed I'm only out about $300....but if I can then avoid paying my bar tab, I should break even!
    Last edited by N2Bluz; 09-06-2016 at 08:18 PM.
    -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

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    I'm addicted to my Wuhans. Once you get used to that dark, full pallet of overtones with a slightly trashy tinge, they really grow on you. They have character. Normal cymbals almost start to sound boring. The more you beat them, the smoother they sound....and in the live mix of a band they sound great.
    I think some of this has to do with the fact that they are hand hammered. Zildjians, for example, are now all made by machines (even K Cons.) Some people don't mind this at all but for me they sound bland compared to hand-hammered cymbals. I use all Meinl but some of these cheap Chinese-made cymbals really do sound incredible. More than once I've heard a cymbal and thought it was some high-end model and it turned out to be from Wuhan, Dream or Kasza. Speaking of Kasza I used to have a pair of their 14" Fusion hi-hats and they sounded equal to (or better than) many of the top-end models. Cost? $120.

  10. #10

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    This is very, very true. Sometimes you pay a premium for the name. DW comes to mind very quickly.

  11. #11

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    I've never been able to get overly excited over Wuhan cymbals per se but I do firmly believe that not all good stuff has to cost a lot. I'm this way in hardware. To me hardware is not musical. It's simply the support equipment that holds the musical stuff in such a way as it can be played. So brands really mean nothing to me. I've got some Dixon stands that are as good and functional as anything out there.

    I'd rather reduce cost on those things and re-invest the savings into the musical stuff that really matters more to my sound.

    I guess to really illustrate the point i'm trying to make is...I'd rather put more into the microphone than the microphone stand! The cymbal than the cymbal stand!

    all the best...

  12. #12

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    I think there's an application for everything. I don't mind paying more for higher quality and useful features when it's warranted. We have cheap mic stands and expensive ones. Cheap ones work great for our practice room, but fall apart quickly if we try to haul them around for gigs. We have about 20 new cheap microphones. We use them for practice and back-up as well, but carry Sure 58's in our gig case. We've tried cheap AND expensive speaker cords, but still haven't found any that seem to last as long as they should for the price!
    -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

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    I think there's an application for everything. I don't mind paying more for higher quality and useful features when it's warranted. We have cheap mic stands and expensive ones. Cheap ones work great for our practice room, but fall apart quickly if we try to haul them around for gigs. We have about 20 new cheap microphones. We use them for practice and back-up as well, but carry Sure 58's in our gig case. We've tried cheap AND expensive speaker cords, but still haven't found any that seem to last as long as they should for the price!
    Yeah! There's cheap crappola out there. That's one thing, but it is possible to buy good functioning stuff at a substantially lower price than the same one from the "nationally advertised brands" so to speak. Think of the $$ the bigger names spend on trade mag ads and endorsements etc...

    all the best...

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by FlyByNight View Post
    I bought a double kick pedal 4 years ago. A Westbury dp1000rb. It was something cheap to learn double bass on. The pedals are one of those rebranded products. They're the exact same as Vex Pedals. I oiled them regularly but never really took it apart like I did this evening. I was able to take it apart no problem down to the bearings. Full of solid parts. Cleaned and oiled up, one of the best pedals I've ever played. The beaters move very smooth and the balance is equal. Both beaters can move at the same time.

    The point is, some of the cheaper equipment you can find out there is superior to the name brand stuff that's way more expensive.
    I completely agree! My first double pedals were Vex Pedals. I was so impressed by them, I bought the Vex Hi-Hat stand as well. I have since sold the pedals, after finding a smoking deal on a set of Pearl Demon Drives, but I still use the Vex HH stand to this day. It has more features and adjustments than many other HH stands that cost a lot more. I paid $99 for the Vex stand about 4 years ago.



    You can see it here in my "bird's eye" pic.

    Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
    "I shall either find a way or make one"

  15. #15

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    That looks like a very solid stand! Reminds me of the Gibraltar liquid drive stuff.
    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    There is intelligent life out there. The problem is that there isn't any here.

    -Mike

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by FlyByNight View Post
    That looks like a very solid stand! Reminds me of the Gibraltar liquid drive stuff.
    It is solid! And smooth!
    Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
    "I shall either find a way or make one"

  17. #17

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    I got an old Gibraltar Intruder single pedal off CL for $20 a few years ago I planned to use with my practice kit but I ended up using it as my gigging pedal for 2-3 years, it was smooth and responsive and it never gave me any issues I got rid of it because I got a killer deal on a DW 5000.

    When Sabian decided to discontinue their APX line they started selling them for dirt cheap on Guitar Center's website, eBay, Musician's Friend, etc I got a 20" Crash for $90 and a 24" Ride for $120, they were really great sounding cymbals and I ended up selling them for more than what I paid for them when I ended up needed cymbals that were a little brighter.

  18. #18

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    I have 2 8" Wuhan splashes. I love them. And being $20 each you can't beat the price.
    Mapex Saturn V Blue Red Hybrid Sparkle 4 pc
    Ludwig 6.5 x14 Black Beauty
    Pearl Demon Drive double pedal
    Sabian 22" Paragon Ride
    Sabian 19" Paragon China
    Sabian 18" AAX Xplosion Crash
    Sabian 18" HHX Xplosion Crash
    Sabian 14" AAX Xlosion Hats
    Sabian 10" AAX Aero Splash
    Sabian XSR Fast Stax
    Wuhan 8" Splash

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by PeterBowman View Post
    I have 2 8" Wuhan splashes. I love them. And being $20 each you can't beat the price.
    I have an 8 and a 10. Best splashes I've played.
    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    There is intelligent life out there. The problem is that there isn't any here.

    -Mike

  20. #20

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    Last week I played the 12" Wuhan splash and 16" China that I got used for free. I really liked the 12" splash. Wasn't overly impressed with the 16" China...sounded pretty dead. But, I really didn't have it mounted properly which may have had something to do with it. The dude I got them from said he had the 12" Splash stacked on top of the 16" China. Maybe I'll try it...
    -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

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    Last week I played the 12" Wuhan splash and 16" China that I got used for free. I really liked the 12" splash. Wasn't overly impressed with the 16" China...sounded pretty dead. But, I really didn't have it mounted properly which may have had something to do with it. The dude I got them from said he had the 12" Splash stacked on top of the 16" China. Maybe I'll try it...
    I'm using my 16" China with a small brass cymbal stacked on top. It sounds incredible.
    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    There is intelligent life out there. The problem is that there isn't any here.

    -Mike

  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by FlyByNight View Post
    I have an 8 and a 10. Best splashes I've played.
    That's what I'm using too. Love them!
    Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
    "I shall either find a way or make one"

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