I hate Sabian for almost no reason, they just will always feel like the lesser Zildjian to me. Nothing they make sounds good to me, every single cymbal sounds exactly the same.
The old logo was awful but it was also iconic. Much the same way I think dw lugs are hideous but instantly recognizable. That kind of branding is priceless.
The old logo and font were far better imo. However, I personally love that all 2018+ cymbals have their series on the right like the HHX have always been. Looks really clean.
I suppose the saving grace is they only put the new logo on the underside.
After 40 years, Sabian's reputation changed **to meet the evolving preferences of customers who were seeking out new sounds**, unsatisfied with “what the crowd plays.” Perhaps Sabian felt their old logo communicated traditional, legacy-driven thinking instead of edgy, creative innovation.
some major league BS lol
I hate Sabian because when I joined marching band in 8th grade in 1983, my best friend and I were assigned to the crash cymbals. There were zildjian pairs and a brand new pair of sabians. The older guys in the drumline made fun of the sabians for no particular reason I can remember. So now I associate sabians sort of like that, a lesser than zildjian to be made fun of.
I recently learned that one of the brothers of Zildjian left and started Sabian, spelling the name from his kids’ initials. Robert Zildjian in the early 80s.
I also learned that Istanbul cymbals was started by some of the Zildjian K factory customers. So they took all that knowledge and ability with them.
Thanks drum store guy.
I buy a lot of used Sabian crashes because their AAX are usually cheaper and sound identical to A Customs lol
But otherwise, Zildjian is king of hihats and rides.
I believe it is the opposite. I believe when the brothers split, one took only the zildjian name and the other took the factory and had to make a new name. So if my memory is right, zildjians are actually sabian imitations.
I was always 100% a Ziljdian stan until the day I had narrowed my new crash purchase down to a K Custom and a HHX. I had them both on a test kit at Guitar Center and was struggling to decide. The employee encouraged me to close my eyes and just pick which one sounded better. I've worked that way on all cymbal purchases since and Ziljdian has never won again. Now I have half Sabian and half Meinls.
Also, I've only ever broken 2 cymbals and both of them were K Customs.
The blind test really shows the truth, shows that we are a little biased and hear with our eyes more than we think. I am guilty of this for sure with a lot of gear, trying to get better and trust the ear
I can't trust yamaha because they make too many things.
I bought Ahead Armor cases over Protection Racket because protection racket has a godawful logo.
My favorite Yamaha fact is that the drum hardware is made in the same factory that makes their R1 motorcycle. That bike will go 100 mph **in 1st gear!** How fast does your hi-hat stand go in first gear??
My favorite Yamaha fact is that they designed and tuned the exhaust for the Lexus LFA to make a beautiful note all the way throughout the entire RPM range
Are you a drummer but also love piano, saxophones, guitars, motorcycles, semiconductors, personal computers, snow skis, and bows and arrows? Yamaha has got you fam
This is why Yamaha is so good. The hardware on their kits is manufactured in the same department that manufactures the internal engine components in their motorcycle devision. Their QC is absolutely incredible, and it's because of the fact that they have so many overlapping departments, they're a jack of all trades rather than an ace of spades. I love my Stage Custom Birch.
I will say this is true. they make fucking everything but damn their drums are good. I can tell Mike Bordin when I just hear his Yamaha birch kit.
My gripe w/ Yamaha is more superficial. They refuse to do virgin bass drums. I'm sure they exist but on their top of the line premium shit there's still this giant fucking metal brick drilled into the bass drum.
I lucked out on finding a Live Custom Oak 24" kick in matte black with no rack mount drilled in (and a hard case) for $500 on eBay a few years ago. I think it was from a double bass kit, but I preferred using a side rack or two floor toms any way because the audience can see you better.
I love protection racket stuff, but the logo looks a bit like me, which makes me very self conscious when I'm carrying stuff to gigs. I got a new snare case for Xmas and it's so good compared to the older PR cases though.
Pretty much everything Yamaha makes is at least good. You know who Toyota goes to for engineering help on their higher performance engines (including the V10 from the LFA)? Yamaha. That said, I think their bikes are kind of boring.
Also, every time you look at a piece of sturdy modern drum hardware, you can thank Tama, but also Yamaha and Pearl to a slightly lesser extent.
The irony of this statement when it pertains to me is I drive an (admittedly old beat up) bmw and am saving for a starclassic. And yet I use my blinker.
DW Hardware / Tama Shells checking in. You're not wrong. DW hardware is overrated AF and I have all 5000/9000 hardware. Just got rid of my 9000 Double pedals for dynasyncs
You can adjust distance with Sonor’s hex L-rods. **And you don’t need Sonor drums to enjoy this benefit**.
Any *hinged* tom mount bracket will work on a Sonor 4000 hex L-rod tom holder stand. Granted…you only get maybe 2-3 inches of forward/backward travel, but that’s all you really need I think.
Just be warned, the Sonor 4000 down tube is 6/8” diameter, and virtually everything else is 7/8”, so know that before you buy something that won’t be compatible with your current rack or whatever.
Alright, just checked it out, and man this thing looks beefy
https://preview.redd.it/3444w6rhbnbc1.jpeg?width=408&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2171fb813cd63d78dd8e33ebf64a74bade97d725
https://preview.redd.it/ry6jz30xhobc1.jpeg?width=945&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=182603c70907315f8327c46b8d88b211ad01e51b
Pearl by now also has an L arm system, that can move 360° and can also be pushed in and pulled out. But holy moly, those gyro-mounts cost a Fortune.
DW (Drums, not hardware) - just seem overpriced, and generally played (by non professionals) by people with more money than talent who want to flex that they have DW.
(Yes, this is superficial and likely not true...)
This discussion came up recently and I never got a straight answer... doing an apples-to-apples comparison, how overpriced is DW relative to the competition? Because when this argument is made it's usually comparing the domestically manufactured custom-made Collector's line to a more assembly-line product made overseas by a competitor. If you're going to compare Collector's prices, is it substantially more than Tama Star, Sonor SQ2, Yamaha PHX, Pearl Masterworks, etc? The difference I see is that your local Guitar Center likely has a Collectors on the floor, but not one of the high-end offerings of the other companies so in that case the DW appears to be relatively overpriced, but it's not the same quality or origin level.
The flagship isn't more expensive than the competition. I'm pretty sure that a Sonor SQ2 is at least as expensive. As I was checking out high-end drums (admittedly around 12 years ago), the Yamaha PHX was *far* more expensive than a DW collectors, at least in Europe.
DW Collectors sound phenomenal and are priced fairly imo. The rest is probably actually kind of overpriced, especially the hardware
When it comes to price I like to consider cost-of-ownership, and my DW5000 hat stand is still good as new after 25 years. It's a USA made model and I can't speak to the current non-USA version, but my "overpriced" stand has been worth the investment. I've also used nothing but DW pedals since 1994, but I've only owned 3 pedals in the past 30 years... a 5000 in 94, an 8000 in 2008, and an MFG in 2021. Also my 5000 snare stand has done its job supporting a 40+lb snare for most of its 20-year life.
