Okay, so how are the DW Collectors'/Performance series drums?

JesusMySavior

JesusMySavior

Silver Member
I asked about the Pearl Masters' kits earlier this week, some say yay, some say nay. I have no decent places in my locale that would even carry stuff like this (largest city is sioux falls and they only carry intermediate kits at their music stores including GC). It would require me to travel a far distance to try one.

Seeing as some say the Pearl Masters are hard to tune, and I haven't mastered tuning in the slightest, how are the DWs for tuning, stability, reliability, and tone?

Looking at either the Collectors or the Performance (which I know are similar just different finish choices). How are they?
 
Buddy. You aren't going to go through every kit are you. They are all good. Just pick the one you think is the prettiest, if you don't care about the sound. :)
 
I have a 6pc DW Collectors Series Maple and I think its great. I have owned the kit since new in 2005 and have played many shows with it. Never had a single issue and always get compliments on the sound and looks. It has a really wide tuning range and a powerful, deep sound.
 
I'm not in love with the huge round lugs they cover the drums with but I played an eco-x the other week and liked it alot. I haven't played any other dw's but the store clerk told me they sounded very close to maple collectors so I would give them the thumbs up.
 
If you can stand the wait, get a performance series. It's amazing value considering what a new Collectors would set you back - just change the stock heads, as regardless of what DW will try and fob you off with, the stock heads suck. (They are the same heads a Collectors comes with though). If you're not bothered about new then go for a Collectors. Assuming, of course, that you have played and fallen in love with the DW sound. If not try something else...
 
I doubt you will hear anything negative about DW except for the size and shape of the lugs and the price. I feel the Pearls are easier to tune. But not by a huge margin or anything. I own a set of DW's and Pearls. Pearl is a thicker shell. DW is a thinner shell and will flex more, so slower, very even tensioning is the name of the game there. I recommend turning the rods in small increments for any drum though, but on a thinner shell, I think it's more critical. I think the Pearls are more forgiving to a person who turns close to a full turn at a time. After the head makes contact with the shell, I recommend using 1/8th turns on a lug, go to the opposite lug for 1/8th turn, and make your way around the drum.

If they made a way to turn all 6 or 8 rods at once, that would be the ideal way to tension a drum. It's when the head is not parallel with the shell on both the X and Y axis', (so extremely important for a pure tone) that's what gives you the wonky overtones.
 
larryace said:
If they made a way to turn all 6 or 8 rods at once, that would be the ideal way to tension a drum. It's when the head is not parallel with the shell on both the X and Y axis', (so extremely important for a pure tone) that's what gives you the wonky overtones.
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I remember Arbiter with its single lug tuning system. I wonder how they were and what happened to them?
 
JesusMySavior said:
I asked about the Pearl Masters' kits earlier this week, some say yay, some say nay. I have no decent places in my locale that would even carry stuff like this (largest city is sioux falls and they only carry intermediate kits at their music stores including GC). It would require me to travel a far distance to try one.

Seeing as some say the Pearl Masters are hard to tune, and I haven't mastered tuning in the slightest, how are the DWs for tuning, stability, reliability, and tone?

Looking at either the Collectors or the Performance (which I know are similar just different finish choices). How are they?
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With all due respect, if you haven't mastered the procedures of tuning, there's no drum kit that you can buy that will tune itself. You're looking at some very expensive kits, so being educated in tuning should be a priority on your list. Get one on one lessons on tuning from an experienced drum teacher if at all possible. Even with one or two sessions, you'll at least know the ins and outs, after that is just training your ear. It's not difficult but does take time, just as it takes time to get proficient with playing drums. I never had any problems tuning Pearl products, just like any other. You know what your goal is, experience will get you there.

Dennis
 
sticks4drums said:
Buddy. You aren't going to go through every kit are you. They are all good. Just pick the one you think is the prettiest, if you don't care about the sound. :)
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Yeah because I just have $1500 to play eenie-minie-moe with.

pfft.
 
larryace said:
I doubt you will hear anything negative about DW except for the size and shape of the lugs and the price.
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Hey Larry, go to www.pearldrummersforum.com

Here we have Pearl hate.
There they have DW hate.

