The amount of work needed to create these videos is not lost on me. Great content, sincere communication and honesty go a long way to cultivate customers. Keep it up!
Special credit to the individual/s that tuned these kits. They were remarkably close to each other and very well tuned. All 5 of those kits sound awesome and are a phenomenal value!
If DW is the most overrated, then Mapex is the most underrated, probably because it's Taiwanese company, even though all major brands moved their production to China, Taiwan and Indonesia. Saturn is probably the best bang for a buck
Their Mars kits are hands down the best entry level drums on the market. and Armory is probably the best intermediate priced drums on the market... They're just killing it right now
I got the Catalina Maple, and you can get the 6 piece Shell pack with a free 8 inch cymbal mounted Tom all for under $1000. it was an extraordinary value and I love the sound! After tuning, the drums sounded professional quality right out of the box, even with the stock coated heads. Absolutely love it!
The MAPEX Armory Kit is the most complete, and pro looking/sounding of the lot, especially when matched with the Paiste 900 series cymbals! Big shout out to PAISTE! These pies sound Great!. It could be because it is a hybrid, and that birch adds a great musicality, that the other kits just seemed to lack (I’m sure that will change when the heads are upgraded). The Gretchen kit was a very close 2nd. It was the most classic “Maple-y” sounding kit of all of them. It seems that the coated heads really bring out the personality of these, and the other drums, that have been fitted with them. This example can be found on the Tama set. The snare was Great, and the tome sound exactly how you’d expect a TAMA kit to sound. It surely had a voice of its own. The other 2 kits are very nice, and perhaps its because of the clear heads but the attack and warmth, in comparison to the Mapex or Gretsch kits, just wasn’t there. I’m happy that they all are putting out these Amazing kits, at this price point. In 1988 (GET OFF MY LAWN!!) You’s have to pony up over 2 grand for a kit as complete, and stunning looking as these sets are. They surely aren’t the Corolla of drums any more, but, they also aren’t a Lexus! For a drummer who is gigging, and looking to step up her or his game, This is the Perfect way to go! I’d be happy to gig out on any of these kits. Thanks so much for the review! Cheers!
I would love to this same type of comparison done where the staff change out the heads. Maybe do a fun test where each staff member is given 1500 - 2000 and has to build a complete set including hardware, cymbals, new heads, etc.
These kits are all great for the money. Even 'cheap' kits offer so much in the way of sound and quality of hardware/finishes these days. This video is the first time I've ever heard the Decade maple and Superstar being played. Was blown away by how amazing those two kits sounded. Kids today are really lucky to have this stuff available. 😁
parsnips I own 2 Starclassic Tama B/B kits and a Starclassic Bubinga Elite Kit. I wasn’t expecting much but I first played the Maple Superstars I was actually in shock. They were sitting next to a Starclassic B/B which was tuned horrendously and yeah the Superstars still sounded better with the cheaper heads. 6 drums AND a snare 7 in total for $1K or less if on sale. The only budget kits that impressed me previously was the Gretsch Catalina Maple and the Yamaha Stage Custom Birch??? from 2012.
I guess it's because Drum manufacturing is now much more advanced. Even the $500 kits like Mapex Mars are made very precisely with perfectly 360 degrees roundness and precise bearing edges. Boy 25 years ago a $500 kit would've been a nightmare, But now they're totally gigable and recordable.
@@larkstonguesinaspic4814 That's right fellow King Crimson fan, and it should be noted that all big companies have moved production to China, Taiwan and Indonesia. I think that only flagship series are still made in USA/Japan/Germany, with the exception of Mapex, which is a Taiwanese company.
@@larkstonguesinaspic4814 I bought a brand new Sonor APX Jungle kit for $400 and the build quality is everything you described. Amazing and so much better than what we had in the 80's and 90's.
Proud owner of a PDP concept maple, I am happy my drumset compares to those nice other kits. I agree with you when you say the snare lacks snare beds. I use high end snares instead, so it´s not a problem.