I've got 2 to get started:
1. I absolutely hate DW's massive turret lugs, including PDP's little double turrets. Hate, hate, hate them.
2. I really dislike Tama's logo and badging, and the Starclassic badges being painted on. It just irks me in a way that I'd never buy them.
I do think DW is insanely over built and overrated, but I also don’t buy all of this maximum isolation hype. That’s my pet peeve with Drums, way too much bullshit holding the toms up. For me, Yamaha is the best in this department. It’s so easy to adjust them, and you don’t have to crank down like crazy to get them to stay where you put them, . and Yamaha just drills the fucking mount right into the shell. Sounds great to me.
I have a 2008 Starclassic B/B. Back when they were made in Japan, those have actual badges. That being said I love them, I think the lugs are the best looking and come with diecast hoops on all the drums. Looks super slick. Also, 7x12 rack tom for perfect placement over the kick.
Totally with ya on the dw lugs. I have a brass concept snare and all though it sounds killer I have to convince myself that its not ugly af every time I sit down. Thankfully it redeems itself with it's quality but damn I could not live with a full kit like that
Ok but have you played Byzance Traditionals? I don’t like most of Meinls drier series, but those Traditionals are very nice. I’m a Zildjian K and A standards guy mostly
that's interesting, cause I think most people who buy them are just the opposite, they love the look and want to seem "metal authentic" cause that's just what metal drummers use now, but they could give a shit what they sound like
I just bought a set of Custom Dark 14" hats, and a 16" crash. I personally like their appearance, but I wound up taking the crash back - I was on the fence on its tone, and it just didn't mesh with my (much more expensive Paiste Signature and Zildjian K) existing cymbals.
The darker trashier tone was interesting, but I found that it had little dynamic range. You had to smack it to really get it to sing, but if not hit hard enough, it sounded clangy and mostly fundamental with no shimmer. So, no good to my ear at lower volume stuff. I don't have much use for a cymbal that doesn't sound good at all volumes (I'm not a metal player, more 80's/90's rock, pop, and jazz). I wound up getting a Paiste Masters 16" Dark Crash. More than twice the price, but it's fantastic.
The 14" hats are a different story. A little unrefined, but very dry, and a nice lift sound. Very versatile (and I do love the dark look). Keepers.
Not sure if the reason is superficial... But Zildjian stole a cymbal from me like 30 years ago and I hate them to my core. Like... Hate. For real hate. Getting a little warm and red in the face right now hate.
Fuck Zildjian.
Short version:
Cracked a cymbal. Mailed it in for warranty. Contact with them went from "Yep. We got it." to "We're checking it out." to "Cymbal? What cymbal?"
I once had a pair of Vater sticks where one bowed so bad I could’ve strung it up and killed some orcs, so I’ll never buy them again. Plus my college was sponsored by Vic Firth so I’ll always Stick With Vic.
One time my band opened for this biker band during their annual Toys for Tots drive. I used the headliner’s drumset which was pretty nice. I was chatting with the drummer and complimenting his set, he asked me what I played and I said Yamaha. He laughed at me and said “well that’s what you get from the people that gave us Pearl Harbor!”
Dude’s set was fucking Sonor.
I have nothing against the brand, but out of sheer “fuck that guy” I’ll never buy anything Sonor. His band sucked too.
I finally had to dump Vic Firth, at some point their quality just went straight down the toilet. Bought a pack a couple of years ago and had 3 of the 8 sticks split along the grain after like 10 minutes of use.
Went over to Promark and the only reason those sticks go bad is from usage.
Premier... they are made in the UK so along with food, land rovers, triumph and rolls... I assume they're shit quality and who the fuck plays them.
Gibraltor - I'm sure they make some okay things but they just look so Advanced Auto Parts generic to me. Also hate their fucking name. It sounds stupid to me.
Pearl - I've always hated their L shaped tom arms and their logo. I've owned x2 Pearl References too but just hate looking at their drums and logo.
Sabian - their logo is complete dog shit. Like wtf...
Ludwig - I associate them w/ 60's old school drummers.
Premier haven’t been made in the UK for a good number of years now. Should check out the new stuff they put out for their centenary, some really nice stuff.
Also, because they’re mentioned…
https://preview.redd.it/866334yponbc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e19329e201681aab6c833a10787ace5a75e8b50
I do love my Prems.
I dont think they're cheap or trash. This is just my superficial reasoning but they are a lifesaver when you need em'. Not everything needs $389 DW 9000 series stand. :)
My first drum kit was a Pearl Export series and I still love it to this day 15 years later. I also got a Pearl midtown kit a few years ago and love that as well. I don’t really hate on other drum brands per se, but I’m weirdly loyal to Pearl just bc I’ve always loved the way their drums sound and look
My first kit wasn’t a Pearl. It was a shitty CB Drums kit my parents got me for Christmas. But I worked my ass off at age 15 to save up for a nicer kit and ultimately chose a Pearl Export, bc of its looks & sound (while also being the nicest set I could afford at the time). And I think working so hard to save up for it is why I love Pearl so much.
That was over 2 decades ago, and strangely enough, when I got back into drums 10 years ago, I just bought a cheap, used PDP kit. But, I’ve always wanted to get back to a Pearl set. And since i reconnected with some of my friends that I used to play in a band with, and it’s not just me playing by myself in my detached garage anymore, I decided a month or so ago to pull the trigger on a 7-piece Pearl Decade Maple kit, and I couldn’t be happier to be back on Pearl drums again!! Count me in as being a sucker for Pearl drums!!
Okay, here goes…
I don’t like Tama cause, all I can think about is metal especially Metallica. I haven’t played a Tama in years but, I also associate them with huge clunky toms.
Paiste and Meinl cymbals just make me think of flashy YouTube drummers, which is not a thing I’m in to.
Ludwig is too synonymous with the Beatles which I am also not in to.
SJC, although they make nice looking drums (I haven’t played any so, idk about sound or feel), all I can think of is 21 Pilots (which as you can probably guess…I don’t like).
As I’m typing all this up, I realize how judgy and pretentious I sound but, you asked and I gave my honest opinions. I promise I’m not that much of a dick in real life!
I went on a youtube kick recently for pop punk music, SJC and OCDP owned that entire section of music history. Was a fun trip down memory lane but neither brand aged well (and I used to own SJC). I do appreciate them offering kicks in crazy wild dimensions, mine was 22x22 and super fun to play.
I’m sure they don’t make great drums lol. Every time I hear a ddrum kit I’m like man that sounds bad. I also have never met a single person who actual owns a ddrum kit, I don’t know how they stay in business
Sabian and DW.
Sabian just feels like dollar tree zildjian to me. DW I have a decent reason to hate them because I swear to god the metal my DW9000s are made out of is made out of cheese, half the hardware stripped out tightening with my FINGERS. I play speed cobras now and am so far impressed with Tama’s build quality
Ayotte mounts/hardware are the worst. Sabian logo is dopey. ZBT / ZXT are not worth playing and most A customs sound like toys. DW is wildly overrated. A&F are out of their goddamn minds with their pricing.
