Mid-level Drumkit thread

[Gep]

In terms of quality, durability, price, sound, hardware at freebies, alin ang pinakasulit para sa inyo?

[suspendead]

Pearl... No Doubt but... Tama is as Good too, so depende na yan sa bibili hehehe...

[jun_BALARAW]

PEARL.....

[drumster]

This is a tough poll question!

I had the chance to try most of the mid-level kits available in the local market right now (on gigs, from friends, etc.).  To choose one kit that really stands out among the pack is a tough decision.  They all had their pros and (some) cons, and we need to weigh it all down.

Modern Drummer had a feature on midlevel drumkits in their January 2006 issue (30th Anniversary issue).  Most of the kits featured in that review are locally available, and it's a great reference for drummers who are in the lookout for mid-level kits.  Even Modern Drummer didn't have a single choice of which is the best kit among those featured.

Dipende talaga sa drummer ito!  

But here are my opinions regarding the listed brands of kits...

Pearl Export Series
Excellent overall quality.  Great sound straight out of the box.  Easy to tune.  Very good hardware.  Nice selection of finishes.  Lots of free drumkeys too hehe!  Spare parts and add-on hardware are easily available locally.  

Yamaha Stage Custom
Of course it's a Yamaha, so there's this familiar high quality and distinct recording sound featured on their drums.  Hardware is very good and well-plated.  I don't like the drumkey-operated screw for their floor tom legs (Why not use a wingnut?).  I am also not a big fan of their YESS tom suspension mounts (It looks unstable; and its screws tend to get loose in time, so better check that regularly).  Yamahas are also on the pricier side.

Tama Superstar
Another excellent drumkit.  Full birch shells.  Exceptional sound.  Very strong, dependable and user-friendly hardware (which is Tama's reputation).  Star-Cast mounting system.  Die-cast hoops.  Cheaper than most kits of the same level.

Gretsch Catalina
Choices of different shells such as maple, birch and ash.  Exceptional sound.  Industry-standard suspension mounts on toms, which helps the toms resonate better.  Tom suspension mounts are quite bulky, so it may be hard to set the toms closer to each other.  Some kits are offered with a free additional tom.  Gibraltar hardware package included.

Sonor Force Series
Chinese-made Sonor with German design standards and qualities.  Very high-end sound.  Plenty of attack on the toms (a Sonor trait).  3000 Series bass drums have 10 lugs per side (instead of the usual 8 on entry-level and mid-level kits).  Very good hardware, except for the stock bass pedal.


How about the PDPs?  I haven't tried them yet.  But design-wise and aesthetics-wise, pasado na para sa akin.



 

[Gep]

Hindi ba ang mid ng Tama e Superstar? Actually partial ako doon e hehehe.

[drumster]

Hindi ba ang mid ng Tama e Superstar? Actually partial ako doon e hehehe.

Yup!  My bad... I edited my previous post.  Superstars are Tama's mid-level series kits.  Swingstars and Stagestars are the entry-level Tamas.  

[bangbus]

Pearl Exports are entry level din di ba? I'm reading their brochure now and it says it is an entry level kit. and so is pearl forum.

check this thread out for some comparison: http://www.yupangco.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2062

 

[drumster]

Yup, Export Series and Forum kits are considered entry-level on Pearl's catalogs.  But in recent years, the Export Series have improved dramatically. The current models  have features which can now compete with mid-level models.

I set up a new Export EX kit for a bar sometime last year, and it made me a believer.  I'm surprised with how much it has improved in terms of sound, looks and design.  It's almost a far cry from the 90's Export models.  A couple of venues where me and my band play regularly has a Pearl Export ELX house kit, and I'm satisfied with how it sounds during live performances.

I guess that's one way for me to measure an entry-level or mid-level kit's worth...  It should be at a point where in it sounds and performs so well, I wouldn't be ashamed of using it on live situations.

It sure is a great time to be a drummer nowadays.  Even today's so-called entry-level models sound and look so good nowadays.  We can get gear with high-end qualities at a low-end price.