I bought an armory based on this video and the drummers review video of it and, wow! Going from a 30 yr old export to this is night and day. What was most unexpected was how much easier the armory is to play because the feel is so dramatically better. With good heads and tuning there is absolutely no reason you can’t use it in a professional setting it sounds that good. And as Shane said, the tomahawk snare is outstanding.
To be fair, you can play just about any kit that's well tuned in a professional setting - yes, including Pearl Export, and yes, I could point out one or a master reggae drummer from Africa who work with a Pearl Export... But... that Mapex really sound ridiculous.
I own the 6 piece Armory in night sky burst. Just awesome for the price! Little things Mapex does, that the others don't....plastic lug bushings on all the drums to keep them in tune longer. I also bought a Tama superstar classic in garnet lacebark pine finish. It was nice, but the armory kit blows it away.
Honestly to me the differences were really small in sound, I couldn't really choose a favourite. The way you mix all of your videos make every drum kit sound fantastic.
Thank you for this great ‘comparison’ video. So honest and professional. I watched all the way through. Once pubs and clubs are back open here in UK I am going to buy my first maple drum kit. It’s been a long wait ... but at 72 I still want to rock!! Thanks again. John @ Brizen Reviews
When you finished with the kits I thought the Tama sounded best, but then when you did the head to head I thought the PDP and the Armory sounded best. I need to watch this video about 10 more times.
Some of the drum sets at that price point today sound better (mic'd) than what we were on stage with in the 60's. Nice video, Shane. And you're 100% correct that those starting now with their first kits have good quality to choose from ... even at the entry level price points.
I have a DW Design Series maple set, which is essentially a really nice PDP kit with DW hardware and branding. For an "affordable" set under $1K, it's been pretty great.
Great comparison as always. There are really no bad choices here, I would be happy with any of them, but I was particularly impressed with the PDP and Mapex kits.
Man I clicked this video so fast once I saw this!! Thank you so much for considering my idea for a video! I didn't think it will ever happen, but it did! Thank you guys for the video! I play a Tama indigo burst 7 piece superstar classic!
The Mapex definitely had some kind of natural ‘EQ’ thanks to the shell blend. Premier did one years ago called the Gen-X. If I remember correctly, that was a maple/birch combination and sounded like it had natural compression and EQ. It was quite incredible. Had all the highs and lows but the note didn’t last too long.
Andy P premier made some really great drums. I don’t know about the gen x, but the xpk’s were birch w/ eucalyptus in the center plies. They sound great.
@@vertigoat7596 Gen-X was part of the Elite line, it had 7 plies (2-ply birch on the outside and 5-ply maple on the inside), while XPK were made of birch (maybe some XPK Exclusive had eucalyptus?), and Cabria XPK was made of maple, but I agree with you - they were amazing drums, too bad such a good company failed. After the beginner APK and XPK sets and Olympic, which is better not to mention (other than the vintage one), Cabria XPK was a set that was supposed to be some kind of mid-level class close to the top lines like Signia, Genista and Artist. There were and are two Cabria's - the regular and the Cabria XPK. The regular wasn't 100% maple and didn't have die-cast hoops, and had a smaller choice of finishes. The Cabria XPK would be something like Sonor 3007, but with the added value of die-cast hoops that few sets in that range have. So regardless of the positive personal experiences with the Sonor 3007, I prefer the Cabria XPK. There are too many Sonor's on the market anyway, especially those numerical ones - 1000, 2000, 1007, 2007, 3007 - one gets lost in the sheer numbers. Cabria XPK was one and unique. And it's very affordable on the used market. Premier sets, all of which came to my hands, were excellent, some were even years ahead of the competition in terms of technical solutions, workmanship and finishes. But what is it worth when you have people in the management who didn't know how to use it.
Guys I just wanted to chime in from the perspective of a studio engineer. I record mostly alt-rock, hard rock and some pop. I pulled the trigger on the Mapex Ultramarine Armory 5 piece rock shell pack in October and have been blown away by it. Currently I have clear Emperors on top and clear Ambassadors on the bottom. The kit is SO versatile, easy to tune and really shines through on a plethora of genres. It's weird, Mapex has had a not-so-great reputation on the interwebs over the years but after having an awesome sounding limited edition Meridian Obsidian kit, I've just ignored all that garbage, trusted my ears, and I've never been happier (my clients love it too!). This is a killer kit! And beautiful to look at!
just ordered the ultramarine tonight got 200$ free sweet water bucks as well on purchase! also got 14inch hi hats s series! im new to drumming but i really want a good kit not something that sounds off to really learn on! cant wait!