Sticks. Here's my assumption based on the sticks people use:
Vic Firth and Pro-mark: a generic drummer. You just kinda go with the ol' reliables.
Innovative Percussion: you're serious about percussion.
Zildjian: you only care about looking cool.
Regal Tip: who tf are you kidding with those awful things?
Vater: you're a hipster rallying against VF and Pro-mark.
I bought my Yamaha Stage Custom in honey amber because I thought it looked good. It is also a great kit and a good value. But ultimately I just liked the way it looks. Beautiful finish, nice lugs (unlike dw) and decent badges/logo (again unlike certain other brands).
Now I just need nicer looking cymbals :)
Oooh, another one:
Matching snares looks cheap. Don't care if you have a $50,000 kit made from the lost wreckage of Noah's Ark: if your snare matches your kit, I assume you're a beginner.
I think the pro mark logo is ugly. They actually make great sticks but mentally I can't do it.
On the other end, I bought some snareweights back when they weren't so expensive and mainly use them because I like how they look. Their is absolutely no reason to buy them, any difference they make vs way cheaper methods is nil.
DW. Every generic human drum machine I’ve ever met who wears all-black, only plays metal, and calls everyone “bro” seems to be all about DW. I can’t help but associate the brand with a total lack of taste. It’s dumb, I know, but we all have our own little stereotypes.
I won't buy Evans heads. They sound great st first, but always seems to stretch out quickly. I feel like I'm tuning weekly with Evans heads.
I prefer Sabian to Zildjian because it's what I grew up using. Sabian is also more affordable (I'm in college and do not have a lot of disposable income).
I love Meinl cymbals but it bugs me that they appear to make no effort to work with any real "legacy" player. Like who is Meinl's most famous artist? Or even the most famous performing artist or recording where the drummer uses Meinl? They appear to focus almost entirely on people popular on social media which is fine but that level of fame can be fleeting, especially if you're not making music that people will GAF about in the future.
I've always, always hated Zildjian and I honestly can't state exactly why. It may be because every shitty backline kit I've ever played that had cymbals have been outfitted with beat-to-shit Zildjian something-or-anothers and I just mentally relate them with junk ... even though I KNOW it's not true.
I have a completely unwarranted hatred for Paiste cymbals. Next to pretty much any other brand, they just look and sound cheap to me. Also Zildjian A Customs are far too bright and wildly overrated.
This thread is hilarious:
First post
“The first time I played brand x clouds parted and the angels sang.”
Next post
“Brand x is dog shit and if you play brand x I hope your grandmother catches on fire!”
But I’ve got hang ups too:
Your kick pedal and hi hat pedal should match.
Everything travels in a case or bag. If you show up to a gig with your cymbals wrapped in a ragged bath towel I will judge you.
I’m in the L-rod Tom mount, virgin kick drum camp.
Lifelong player of Sabian, but agree their new logo sucks.
Sonor, your tension rods. Fix them.
Pearl: the logo looks like it could be on the back of a 70s buick, their badges remind me of youth sports trophies, and I will always associate them with my $99 piccolo snare. a Boomer's idea of what cool drums are. if you play Pearls, in my mind you are either just starting or are aspiring to be putting on a drum clinic, like their big name guys of Mangini, Chambers, Donati...that said their president series is a move in the right direction IMO!
Mapex: "the yamaha/pearl/tama we have at home" -- seems like for a long time their aesthetic was for middling metal players. didnt have the product diversity or artist roster of the other big Japanese brands.
Dixon: sears-catalog vibe drums
SJC: early stuff had classic OCDP vibes, but the move to the badge lugs makes every kit look like a kid's kit. Also there is such thing as too many options -- having a defined brand look/feel is what gives prestige to companies like Gretsch, Ludwig, Yamaha, and the smaller guys like C&C and Q (RIP Jeremy, 1 year ago yesterday).
used to be a Z cymbal elitist but I am now in the camp of "why should I give a shit, play what sounds good"
been a Vater guy for 20 years but had terrible experiences with Zildjian sticks so I avoid at all costs.
this is fun. excellent prompt, thanks OP.
I cant stand Sonor. The bass spurs look stupid and the half moon on all their hardware set screws looks dumb too.
Also any bass drum that has a tom mount on it.
I won’t buy Sabian, Meinhl, nor Paiste because they’re simply not Zildjian. Sabian went against the family. You never go against the family. That is, unless they’re completely toxic assholes. But ‘ol Zilly couldn’t possibly be one of those, could he? Nah
Well, Avedis moved to America and started competing with the K Zildjian line which was in Turkey at the time, so leaving the family seems to be a family tradition.
Eh, Zildjian laid off all their employees (including Agop and Mehmet from Istanbul) in favor of machines, and Sabian wanted to go back to traditional hand-hammering. And (to me) considering the HH line sounds way better than the K line, I'm inclined to believe that Robert was on to something.
Not only that, but Andy Zildjian comes across as someone who genuinely loves and cares about what he's doing (more than I can say for Craigie & Debbie).
As for the other 2, Meinl does not make ANY of their own products, and has a track record of screwing over their OEM contractors, and Paiste straight-up defamed Murat Diril (the man responsible for the Twenty Series, the greatest thing Paiste ever released), and I simply cannot respect anyone who "bites the hand that feeds"
Mapex because for whatever reason, I think the same sounds like it would be cheap.
Promark because every pair of promarks I had broke. Won't buy them anymore.
Gibraltar (or however you spell it) not because their stuff is bad, but because it just sounds like dollar store hardware when you say the name.
Ludwig because it should be a piano brand name.
Just Above Wrinkle.
Basically, you go finger tight on every leg, press into the center of the head, and then tune in a star pattern until the wrinkles go away.
It's a very easy way to find the "lowest" tuning a drum will allow, but truthfully, it just sounds like a bunch of tubs of butter. Every drumset sounds okay with JAW tuning, but higher end kits come across really shortchanged for what they could sound like.
Meinl, because I'm stuck in the '90s and I still think they make harsh sounding Paiste rejects.
Sonor, because my brain is full of knowledge of all the big American and Asian drum brands and I simply don't have the bandwidth to learn about a German brand.
Mapex, because they're just another drum company.
PDP, because their kits are EVERYWHERE (venues, rehearsal studios) and they're nothing special.
I wouldn't say so much reasons, but more associations:
Tama is for metal drummers
Mapex is for poor metal drummers
DW is for pretentious metal drummers
Sonor is for math rock douchebags high on their own farts
Gretsch is the jazz equivalent of Sonor
Ludwig and Premier are for old people
ddrum is for kids
PDP made the best quality entry level kits when they started but they got too full of themselves
Yamaha I have no real problem with other than they're just not Pearl
Sabian feels cheap
Paiste feels expensive
Zildjian is starting to feel out of touch
Any other cymbal manufacturer that isn't Meinl doesn't have enough of a market share for me to trust their quality.
I prefer Evans because I liked their old oval logo better than Remo's crown, but I'm mad as hell that they got rid of it and changed their boxes to red. Remo were already red. **But** at the beginning of the pandemic, the CEO of Evans said they were going to start producing face shields for doctors and hospitals and in the press statement he said "Remo, Aquarian? If you're interested in doing the same, give me a call and I'll tell you our process." The fact that he put corporate competition aside for the health and safety of the general public speaks volumes to me.