The experts over there will tell you how DW uses cheap generic lugs, rods and screws, how their plies separate, their shell technology is just marketing hype, they sound "ok", "meh", "nothing special", etc...

Pretty much everything the experts say about Pearl around here, they say about DW over there. Go figure. ;)

Cheers
 
diegobxr said:
Hey Larry, go to www.pearldrummersforum.com

Here we have Pearl hate.
There they have DW hate.

The experts over there will tell you how DW uses cheap generic lugs, rods and screws, how their plies separate, their shell technology is just marketing hype, they sound "ok", "meh", "nothing special", etc...

Pretty much everything the experts say about Pearl around here, they say about DW over there. Go figure. ;)

Cheers
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That is why you "don't take our word for it" go try for yourself. I need to make up stickers and t shirts.
 
Pearls are not hard to tune. Any drumset can be tuned as longs they are built right and the bearing edges are true and the shells are not out of round. Dw's can be tough to tune if you are just starting to learn how to tune drums. They are thinned shelled drums and as others have said need a little bit of care to dial them in. They sound great but so do many other high end kits. Go onto YouTube and watch the videos by Memphis drum shop, forks and others who will demo the set for you. Use headphones and they will give you a general idea of the sound of the kit.

1800 bucks will get you a performance DW kit. 1400 will get you Gretsch renown maples which are excellent for the money. Yamaha doesn't, make a bad kit and they are easy to tune. On second tought for 1500 buy a set of mapex saturns. Great drums....
 
Hazelwood7 said:
1800 bucks will get you a performance DW kit. 1400 will get you Gretsch renown maples which are excellent for the money. Yamaha doesn't, make a bad kit and they are easy to tune. On second tought for 1500 buy a set of mapex saturns. Great drums....
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True...true...you'll need at least another grand for a 4 piece Collectors. That's not including the snare, and assumes you buy brand new. Nice used DDubs online. Can't comment on that because I lack the used DW experience. The Performance's are nice kits I hear.
 
Collectors and Performance series drums are both decent sets, if you like that sound. They are easy to tune, however the special tension rods they use with more threads per inch make them take longer to tune/replace heads, but make it easier to fine-tune once you get in the neighborhood.

I have a set of Collectors Series, and they sound GREAT, especially in the studio. There are better kits for the money out there, but these are top-notch kits. Find a kit used if you can...there are plenty out there for cheap right now!
 
Very good drums; both series.

The $ will vary a LOT depending on what you want. If you are buying new, expect a floor of ~$1400 for a Performance 4 piece (w/snare) or ~$1800-$2200 for a Collectors 3 piece (no snare). From there, it is more $ for more drums and fancier finishes. You could probably spend 7-8K on an exotic Collectors 6 or 7 piece.

Its like a lot of companies though. Pro drum sets usually start in the $1200-2K range and go up from there. I'd decide what product (sizes/config/finishes...) before you narrow down brands.

Personally, I've played the game and waited for "deals" to pop up for the kits I've bought; both Craigslist and new. I walked out of Guitar Center in March with a new (clearance) 5 piece Collectors kit in a finishply for $2200 and only $1300 cash after trading in my old kit. Had that been a Starclassic, I'd be a Tama guy now; a Masterworks, I'd be a Pearl guy... you get the point.
 
So far, all us guys that have bought a Performance kit absolutely love them. I've got mine in the Black Mirra finish, and there is absolutely nothing to complain about with these drums. They tuned up very easily, they're loud, with lots of resonance and low-end, and the finish is absolutely stunning.
 
KBeatle97 said:
So far, all us guys that have bought a Performance kit absolutely love them. I've got mine in the Black Mirra finish, and there is absolutely nothing to complain about with these drums. They tuned up very easily, they're loud, with lots of resonance and low-end, and the finish is absolutely stunning.
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Agree...those are really nice finishes.
 
KBeatle97 said:
So far, all us guys that have bought a Performance kit absolutely love them. I've got mine in the Black Mirra finish, and there is absolutely nothing to complain about with these drums. They tuned up very easily, they're loud, with lots of resonance and low-end, and the finish is absolutely stunning.
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I want to echo KB and add, the kick drum sounds phenomenal IMO.
 
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