@@shreddyeddy7391 Awesome choice! You will love it. I have been recording drummers for years but started learning myself in January 2020 and the kit is such a joy to play. Especially how customizable the toms are in terms of ease of positioning, in a game of inches, having the flexibility to move them wherever is huge!
My practice kit is the 7 piece Tama superstar classic custom in dark indigo burst! It's hardware is unmatched amongst all drum companies in that price range but my kit has all remos and with proper tuning/dampening it sounds as good if not equal to my new star classic kit, no joke. Tama in my opinion is just a better quality built kit compared to the competition with excellent sound quality. That's just my opinion though because I've owned multiple brands and nothing compares to Tama on every aspect. Saving now for my third Tama kit and it's going to be a Star series which is my dream kit.✌ brother
I agree !!! I have the armory kit. I put evans g2 heads on the Toms and the emad on the kick and it really sounds like a professional kit. You really don't need to spend a fortune now a days. The technology in drum making has come so far it's insane !!!
When I first saw this video in the list, I had flash backs to last year when I was searching for an intermediate kit. These were the exact kits I was considering except I was looking at the 7 piece (6 for Mapex). I would’ve loved to had this video. However, for me, this video reaffirmed my choice. I got the Mapex 6 piece Studioease kit. As it currently sits, I have the Tomahawk with Evans HD dry, Emad on the kick and Pinstripes on the tom batters and Ambassadors on the resos.. I also added the 8-inch tom. For the money, they just sound great. The bearing edge makes tuning pretty easy. My next dream is the Mapex Sledgehammer. Come on murder hornet stimulus!! Great video!
Dumbest idea drum companies ever dreamed up was mounting a cymbal and a drum to the same stand.... horrible resonant back feed acoustics from 2 completely different objects, also takes more time to setup and inconsistent drum positioning from one gig to the next. Not to mention the loose drum mounts and hardware to haul around.Then if the weight of the cymbal and stand doesn't counteract the weight of the tom along with cymbal stand feet positioning, that drum was not sturdy and liable to crashing over -cymbal/stand/drum- all at same time on a heavy song. And this is personal opinion .... a kit with toms on stands looks like a garage sale throw together job, not a factory set. Alright, I'll shut up and go back to what's enjoyable - gigging and efficiency.
I played a PDP CX Maple kit for almost 15 years and it sounded incredible, even in 700+ live rooms. I "upgraded" to a Crush E3 Sublime and it doesn't even compare to the PDP. Considering going back to PDP or just going to a different wood configuration altogether.
listened to the video very carefully...First of all, they all sound great.....A lot of Bang For The Buck!....My picks were #1- Gretsch Catalina Maple, #2-Pearl Decade, #3- Mapex Armory, #4-Tama Superstar, #5 PDP Concept Maple....By The Way- Great job on the Video!
I have the pdp and they’re great. They’ve always had great low end, and they hold up real well with heavy hitting. I would go for a different finish though.
How has the tom stand/L-arms held up on your PDP? I've played the Tama Superstar Classic and (sadly) wasn't impressed with their tom mount stand/L-arms that come standard on the Tama kit. I know PDP uses the 10.5mm L-arms as opposed to the 12.7mm L-arms found on the Gretsch for instance. You mentioned how well the PDP's hold up. Any additional info you might have time to provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I play an old pdp fs currently and am looking to upgrade soon. For me it’s between the pdp and the mapex probably. But damn, I really wish the pdp offered better finishes. The satins are clean but none of them blow me away. The mapex on the other hand has the most gorgeous finishes. Just unbelievable.
Thanks for posting this. I have a Gretsch Renown Maple kit and a Mapex Saturn V Exotic Deep Water Burl kit, and both are fantastic. My favorite on this video is between the Gretsch and Mapex, with the Pearl coming in a close 2nd.