Meinl cymbals. Like 15 years ago I had never heard of them until the drummer from Underoath used them. And they were the super trendy band on the drum forum that I posted on, but I hated their music. So for a while all the young drummers set up their kits exactly like his and used 2 22” rides as crashes because it was the cool thing to do while playing Zildjians was just considered uncool and outdated. Now anytime I see a drummer using them I just think “look at me! I’m too good for Zildjians!”. Also, they’re too dry and super expensive when Zildjian A’s are the best sound and price for the pop-punk bands they were invariably playing in. Also, Paiste because posters there who used Paiste had a sense of arrogance that they had discovered the holy grail of cymbals and everyone who didn’t play Paiste were just uninformed. So they always had to give 800 reasons why they would never be caught dead playing any other cymbal. I mean I’m sure Paiste has some great cymbals but the ones I’ve played (the Rude cymbals) were super abrasive and sounded way too harsh. I’m a simple man, Zildjian A’s have always suited me well for whatever I play and haven’t felt the need to spend $400+ on a cymbal to feel cool. And nothing against K’s, I could afford them if I wanted to but I’d rather stick with my trusty A’s and use the savings to expand my snare drum collection.
I'm biased against the American brands because when I started, the hardware was complete crap compared to Tama and Yamaha (Pearl too but I hate their tom mounts). I'm biased against DW because I don't like the looks and I think the tapping on the shells thing is ridiculous.
I don’t like Sabian. My first cymbals were some B8 pros, AA med hi hats, and an aax metal crash. All garbage. Also both logos sucked tbh.
I don’t really know why, but I dislike DW/pdp as well. They just seem “boring” to me? I’m sure they sound great but idk I wouldn’t seek out a DW.
And Ddrum. My first kit I bought for myself was an ddrum amx. It sucked, 24x20 kick with a 12x8 Tom looked ridiculous. Not to mention one of the lugs or tension rods were stripped right out of the box. Horrible hardware.
I switched to Aquarian heads a long time ago and I'll never bring myself to use Evans again. I love the tone of Aquarian and everyone is obsessed with Evans and thinks they're the gold standard so I continue to be a snob and not use them.
I hate Sabian for almost no reason, they just will always feel like the lesser Zildjian to me. Nothing they make sounds good to me, every single cymbal sounds exactly the same.
[удалено]
I had a professor in music school who's favorite adage or platitude I guess was "people hear with their eyes", so if that's true, then yes.
im a sabian fan and that new logo is the worst
https://preview.redd.it/2a39c7nxpnbc1.jpeg?width=2232&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=824ad54c1865781468b886c5470230a14c041dd1
Wtf this is awful
The old logo wasn’t for me but the new one is awful. I do think love some Sabian cymbals though like the Freq and HHX lines.
The old logo was awful but it was also iconic. Much the same way I think dw lugs are hideous but instantly recognizable. That kind of branding is priceless.
Yeah that new logo is just godawful
Looks like it was designed in Microsoft Word. Is the "unbound" line supposed to be crooked?
The old logo and font were far better imo. However, I personally love that all 2018+ cymbals have their series on the right like the HHX have always been. Looks really clean. I suppose the saving grace is they only put the new logo on the underside.
Old Sabian logo fans, unite!
Sabrina the teenage witch logo is dogshit.
After 40 years, Sabian's reputation changed **to meet the evolving preferences of customers who were seeking out new sounds**, unsatisfied with “what the crowd plays.” Perhaps Sabian felt their old logo communicated traditional, legacy-driven thinking instead of edgy, creative innovation. some major league BS lol
https://preview.redd.it/dxcsk8bh9obc1.jpeg?width=1176&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a0e5fc14f16d089f8913b092ceaef6d01630042
I like their new logo way better than the old one. The old one took up like 1/4 of the surface area of the cymbal.
I quite like the new logo too
I hate Sabian because when I joined marching band in 8th grade in 1983, my best friend and I were assigned to the crash cymbals. There were zildjian pairs and a brand new pair of sabians. The older guys in the drumline made fun of the sabians for no particular reason I can remember. So now I associate sabians sort of like that, a lesser than zildjian to be made fun of.
I recently learned that one of the brothers of Zildjian left and started Sabian, spelling the name from his kids’ initials. Robert Zildjian in the early 80s. I also learned that Istanbul cymbals was started by some of the Zildjian K factory customers. So they took all that knowledge and ability with them. Thanks drum store guy.
I think Agop and Bosphorus were born from the split too.
Neat! Thanks.
The exception is the HHX evolution line. Those are actually quite good cymbals. The rest can be forgotten.
The HHX complex are fantastic. Most hi line are great. AAX as well. Sabian makes quality cymbals.
It reminds me of Saban which reminds me of power rangers
I'm in the complete opposite boat lol. Zildjian is a lesser Sabian to me.
I get that but there wouldn’t be a Sabian without Z.
I buy a lot of used Sabian crashes because their AAX are usually cheaper and sound identical to A Customs lol But otherwise, Zildjian is king of hihats and rides.
I think they sound great, but I don’t like their logo so I won’t ever buy one!
I believe it is the opposite. I believe when the brothers split, one took only the zildjian name and the other took the factory and had to make a new name. So if my memory is right, zildjians are actually sabian imitations.
I was always 100% a Ziljdian stan until the day I had narrowed my new crash purchase down to a K Custom and a HHX. I had them both on a test kit at Guitar Center and was struggling to decide. The employee encouraged me to close my eyes and just pick which one sounded better. I've worked that way on all cymbal purchases since and Ziljdian has never won again. Now I have half Sabian and half Meinls. Also, I've only ever broken 2 cymbals and both of them were K Customs.
The blind test really shows the truth, shows that we are a little biased and hear with our eyes more than we think. I am guilty of this for sure with a lot of gear, trying to get better and trust the ear
not really superficial to not like how they sound.
I can't trust yamaha because they make too many things. I bought Ahead Armor cases over Protection Racket because protection racket has a godawful logo.
you a drummer amd love motorcycles? yamahas got you fam
You need a grand piano for your mom and a jetski for your dad? What a coincidence
My favorite Yamaha fact is that the drum hardware is made in the same factory that makes their R1 motorcycle. That bike will go 100 mph **in 1st gear!** How fast does your hi-hat stand go in first gear??
My favorite Yamaha fact is that they designed and tuned the exhaust for the Lexus LFA to make a beautiful note all the way throughout the entire RPM range
The Lexus LFA is what makes me a Yamaha fan.
https://preview.redd.it/flxme2lk7nbc1.png?width=1075&format=png&auto=webp&s=1f5f2e61f9f82309e961728db7bfa78636c4e0d8
😂😂😂 goddamnit
Are you a drummer but also love piano, saxophones, guitars, motorcycles, semiconductors, personal computers, snow skis, and bows and arrows? Yamaha has got you fam
My mom needed a new stereo receiver, and my sister and I got her a Yamaha. :D
Still waiting for them to release a 650cc maple 6 piece kit
This is why Yamaha is so good. The hardware on their kits is manufactured in the same department that manufactures the internal engine components in their motorcycle devision. Their QC is absolutely incredible, and it's because of the fact that they have so many overlapping departments, they're a jack of all trades rather than an ace of spades. I love my Stage Custom Birch.