[jpmb]

hi der bangbus, yes the pearl ex are considered entry level in their line up, but here in our country its considered as mid entry level kit already, well im very sure you know this is a third world country man and somethingh that is more thatn 20,000 pesos is mid or hi-end already for local consumers ( well im just facin reality hehe)and antony dio is ryt, how much pearl export line improved in the past few years and i even have my 1996 export and 2003 export that i can compare to each other, ang laki na ng difference nila bro, a lot of drummers here started with the pearl export as thier first kit..well thats all i can say as of now..cheers

[bangbus]

my apologies, i'm being bookish again, hehe, its just me, anyway yep i agree that nowadays high-end drum characteristics could be availed at entry level prices due to influx of better technology and cheaper costs to manufacture them. and indeed what is seen as entry level pricing in first world countries could be viewed as mid-level/high-end pricing for a developing country like ours. for me, i see pearl exports  and tama superstars as industry standards and are by far the best selling, affordable and high quality commercial drum kits today.

high-end features + entry-level pricing could be the holy grail in the world of drum manufacturing imho and this is exhibited in both Pearl Exports and Tama Superstars. im not sure of other brands coz i have limited experience with them and even here in england, pearl exports and tama superstars standout as starterkits versus ludwig, premier and gretsch.

thank you

[Bammbamm]

         Nice Poll, Very Informative!
Am planning to acquire a "real" drumset in the near future!
Keep it up guys!

[kamada]

ako vote ako sa Tama. recently replaced my old Pearl with a Tama Stagestar Fusion Set, ang swabe ng tunog. I bought it from Audiophile, may discount pa ako na 10%! the construction is very good, sounds great, yung hardware comparable sa gibraltar ang quality, tapos naka starcast mounting system pa.

when I was deciding on what set to buy, Like most peopoe, I couldn't afford the real "princes" of drum kits, like Yamaha or Pearl hi end kits and DW (drool....). The choice was between the "pauper of the princes" Yamaha from Yupangco which is waaaay overbudget (78k for a mid level kit, forgot which one though) and the "prince of the paupers" Tama (44k with discount). for what I saved, I had enough money left to get a Zildjian Scimitar set, Sabian AAX fusion hats (yung mabigat pa na old school), and a vacation in bora!

[drummer_boy17]

Syempre TAMA!! and Pearl..

[drummerboy827]

Ang gusto ka sa gretsch, unique ung mga size ng gamit nila. Astig pa ng tunog, parang maliit din ung mga kit nila.

[còy]

Mga kapatid, I'm planning to invest on a new Drum Set, at least mid end.. Stated are on top of my lists.. Please provide comment/suggestion/feedback/advise on what could be the best-buy kit..
Thanks in advance..   

           
      Gretsch Catalina Maple Series                                  TAMA Superstar

[Gep]

Hi!

Pakitingin na lang ng thread na ito!

http://talk.philmusic.com/board/index.php/topic,27091.0.html

[peeves24]

hands down winner sa design, hardware at material quality ang superstar.

more bang for the buck ang catalina dahil sa extra tom pero may problema sa double tom holder, nag loloose yung sa 12" tom agad dahil sa bigat. anyway, it can be replaced with a better one for few thousand bucks

with that in mind, catalina maple ako

[pmack]

kung sa bahay lang naman, gretsch na ang pipiliin ko...

[còy]

Thanks gep for additional reference.. 
..but still, I need some feedback specifically on this 2 in terms of worth(price) and other aspect..

[Gep]

Pwede rin Catalina Birch. Mukhang mas ok nga daw e.

[fredzs]

Hard to pick.. pero tama nga si pmack.. kung sa bahay lang.. Gretsch pwnz.

I'd personally pick the Catalina Ash.. the Carribean Blue Catalina Ash in JB Parksquare is only 33k! with free 8x7 Tom.. ang mura LOL!

[còy]

Pwede rin Catalina Birch. Mukhang mas ok nga daw e.

   
                   The Catalina Birch

What I like in Gretsch is the free 16" x 16" floor tom (not in this pic).. But of price almost the same as TAMA Superstar..

[Gep]

Yung Birch at Ash may libreng 8" tom.
Yung Maple may libreng 16" tom.

[peeves24]

dude pre tsong tol

ash yung may 8
maple yung may 16
birch - phase out

[Gep]

Wala nang Birch?! Ahww.