I’ve been a Pearl guy since I bought my export series kit nearly 20 years ago. That being said, I really wanted them to be the best. That Mapex kit was beautiful and sounded so good!
One of the things that drew me to my Mapex Armory 6pc was the ultramarine gloss - an unbelievably gorgeous color!! One thing that Shane didn’t mention about the Armory is that you can trade in the tomahawk snare for other snare options for free directly from Mapex - I went with the Sabre snare which is a hybrid shell of Maple/walnut and sounds absolutely phenomenal!! One other selling point of the ultramarine gloss is there is a readily available 8” rack tom that can be added on. Also Shane was talking about no tom mount on the bass drum; honestly this design is to reduce vibration and let the bass drum stand alone to give you the best punch without ringing from the rack toms; also the soniclear mounts are top notch and do a fantastic job of letting the toms sing to their fullest. Just as I had originally planned I got a Pearl Icon rack and the Armory kit works just fine with the rack clamps and adapters. Up until I decided on my Armory kit I was deciding on either PDP concept maple or Gretsch Catalina maple and after having tried those two I’m glad I went with the Armory!! Also I’d like to know what mics were being used - I just picked up the Audix DP Quad set after reading great reviews.
This comparison really helped me make my decision on my new kit. All these kits r the ones I've been looking @. The Tamas r my pick. Love the 6.5 snare that goes with the kit, thanks for the awesome vid,
I find the information I get from this company these videos and from the player himself is what everybody needs to make their drum decision on purchasing a set everybody has to hear what they sound like first we don’t hear the same nobody does but to compare different sets like they do is AWSOME I play a 1976 Pearl fiberglass shell pack had them sinse new but when I hear other drums of today I’m overwhelmed how things have changed and progressed over the years
Thank you so much for posting this video Shane and Co. The drumming world sure has revolved from when I was coming up in the 60s.Alot of people like me couldn't afford the ludwig,Rogers, slingerland or gretsch.We bought the lower end drums.I couldn't have imagined getting to play anyone of these kits you demoed today.This unbelievable for under $1000.00.what a deal.
I am playing a previous Gretsch Catalina Club jazz kit, bought in 2013. It does give me inspiration, and it is a long time before I need a more expensive drum set (hopefully a Broacaster). So I am a Gretsch guy but, definitely all these kits sound nice. Indeed, the only issue at this price point are the snare drums, but a good snaredrum will cost 2/3 to a full price of these kits. What I appreciate about these videos is a very thorough comparison, with good sound engeneering and deatailed head-to-head comparisons. Also, the nice words and philosophy coming with this is, well, inspirational. Keep the good job going.:)
I have the mapex armory kit, 6 pc. And I am in love with the sound!! Even with stock heads tuned nicely, that 16" floor has a lot of throat and deep. I think my mapex sounds better than the one in this video, woth stock heads. In person is just a whole different thing. Couldn't decide between pdp, gretsch and mapex. Glad I got the mapex!
I have a Catalina maple myself and can confirm the Toms and bass are incredible. I even prefer how the bass sounds on this than the renowns. There is something magical about the Catalina maple bass drum. And the Toms have a warm round sound but it’s also a focused and penetrating without being in your face, and also sounds very organic. The other Toms in this comparison to me sound mechanical in comparison. Beautiful drums. Only thing is the Catalina maple snare I found wasn’t really as impressive. But I feel like one should really upgrade to a higher end snare regardless of kit anyway
I’ve gotta say that I’m hearing very few real differences between these kits. I think that personal preferences in what YOU like to hear will tip the decision in whichever way you wish to go. I’ve always loved PDP kits and have owned 3 over the years: CX, MX and LX. All were made in Mexico. Great sounding, durable, light, and cheap enough you’d take them anywhere and not worry. I played many gigs on that LX. I just ordered the 20th Anniversary kit and it looks like I’ll have to wait until July sometime to take delivery. I understand it’s the very first kit that’s going to Canada. Love this channel and drop by frequently.
Thanks for hard work in putting this comparison together. I want you to know that there are drummers who watch this carefully and your hard work is appreciated. I am going to checkout your store now. Thanks.