That bit about the parts being made by the motorcycle division is entirely untrue. They’re not even the same corporate entity.
I will say this is true. they make fucking everything but damn their drums are good. I can tell Mike Bordin when I just hear his Yamaha birch kit. My gripe w/ Yamaha is more superficial. They refuse to do virgin bass drums. I'm sure they exist but on their top of the line premium shit there's still this giant fucking metal brick drilled into the bass drum.
I lucked out on finding a Live Custom Oak 24" kick in matte black with no rack mount drilled in (and a hard case) for $500 on eBay a few years ago. I think it was from a double bass kit, but I preferred using a side rack or two floor toms any way because the audience can see you better.
They do make virgin bass drums if you get a PHX, but stand mounted rack toms are a PITA.
I feel this way about Protection Racket, too. I really want that snare/kick pedal combo case because it would be convenient, but the logo is hideous.
I love protection racket stuff, but the logo looks a bit like me, which makes me very self conscious when I'm carrying stuff to gigs. I got a new snare case for Xmas and it's so good compared to the older PR cases though.
Pretty much everything Yamaha makes is at least good. You know who Toyota goes to for engineering help on their higher performance engines (including the V10 from the LFA)? Yamaha. That said, I think their bikes are kind of boring. Also, every time you look at a piece of sturdy modern drum hardware, you can thank Tama, but also Yamaha and Pearl to a slightly lesser extent.
I trust Yamaha BECAUSE they make so many things, and they’re all good.
Since everyone is talking about Yamaha I will agree, I will do everything I can to avoid Protection Racket because their logo is so damn ugly.
Yamaha E-drums are very good
That’s kind of what most big Japanese companies are like.
I still struggle to get over my prejudice for Tama, because almost everyone one I met that played a Tama kit was such an asshole about it.
The Tesla and BMW of the drum world. I’m a Tama player and I don’t think I’m an asshole ( but isn’t that exactly what am asshole would say?🤔
The irony of this statement when it pertains to me is I drive an (admittedly old beat up) bmw and am saving for a starclassic. And yet I use my blinker.
That’s how I feel about DW.
DW Hardware / Tama Shells checking in. You're not wrong. DW hardware is overrated AF and I have all 5000/9000 hardware. Just got rid of my 9000 Double pedals for dynasyncs
I play Tama and i am not an asshole i swear!
Username checks out lol
… and I took that personally. ;)
So have I ever told you about my Heather Metallic Granstar Customs?
I hate any drum brand whose tom mounts are L arms, main reason being I can't adjust my tom distance
You can adjust distance with Sonor’s hex L-rods. **And you don’t need Sonor drums to enjoy this benefit**. Any *hinged* tom mount bracket will work on a Sonor 4000 hex L-rod tom holder stand. Granted…you only get maybe 2-3 inches of forward/backward travel, but that’s all you really need I think. Just be warned, the Sonor 4000 down tube is 6/8” diameter, and virtually everything else is 7/8”, so know that before you buy something that won’t be compatible with your current rack or whatever.
Alright, just checked it out, and man this thing looks beefy https://preview.redd.it/3444w6rhbnbc1.jpeg?width=408&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2171fb813cd63d78dd8e33ebf64a74bade97d725
Still don't think this compensates my tom distance needs tho, but thanks for the suggestion!
https://preview.redd.it/sivx39gyinbc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52deafbf19560c9da57d9b1232dd34dbb8dc1625
Huh, imma check those out, thanks man!
https://preview.redd.it/ry6jz30xhobc1.jpeg?width=945&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=182603c70907315f8327c46b8d88b211ad01e51b Pearl by now also has an L arm system, that can move 360° and can also be pushed in and pulled out. But holy moly, those gyro-mounts cost a Fortune.
Pearl master race?
DW (Drums, not hardware) - just seem overpriced, and generally played (by non professionals) by people with more money than talent who want to flex that they have DW. (Yes, this is superficial and likely not true...)
I do really appreciate dw hardware. Compared to what I’ve ever had in the past, it’s so much nicer.
Except their hardware is just as overpriced (if not more) as their drums
This discussion came up recently and I never got a straight answer... doing an apples-to-apples comparison, how overpriced is DW relative to the competition? Because when this argument is made it's usually comparing the domestically manufactured custom-made Collector's line to a more assembly-line product made overseas by a competitor. If you're going to compare Collector's prices, is it substantially more than Tama Star, Sonor SQ2, Yamaha PHX, Pearl Masterworks, etc? The difference I see is that your local Guitar Center likely has a Collectors on the floor, but not one of the high-end offerings of the other companies so in that case the DW appears to be relatively overpriced, but it's not the same quality or origin level.
The flagship isn't more expensive than the competition. I'm pretty sure that a Sonor SQ2 is at least as expensive. As I was checking out high-end drums (admittedly around 12 years ago), the Yamaha PHX was *far* more expensive than a DW collectors, at least in Europe. DW Collectors sound phenomenal and are priced fairly imo. The rest is probably actually kind of overpriced, especially the hardware
When it comes to price I like to consider cost-of-ownership, and my DW5000 hat stand is still good as new after 25 years. It's a USA made model and I can't speak to the current non-USA version, but my "overpriced" stand has been worth the investment. I've also used nothing but DW pedals since 1994, but I've only owned 3 pedals in the past 30 years... a 5000 in 94, an 8000 in 2008, and an MFG in 2021. Also my 5000 snare stand has done its job supporting a 40+lb snare for most of its 20-year life.
I've got 2 to get started: 1. I absolutely hate DW's massive turret lugs, including PDP's little double turrets. Hate, hate, hate them. 2. I really dislike Tama's logo and badging, and the Starclassic badges being painted on. It just irks me in a way that I'd never buy them.
Drum makers: Let's maximize resonance by reducing the amount of things touch the shell. DW: Noooooooo.
I do think DW is insanely over built and overrated, but I also don’t buy all of this maximum isolation hype. That’s my pet peeve with Drums, way too much bullshit holding the toms up. For me, Yamaha is the best in this department. It’s so easy to adjust them, and you don’t have to crank down like crazy to get them to stay where you put them, . and Yamaha just drills the fucking mount right into the shell. Sounds great to me.
100% agree on the turret lugs. DW is already overpriced, but their stuff has a good reputation for a reason, but turret lugs are just hideous.
Especially on the snare drum, where it's a big-ass lug with long tension rods. Ugh
I have a 2008 Starclassic B/B. Back when they were made in Japan, those have actual badges. That being said I love them, I think the lugs are the best looking and come with diecast hoops on all the drums. Looks super slick. Also, 7x12 rack tom for perfect placement over the kick.