Tama edges it in the toms for me but the Mapex was very close behind.. even probably if you swapped the heads out. Throw in the fact that I liked the Mapex snare the best then if I was in the market for such a set, that is probably the one I would go for. Great video guys! 👍
You guys dropped this at the perfect time. I’ve been really into vintage sounds recently but I don’t own any kits with a modern sound. I wanted to have something for when I need that sound, without breaking the bank. I’ve been looking at the entry-level maple kits and have been considering all of these. Great sounds at a great price, especially in the used market. Thanks y’all 👍🏼
@@drumcenternh I'm gonna buy one of these kits by the end of the year, been playing the same worn out 70s birch kit for 14 years and It's time for a 2nd kit/upgrade!
I used to own a tama superstar years ago then i tried a pearl session studio and i was sold . pearl has that boomy sound on their toms that i like . the decade sounded the best in my opinion.
Great kits. I prefer the Tama since I’ve had two sets before. Absolutely love the 6 1/2 inch snare. The sizes in this demo are just perfect drum sizes for me. All of the sets sound well but the Mapex actually stood out. Thanks for a good review.
Thank you! We are really lucky! When I started playing drums this high end videos weren't out there! 13 years later I'm buying a first hand drumset for the first time (a dream comming true) and you are helping me a bunch!!!!
It’s unreal how amazing these lower budget kits sound these days. They honestly rival the high end kits in sound, and even in looks. I’d probably have to go with the Gretsch Catalina Maple though. PDP is a close second
You guys rule, You’re precise, you’re intelligent about your findings Which makes for a great company that you have and a force to be reckon with. Keep up the great work. Thanks so much for the information specially from an older drummer. Thanks again Mark Cinque
Trust me I always want to like anything involving DW the least but I think my favorite kit out of all of these is the PDP! I have never been a DW fan and they've always been overpriced and when I would play a much cheaper Yamaha or Tama I would throw the concept of DW right out the door but I got very interested in PDP when they came out with the concept maple wood hoop kits. Since you work in a music store can you tell me how good the quality control of PDP kits are? That's one thing that's really important to me and I feel like even yamaha's quality control has fallen off a little bit. Now as far as playing all these kits in person I haven't done that but I've played the Armory Suite by mapex multiple times and that is the most amazing kid I've ever played in my life for under $1,000. For me though I'm sadly going to say I like the sound of the PDP kit here even better than the Gretsch! 😂
Hey, I was about to ask for a back to back comparison, but luckily, you provided one, already ❤ thanks a lot for these videos, they help a lot. I'm no where near Portsmouth or New Hampshire, but if I was, I'd stop by, just cause I appreciate the amount of work you guys put into these videos to serve drummers world wide. Keep up the good work!
I understand wanting a bass drum mount, but the “virgin” bass drum on that Mapex makes such a difference in the sound. Putting a hole in any drum changes the tone and resonance.
@@bakedalaska4363 I’ve played both. I own both. It’s a matter of your ear and based on that your opinion. Without a doubt drilling a hole in a drum shell, changes both the tone and resonance of the drum. When the shell now has a hole for Tom mounts where wood used to be, its another exit for airflow. Why is it that they put rubber gaskets and seals around where they drilled the hole for the Tom mounts in that bass? To make up for the fact that it used to be completely sealed. My virgin bass sounds a lot fatter and has more of an attack than my drilled Tom mounted bass. To each his own. I prefer the sound of a virgin bass drum then that of a Tom mounted bass.
@@farshimelt The virgin Bass makes it a process to mount your Toms (either a drum rack or Tom mounts on the cymbal stands) but in my opinion the trade off on the the sound of the drum is well worth it.