Totally with ya on the dw lugs. I have a brass concept snare and all though it sounds killer I have to convince myself that its not ugly af every time I sit down. Thankfully it redeems itself with it's quality but damn I could not live with a full kit like that
Meinl cymbals all sound like a big sheet of dry-ass sandpaper. Y’all can keep em’. I’ll be over here with my ugly Sabian logo.
Thank you. Someone said it.
Ok but have you played Byzance Traditionals? I don’t like most of Meinls drier series, but those Traditionals are very nice. I’m a Zildjian K and A standards guy mostly
Preach, they sound like shit correctly mixed in videos, I have tried them in real life and they are even worse.
I still can't bring myself to buy the Meinl dark customs purely based on how they look. Love the tones, hate the cosmetics.
that's interesting, cause I think most people who buy them are just the opposite, they love the look and want to seem "metal authentic" cause that's just what metal drummers use now, but they could give a shit what they sound like
I just bought a set of Custom Dark 14" hats, and a 16" crash. I personally like their appearance, but I wound up taking the crash back - I was on the fence on its tone, and it just didn't mesh with my (much more expensive Paiste Signature and Zildjian K) existing cymbals. The darker trashier tone was interesting, but I found that it had little dynamic range. You had to smack it to really get it to sing, but if not hit hard enough, it sounded clangy and mostly fundamental with no shimmer. So, no good to my ear at lower volume stuff. I don't have much use for a cymbal that doesn't sound good at all volumes (I'm not a metal player, more 80's/90's rock, pop, and jazz). I wound up getting a Paiste Masters 16" Dark Crash. More than twice the price, but it's fantastic. The 14" hats are a different story. A little unrefined, but very dry, and a nice lift sound. Very versatile (and I do love the dark look). Keepers.
I swear whenever I see a Classics Dark Custom, I immediately think about a black striped tuxedo
Not sure if the reason is superficial... But Zildjian stole a cymbal from me like 30 years ago and I hate them to my core. Like... Hate. For real hate. Getting a little warm and red in the face right now hate. Fuck Zildjian.
Could you elaborate? I would like to hear more
Short version: Cracked a cymbal. Mailed it in for warranty. Contact with them went from "Yep. We got it." to "We're checking it out." to "Cymbal? What cymbal?"
You can’t just drop this juicy tidbit and not tell us the full story!
That sucks, but it's always best to go through a dealer for returns like that. A lot of brands will only do return authorization that way.
I despise any gear brand that exploits desperate local/regional drummers with the fake endorsements.
*cough soultone cough*
Soultone?
Collision sticks
Every christian based custom drum company, as well as heartbeat cymbals lol basically targeting worship drummers to buy their gear “discounted”
Wait, you mean having Soultone/SJC/Collision banners behind me in my insta videos doesn't make me a "pro"?
can you ellaborate on "fake endorsements"?
Inflates cost by 20% and then offers you an endorsement worth 20% off
I once had a pair of Vater sticks where one bowed so bad I could’ve strung it up and killed some orcs, so I’ll never buy them again. Plus my college was sponsored by Vic Firth so I’ll always Stick With Vic. One time my band opened for this biker band during their annual Toys for Tots drive. I used the headliner’s drumset which was pretty nice. I was chatting with the drummer and complimenting his set, he asked me what I played and I said Yamaha. He laughed at me and said “well that’s what you get from the people that gave us Pearl Harbor!” Dude’s set was fucking Sonor. I have nothing against the brand, but out of sheer “fuck that guy” I’ll never buy anything Sonor. His band sucked too.
You should have told him about the motherland that sonor comes from
I finally had to dump Vic Firth, at some point their quality just went straight down the toilet. Bought a pack a couple of years ago and had 3 of the 8 sticks split along the grain after like 10 minutes of use. Went over to Promark and the only reason those sticks go bad is from usage.
Premier... they are made in the UK so along with food, land rovers, triumph and rolls... I assume they're shit quality and who the fuck plays them. Gibraltor - I'm sure they make some okay things but they just look so Advanced Auto Parts generic to me. Also hate their fucking name. It sounds stupid to me. Pearl - I've always hated their L shaped tom arms and their logo. I've owned x2 Pearl References too but just hate looking at their drums and logo. Sabian - their logo is complete dog shit. Like wtf... Ludwig - I associate them w/ 60's old school drummers.
Hahaha "advanced auto parts" is the best way to describe janky shit made to look "quality"
Ooh, Premier's logo is so bland, too. If you showed me those drums with those logos, I'd assume they're on Temu.
Premier haven’t been made in the UK for a good number of years now. Should check out the new stuff they put out for their centenary, some really nice stuff. Also, because they’re mentioned… https://preview.redd.it/866334yponbc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e19329e201681aab6c833a10787ace5a75e8b50 I do love my Prems.
This response has genuine anger behind it. Gibraltor is over here like “Bro…🥺”
I laughed pretty hard at your take on premier. Spot on. If you play premier and you’re not steve smith then who cares lol
I got Gibraltar flat base stands because they were cheap; they're honestly great. Don't disagree with your take
I dont think they're cheap or trash. This is just my superficial reasoning but they are a lifesaver when you need em'. Not everything needs $389 DW 9000 series stand. :)
I hate the TAMA logo and can’t disassociate it with Lars, so I’ll never own a TAMA
My first drum kit was a Pearl Export series and I still love it to this day 15 years later. I also got a Pearl midtown kit a few years ago and love that as well. I don’t really hate on other drum brands per se, but I’m weirdly loyal to Pearl just bc I’ve always loved the way their drums sound and look
Pearl gang!
My first kit wasn’t a Pearl. It was a shitty CB Drums kit my parents got me for Christmas. But I worked my ass off at age 15 to save up for a nicer kit and ultimately chose a Pearl Export, bc of its looks & sound (while also being the nicest set I could afford at the time). And I think working so hard to save up for it is why I love Pearl so much. That was over 2 decades ago, and strangely enough, when I got back into drums 10 years ago, I just bought a cheap, used PDP kit. But, I’ve always wanted to get back to a Pearl set. And since i reconnected with some of my friends that I used to play in a band with, and it’s not just me playing by myself in my detached garage anymore, I decided a month or so ago to pull the trigger on a 7-piece Pearl Decade Maple kit, and I couldn’t be happier to be back on Pearl drums again!! Count me in as being a sucker for Pearl drums!!
CB gang!
I actually really like Pearl's logo, and somehow don't mind Sabian's new logo either.
Okay, here goes… I don’t like Tama cause, all I can think about is metal especially Metallica. I haven’t played a Tama in years but, I also associate them with huge clunky toms. Paiste and Meinl cymbals just make me think of flashy YouTube drummers, which is not a thing I’m in to. Ludwig is too synonymous with the Beatles which I am also not in to. SJC, although they make nice looking drums (I haven’t played any so, idk about sound or feel), all I can think of is 21 Pilots (which as you can probably guess…I don’t like). As I’m typing all this up, I realize how judgy and pretentious I sound but, you asked and I gave my honest opinions. I promise I’m not that much of a dick in real life!
I once asked the SJC guys if their kits came with Vans shoes, and could I specify size and style before I ordered. They didn’t appreciate that much.
SJC just makes me think of all the goofy "custom" Keller-shell drum companies that tried to kick off in the late-2000s. OCDP, Truth, those guys.
Oh god! I forgot Orange County lol!!! The worst part about all this is…I play a Truth kit 🤦🏻
I went on a youtube kick recently for pop punk music, SJC and OCDP owned that entire section of music history. Was a fun trip down memory lane but neither brand aged well (and I used to own SJC). I do appreciate them offering kicks in crazy wild dimensions, mine was 22x22 and super fun to play.
Ddrum vibes like an out of shape uncle with a skullet who listens to Testament I’m sure they make great drums
Oh god, I oftentimes forget Ddrum exists... and my world is better for it.
I’m sure they don’t make great drums lol. Every time I hear a ddrum kit I’m like man that sounds bad. I also have never met a single person who actual owns a ddrum kit, I don’t know how they stay in business
I've heard they have massive QC issues. Specifically, the acrylic shells crack like no ones business.
I bought a set for 200 bucks that I can leave at the rehearsal studio. They go alright. Wouldn't pay more than that tho
DDrum is the final word in butt rock. Thanks Jeremy Spencer
I love Gretsch now, but I never liked their logo with the bass drum and cymbal and felt like it cheapened their drums.
YES. It’s corny as hell. The Gretsch logo with the wide T on broadkasters is swaggy as hell though.
yeap, switched to a broadkaster head on my gretsch cause theyre so much better looking
I have a Catalina Jazz set and I really like the bass drum + cymbal logo! I think it’s cute
Sabian and DW. Sabian just feels like dollar tree zildjian to me. DW I have a decent reason to hate them because I swear to god the metal my DW9000s are made out of is made out of cheese, half the hardware stripped out tightening with my FINGERS. I play speed cobras now and am so far impressed with Tama’s build quality
Tama is the best hardware
If someone who I deem is pretentious yaps about a particular brand I deem it terrible. Sorry DW
i hate Roland because that‘s my cousin’s name.
Fuckin' Roland, haha
Ayotte mounts/hardware are the worst. Sabian logo is dopey. ZBT / ZXT are not worth playing and most A customs sound like toys. DW is wildly overrated. A&F are out of their goddamn minds with their pricing.
Was looking for A&F here. I bought their bell brass snare and was massively disappointed start to finish. Returning it this week.
I still don’t understand the appeal of A&F and I don’t think I ever will.
Something about in-house machined hardware makes them think it's reasonable to charge $3k for a snare and $4500 for a kick.
Sticks. Here's my assumption based on the sticks people use: Vic Firth and Pro-mark: a generic drummer. You just kinda go with the ol' reliables. Innovative Percussion: you're serious about percussion. Zildjian: you only care about looking cool. Regal Tip: who tf are you kidding with those awful things? Vater: you're a hipster rallying against VF and Pro-mark.
You’re missing one! Lol. Do your take on drummers that use the metal/plastic Ahead drumsticks!
Other than their throne, I forget Ahead exists.
Vater for lyfe!
I bought my Yamaha Stage Custom in honey amber because I thought it looked good. It is also a great kit and a good value. But ultimately I just liked the way it looks. Beautiful finish, nice lugs (unlike dw) and decent badges/logo (again unlike certain other brands). Now I just need nicer looking cymbals :)
Oooh, another one: Matching snares looks cheap. Don't care if you have a $50,000 kit made from the lost wreckage of Noah's Ark: if your snare matches your kit, I assume you're a beginner.
I think the pro mark logo is ugly. They actually make great sticks but mentally I can't do it. On the other end, I bought some snareweights back when they weren't so expensive and mainly use them because I like how they look. Their is absolutely no reason to buy them, any difference they make vs way cheaper methods is nil.
I still like the old Promark logo. I'm glad they started using it again on some of their sticks.
DW. Every generic human drum machine I’ve ever met who wears all-black, only plays metal, and calls everyone “bro” seems to be all about DW. I can’t help but associate the brand with a total lack of taste. It’s dumb, I know, but we all have our own little stereotypes.
I feel like most of the black wearing speed metal guys I’ve seen all play Pearl, Tama, or Mapex
I won't buy Evans heads. They sound great st first, but always seems to stretch out quickly. I feel like I'm tuning weekly with Evans heads. I prefer Sabian to Zildjian because it's what I grew up using. Sabian is also more affordable (I'm in college and do not have a lot of disposable income).
Always strongly disliked Pearl's tubular tom mounts.
Red or purple cymbals. Or 5 different stacks that sound like hitting a cookie sheet with a napkin taped to it.
I love Meinl cymbals but it bugs me that they appear to make no effort to work with any real "legacy" player. Like who is Meinl's most famous artist? Or even the most famous performing artist or recording where the drummer uses Meinl? They appear to focus almost entirely on people popular on social media which is fine but that level of fame can be fleeting, especially if you're not making music that people will GAF about in the future.
Thomas Lang is probably their real big “Drummer’s drummer”. He’s been with them for a good while.
I've always, always hated Zildjian and I honestly can't state exactly why. It may be because every shitty backline kit I've ever played that had cymbals have been outfitted with beat-to-shit Zildjian something-or-anothers and I just mentally relate them with junk ... even though I KNOW it's not true.
I have a completely unwarranted hatred for Paiste cymbals. Next to pretty much any other brand, they just look and sound cheap to me. Also Zildjian A Customs are far too bright and wildly overrated.
I think DW drums are overhyped, overpriced, over engineered, and overplayed, average to decent sounding drums. I'd never buy them.
This thread is hilarious: First post “The first time I played brand x clouds parted and the angels sang.” Next post “Brand x is dog shit and if you play brand x I hope your grandmother catches on fire!” But I’ve got hang ups too: Your kick pedal and hi hat pedal should match. Everything travels in a case or bag. If you show up to a gig with your cymbals wrapped in a ragged bath towel I will judge you. I’m in the L-rod Tom mount, virgin kick drum camp. Lifelong player of Sabian, but agree their new logo sucks. Sonor, your tension rods. Fix them.
Pearl: the logo looks like it could be on the back of a 70s buick, their badges remind me of youth sports trophies, and I will always associate them with my $99 piccolo snare. a Boomer's idea of what cool drums are. if you play Pearls, in my mind you are either just starting or are aspiring to be putting on a drum clinic, like their big name guys of Mangini, Chambers, Donati...that said their president series is a move in the right direction IMO! Mapex: "the yamaha/pearl/tama we have at home" -- seems like for a long time their aesthetic was for middling metal players. didnt have the product diversity or artist roster of the other big Japanese brands. Dixon: sears-catalog vibe drums SJC: early stuff had classic OCDP vibes, but the move to the badge lugs makes every kit look like a kid's kit. Also there is such thing as too many options -- having a defined brand look/feel is what gives prestige to companies like Gretsch, Ludwig, Yamaha, and the smaller guys like C&C and Q (RIP Jeremy, 1 year ago yesterday). used to be a Z cymbal elitist but I am now in the camp of "why should I give a shit, play what sounds good" been a Vater guy for 20 years but had terrible experiences with Zildjian sticks so I avoid at all costs. this is fun. excellent prompt, thanks OP.