I purchased the Pearl Decade Maple based on this review and it was absolutely SPOT ON! The quality of this drum set is very impressive and it sounds really sweet. I own 2 Pearl snares and play with Pearl Hi Hat and bass drum pedal and have always been impressed with the quality. Can't thank you enough.
can you tell me about the durability of the Decade Maples? Specifically the hardware? I've heard complaints about the PDP Concept L-arms/tom mounts for instance not being very durable, same with the Gretsch C Maple hardware being basically old Gibraltar parts etc. So I'm wondering about the Pearl stuff. How is the tom mount? Do the toms move a lot because the mount itself or connecting parts are unstable? How are the floor tom legs? Do you consider it to be able to take a pounding? My only complaint about vids/demos of these types is that they never seem to have a heavy hitter play the drums, or comment about the perceived durability over a long period of time etc. I've played on a Tama Superstar Classic and wasn't very impressed with the kit, particularly the hardware, so I'm trying to determine if any of these kits can really hold up for the long haul? Any info you could give on the Decade Maple's would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
I like the Mapex too, but agreeing with you , I would prefer to have tom rack on the Kick Drum. At 68 years old, and after a 50 year Hiatus, just rejoining an enjoyment in life, to play drums again, I will be shopping for an upgrade to my cheap Grammond starter set my wife got as a XMAS gift in 2018. I will never get out of the basement, but looking to be able to play along to music and tunes I think I can handle . If I can play half as good as you, I would have achieved a nice goal. At my age, arthritis DOES configure into your abilities, and creates limitation. But I still love it !!! I know: Practice, Practice, Practice. THX for your quality Videos.
I just messed around with a superstar classic and I was impressed! It was down to the Superstar classic or a Catalina maple and I think I’m going with the Gretsch. Both kits are outstanding though and really, there isn’t anything in this lineup that won’t work. (I’ve owned every brand now in this lineup haha). Furthermore, it’s really nice to be able to get a 3 up 2 down configuration for 1K. I also remember the days when a maple kit was financially prohibitive. I am 100% with you on having a bass drum tom mount; I’m sick of hanging drums off cymbal stands. Great content guys; thank you!
Great comparison! First set I got in ‘75 (college) was a Ludwig VistaLite “QuadraPlus” in clear amber. (Wish I would have kept them). After 40+ years of being off the drums, I’m going back to my favorite hobby… drums. This helped A LOT as I get the chops up, and settle in to choosing my new set. THANKS!
The video production in this demo is phenomenal. In fact, I can't think of a comparison video for any product that impressed me as much. I own the Gretsch Catalina Set in a 7 piece. It's so beautiful that I keep it in my living room - it's the focal point of the room. So with my heads of choice on, I've got Evans hydrolics on them now with an Evans coated head on the snare, it sounds the way I want my drums to sound. The entire 7 piece, purchased on sale, was $900, so I figure with the addition of new heads it totaled to around $1000. So, did I like any of the other sets more than the Gretsch? Actually, I liked them all - but it's the microphones and recording equipment that I'm envious of.
All of these kits would sound much better without stock heads. A Sonor AQ2 would have been a good addition to this comparison. Great demonstration and thanks for taking the time to show us how these drums actually sound and for all the hard work you put into it 👍
The Armory was my favorite. To have try those working in a drumshop also, I have to admit that Mapex really nailed it with this one. My second favorite was the Tama. That being said, all those kits will work and give a good sound for the price you pay. I think those kind of kit is among the best to gig with if you don't want your 6k $ drum kit being carried and thrown by people who doesn't care much that you do...
I have the armory studio ease shells, and I feel like the toms are not as loud as the rest of those kits… am I the only one with that opinion? And if you found the good heads to help having a decent volume… (best I have tried yet his emperor) thx!!
@@do8671 my roommate has the studio ease kit and I've been playing drums for about 30 years I think maybe they're just a lot warmer than the other Toms. What about the bass drum though and the snare drum? I assume you love both?
A few years ago, at tax time I bought my first brand new kit in like 20 years. I got the 7pc pdp concept maple kit. Id been salivating over this kit since it was called the x7. I've had WAAAAAY more expensive drums, a 6pc Ludwig Superclassic maple kit, a 5pc wood hoop Roy Ayotte kit, a set of Pearl Masters, yadi yada, but that was in a time money was less of an issue for me. When I got the pdp's I bought them knowing they'd be my last kit for life. I love my pdp's even if they've been in storage for a couple years since getting a Roland kit named "lock down" lol. Here's the thing, I took my time, researched all available options. At the time the options were in a 7pc maple kit, the pdp's, Tama whatever's they're called, and the Catalina kit. I was currently playing the 6pc Catalina kit. And it served me very well for a few years. I'd sanded off the lacquer by hand, and refinished them in natural. Didn't seem to be that big a deal when I started out on the 10. By the time I got to that 16x16 I felt differently lmao, but too late then right? Anyways, they were great, but being as I was already playing that kit, I wanted to try something different. Even though it's basically the same now lol. I never have had a DW kit, which is my dream kit. Honestly, I had a guy who was going to sell me a 5pc no snare shell pack of collectors series in broken glass wrap. Well, that's the year I got audited. Yay!! He eventually sold them, in September. Can't blame the guy since he'd been holding them since March. I looked at all the options in person, which if course ruled out the Tama's. They had the best finishes by miles, truly beautiful but the hardware looked awful to me. It's like they used the same hardware in these as the cheapo imperialStar kit with the meinl cymbal shaped disks all in one. I ruled the gretachdgse out since I already had those. The PDP'S were honestly always going to be the way I went and I knew it, so I got them. Now, when I saw less than 2 months later, Pearl had decided to say "hold my beer, watch this" and came out with the Decade Maple 7pc set, I was just a tinge upset. Why? I mean, look at those! I got my Concepts in the pearl metallic white color. I love white drums, and whatcha know, here's a Pearl kit, in FLAT white! All the sudden, all that chrome I initially loved on my pdp's, seemed excessive to me. Pearl had went a different route, bad the mounts, and lug casings were all really low mass, and let that beautiful white "not" shine so well! If I'd have waited 2 more months, I'd without any doubt at all be playing a Pearl kit no... Well, whenever I can't stand it anymore and bust out my loud drums again. Man, they truly did come out swinging on that whole 7pc maple under a g, segment. Wonderful drums. I do think that before my days are over, I'll have traded out of my pdp's into that flat white 7pc Pearl kit. Stunning drums, and I've always loved Pearl. Most of my hardware and snare drums are all Pearl now, and I'm disappointed for researching and waiting for 3 or 4 years on a kit, to in the end jump the gun by a couple months. Yay! I still love my pdp's though. I'm not talk to typing this so they don't hear me lol
What a great video, Shane and company. These are the videos that are most helpful to me as a gigging drummer/hopefully soon to be gigging. The deluxe, most expensive drums are fun to hear and drool over, but not practical for most of us. Same goes for cymbals. Those Paiste 900's are a serious value for money, in my opinion. Anyway, take care, y'all!
I agree its Hard To Lug around my cherished yamaha kit for a $ 100 a night . If we ever get back to Gigging Although it doesn't seem as important . Hope i'm wrong.
Man! As a drummer who started my journey 20 years ago I thought I had it pretty good with my Pearl Export with the ridiculous Tom depths 😂 I wish I was a new drummer now a days, these are awesome! I’d even consider one of these if I wanted to add a maple kit to my collection.
I own the Mapex Armory 6 piece kit, in night sky burst. Probably the nicest finish, I've ever seen on any kit, at any price range. Looks like a 2000.00 kit. They sound amazing too ( with upgraded heads.)
I’d luv to see a comparison of the next level of price/quality up from these . Best shell pack for $1500 Gretsch Renown , Pearl session select , Tama , Yamaha Tour custom , Mapex Saturn , DW design , but no option from Ludwig in that budget 😞🤷♂️👎🏼
Drum Center of Portsmouth then do all of the high end kits too like dw collectors, pearl reference, mapex Saturn, tama star classic, grestch Brooklyn, Yamaha Phx
@@drumcenternh yea i would love that video its the price point im looking at. Entry level pro kits 1k -2k range. Maybe a maple yamaha, starclassic, masters custom, mapex saturn?
Fantastic video and information. It really is hard to choose or pick from the drums you show cased but I think I will be going grestch .I have had pearl for the past 30 years .Thanks again from Australia
Don't forget: the hardware and cymbals can skyrocket the price of your drum set, even higher than what these cost. If I had to pick a first acoustic drum kit, I'd be looking at these as my first choice or at least a birch one. I think any one of these kits will make you a happy drummer!