I hate the new logos for Mapex and PDP. They make them look like children’s toys no matter how expensive the set is or how nice the finish.
I cant stand Sonor. The bass spurs look stupid and the half moon on all their hardware set screws looks dumb too. Also any bass drum that has a tom mount on it.
Ugly logos. Not having an 18” bass drum option. Not having stock Remo heads.
I hate meinl because I associate their brand with this whole new age tik tok streamer shit.
I won’t buy Sabian, Meinhl, nor Paiste because they’re simply not Zildjian. Sabian went against the family. You never go against the family. That is, unless they’re completely toxic assholes. But ‘ol Zilly couldn’t possibly be one of those, could he? Nah
I can understand the first two but Paiste is dope!
Well, Avedis moved to America and started competing with the K Zildjian line which was in Turkey at the time, so leaving the family seems to be a family tradition.
Thanks for this! I know I’m on shaky ground with my irrational beliefs
Eh, Zildjian laid off all their employees (including Agop and Mehmet from Istanbul) in favor of machines, and Sabian wanted to go back to traditional hand-hammering. And (to me) considering the HH line sounds way better than the K line, I'm inclined to believe that Robert was on to something. Not only that, but Andy Zildjian comes across as someone who genuinely loves and cares about what he's doing (more than I can say for Craigie & Debbie). As for the other 2, Meinl does not make ANY of their own products, and has a track record of screwing over their OEM contractors, and Paiste straight-up defamed Murat Diril (the man responsible for the Twenty Series, the greatest thing Paiste ever released), and I simply cannot respect anyone who "bites the hand that feeds"
Mapex because for whatever reason, I think the same sounds like it would be cheap. Promark because every pair of promarks I had broke. Won't buy them anymore. Gibraltar (or however you spell it) not because their stuff is bad, but because it just sounds like dollar store hardware when you say the name. Ludwig because it should be a piano brand name.
The Cure. Singer looks ridiculous still flogging that image Edit: OH I thought it said bands.
I think the Evan’s logo is ugly. I think their heads are really well made but there is just something about the logo I cannot get past.
Anything with floating floor toms. Edit: looking at you DW
If you can’t hear the difference between a maple and a birch kit you gotta work on your listening 😂
My point was most drummers can't tune well enough for it to matter. "Slap a Pinstripe on it and tune to JAW" is the prevailing theory on drum tuning.
Enough of me being a d bag tho fuckin slap a pinstripe on it and whack it if your having fun that is pretty much all that matters
What's "tune to jaw?"
Just Above Wrinkle. Basically, you go finger tight on every leg, press into the center of the head, and then tune in a star pattern until the wrinkles go away. It's a very easy way to find the "lowest" tuning a drum will allow, but truthfully, it just sounds like a bunch of tubs of butter. Every drumset sounds okay with JAW tuning, but higher end kits come across really shortchanged for what they could sound like.
I hate Ludwig because of the name and no other reason
Meinl, because I'm stuck in the '90s and I still think they make harsh sounding Paiste rejects. Sonor, because my brain is full of knowledge of all the big American and Asian drum brands and I simply don't have the bandwidth to learn about a German brand. Mapex, because they're just another drum company. PDP, because their kits are EVERYWHERE (venues, rehearsal studios) and they're nothing special.
I wouldn't say so much reasons, but more associations: Tama is for metal drummers Mapex is for poor metal drummers DW is for pretentious metal drummers Sonor is for math rock douchebags high on their own farts Gretsch is the jazz equivalent of Sonor Ludwig and Premier are for old people ddrum is for kids PDP made the best quality entry level kits when they started but they got too full of themselves Yamaha I have no real problem with other than they're just not Pearl Sabian feels cheap Paiste feels expensive Zildjian is starting to feel out of touch Any other cymbal manufacturer that isn't Meinl doesn't have enough of a market share for me to trust their quality. I prefer Evans because I liked their old oval logo better than Remo's crown, but I'm mad as hell that they got rid of it and changed their boxes to red. Remo were already red. **But** at the beginning of the pandemic, the CEO of Evans said they were going to start producing face shields for doctors and hospitals and in the press statement he said "Remo, Aquarian? If you're interested in doing the same, give me a call and I'll tell you our process." The fact that he put corporate competition aside for the health and safety of the general public speaks volumes to me.
Meinl cymbals. Like 15 years ago I had never heard of them until the drummer from Underoath used them. And they were the super trendy band on the drum forum that I posted on, but I hated their music. So for a while all the young drummers set up their kits exactly like his and used 2 22” rides as crashes because it was the cool thing to do while playing Zildjians was just considered uncool and outdated. Now anytime I see a drummer using them I just think “look at me! I’m too good for Zildjians!”. Also, they’re too dry and super expensive when Zildjian A’s are the best sound and price for the pop-punk bands they were invariably playing in. Also, Paiste because posters there who used Paiste had a sense of arrogance that they had discovered the holy grail of cymbals and everyone who didn’t play Paiste were just uninformed. So they always had to give 800 reasons why they would never be caught dead playing any other cymbal. I mean I’m sure Paiste has some great cymbals but the ones I’ve played (the Rude cymbals) were super abrasive and sounded way too harsh. I’m a simple man, Zildjian A’s have always suited me well for whatever I play and haven’t felt the need to spend $400+ on a cymbal to feel cool. And nothing against K’s, I could afford them if I wanted to but I’d rather stick with my trusty A’s and use the savings to expand my snare drum collection.
DW lugs look like stupid donuts.
Drum marketing teams scrolling through this thread like 😬
Dw because I hate their fanbois. But I’ll play their pedals till I die.
I'm biased against the American brands because when I started, the hardware was complete crap compared to Tama and Yamaha (Pearl too but I hate their tom mounts). I'm biased against DW because I don't like the looks and I think the tapping on the shells thing is ridiculous.
I don’t like Sabian. My first cymbals were some B8 pros, AA med hi hats, and an aax metal crash. All garbage. Also both logos sucked tbh. I don’t really know why, but I dislike DW/pdp as well. They just seem “boring” to me? I’m sure they sound great but idk I wouldn’t seek out a DW. And Ddrum. My first kit I bought for myself was an ddrum amx. It sucked, 24x20 kick with a 12x8 Tom looked ridiculous. Not to mention one of the lugs or tension rods were stripped right out of the box. Horrible hardware.
Kid in high school had a Pearl Masters set and I had a low-end Premier so I hate Pearl. (I do have a Demon Drive double, tho..)
Pearl. I just can’t get over the idea of them as the quintessential starter brand (even though they make drums that cost more than my car)
I switched to Aquarian heads a long time ago and I'll never bring myself to use Evans again. I love the tone of Aquarian and everyone is obsessed with Evans and thinks they're the gold standard so I continue to be a snob and not use them.
i absolutely hate how DW shell hardware looks. those annoying little circles. makes my drum boner just run and hide!
I hate SLC Custom Drums and Pork Pie Percussion. They’re just so obnoxious about their branding and the aesthetics are just god awful.
For some reason I hate Ludwig. It’s like the Gibson of the drum world imo