Do we really need expensive drums?

Hollywood Jim

Platinum Member
Last night at my jam night a drummer brought in a really nice expensive snare drum. It was a 1960’s Slingerland chrome on brass 14” X 6.5” snare drum. A beautiful drum. All of the drummers were drooling over it. Me too. The guy said he would sell it for $600. I would love to have it.

So he gets up to play my drum set and he sets up the Slingerland snare. This guy is a pretty good hard rock drummer. The band was playing some pretty loud rock and pop music. His snare sounded good, nice deep tone, nice crack. After the first song the snare wires came loose because the snare strings broke. So he had to put my backup snare back on the stand. (I don’t let the jam drummers play on my vintage Ludwig snare) My backup snare is a Horner student snare I brought for $50.

Well, I have to tell you that my $50 Horner snare drum sounded almost exactly like the $600 Slingerland snare. This drummer is a hard hitter.

The reason I am posting this is to make this point; sometimes we stress over how this or that drum will sound when we play on it. We really should be more concerned with our technique and how we play the drums. It is that same old thing we have heard many times. How a great drummer can make a pile of crap drum set sound good.

And I think when we play the drums at loud volumes it covers up the variations in tones and sounds of the drums. For instance on jam night I have a $10 Sabian B8 crash cymbal that I set up. I let the jam drummers beat it to death. At loud volumes I think it sounds OK from where the audience sits. But when played softly, to me it sounds like a trash can lid.

.
 
I have no doubt what you heard, especially in a loud live setting.

The real nuances/differences I think might come out more during recording, and via the truth of microphones. Just as an example, that may be why Supras were used so much for recording, they just did well there. But live they may sound like many other cheaper snares. Those recordings/comparisons of snares alone that you hear on you tube are quite revealing, but could not really be heard with other loud guitars and bass.

As always the majority of the sound made is the responsibility of the drummer.
 
I agree that the musician makes the instrument sound good.

But I think the better instruments allow good musicians to express themselves more fully. They'll have a better dynamic range, will feel better to play, will look better, and will last longer. All of that can lead to increased confidence and better playing.

(It's always amazed me that very high end snares can cost as much as a pro kit, or 7 beginner kits.)
 
There's few things that I want to express.

Fist is that when overall volume increases, dynamics tend to suffer. If every hit is hard, you will lose what soft and medium have to offer. Dynamic range is often sacrificed for intensity. If you're going to hit a snare like an animal all the time (which is called for in many musical pieces), then the choice of shell, wires, tensions, head, vintage becomes arbitrary.

The second thing is that the instruments themselves become a piece of art in their own right. Once a craftsman has perfected the quality and sound of an instrument, where does he go from there. Look at a Gretsch Renown versus a USA Custom as a perfect example. The USA Custom's sonic advantage is minimal when compared to it's no-frills Taiwanese copy, but the artistic expression (finishes/inlay/customized sizes) is where the value difference lies. Renowns are really nice. The USA Gretsch kits are beyond nice.

The last thing I want to mention is that very few individuals are able to perceive the differences in complexity between two distinctly different cymbals. To an untrained ear, a crash makes a "crash" sound no matter that the label/brand says. A B8 and a K-Custom will sound the same, in the same way a factory chicken and a free range chicken taste the same to most people. Without constant exposure to the variety, we lose perspective.

So you're correct. We don't need expensive drums, but they're certainly nice to have, an I'm really glad they're around. I'm also happy the cheap stuff is around as well, so I don't have to destroy my nice stuff when I play like an animal.
 
Expensive drums are for ppl who can hear a difference, cheap drums are for those who can't afford it.

Since sound is subjective, there'll always be a place for expensive drums and some will have a need to placate their subjectivity.

At its best a drum is round, everything after that is subjective. A $50 drum can be as round as a $2000 drum.
 
But I think the better instruments allow good musicians to express themselves more fully. They'll have a better dynamic range, will feel better to play, will look better, and will last longer. All of that can lead to increased confidence and better playing.

Good points. Looking Better, lasting longer and increased confidence are absolutely worth $omething.
 
The second thing is that the instruments themselves become a piece of art in their own right.

Great point about an instrument as a piece of art.

.
 
Just a point of information Jim.Slingerland wasn't making any COB snares in 1960.They didn't start production on the soundking, festival and Krupa COB models till 1962-3,so that guy was mistaken about the production year.They also don't sell for 600 bucks either.You can pick one up in 5 or 6.5 on ebay for usually under 200,more for a pristine example.Slingerland COB snares,and drums are another bargain in the used drum world.I picked up a 5x14 sound king COB snare several months ago in very good shape for 150,from ebay.

I also agree in some circumstances,a cheapo snare can sound every bit as good as a more expensive drum,especially when played with loud live music.In a studio though,the characteristics of the more expensive snare will become aparent

Steve B
 
Expensive drums are for ppl who can hear a difference,...


I'd modify that slightly to; Expensive drums are for ppl who can hear a difference, and can afford them.

On the other hand, lots of what's involved in making some drums more expensive, doesn't necessarily translate into a better sound. Some of it is purely cosmetics.
 
I don't think "need" was ever the issue.
Exactly this.
You could extend this to "do we really need drums at all"?
I mean, it's not like we'd all die if all drums were suddenly purged from the earth (though I'm sure many would disagree with this statement) : )
 
Originally Posted by Zickos
"I don't think "need" was ever the issue."

Exactly this.
I mean, it's not like we'd all die if all drums were suddenly purged from the earth (though I'm sure many would disagree with this statement) : )

Yes, Zickos made the best statement of all.

No drums on earth? Ahhhhhhhh..........
Someday I might tell you what happened to me when I quit playing drums. It was ugly.

.
 
Originally Posted by Zickos
"I don't think "need" was ever the issue."



Yes, Zickos made the best statement of all.

No drums on earth? Ahhhhhhhh..........
Someday I might tell you what happened to me when I quit playing drums. It was ugly.

.

Hey I'd love to hear it (lest a similar fate befalls me- I'll have some idea what to do)! : )
 
I need all of my drums, both expensive and not so expensive :)
 
Its not just the sound we pay for:

More expensive drums usually have better hardware
Might come with better heads
Might be made in a high labour cost country
Might be made from exotic woods
Might have inlays or other time consuming finishes
Might be custom made or in small batches
Might have expensive to produce design features
Might have somebody's name on it that can command a premium
Might have a strong brand value

For the drum manufacturers it's all about differentiation. With differentiation a higher price can be asked. The above list is some examples.
 
I get the whole "I sound the same on anything" mentality. In fact, I do sound the same on everything I play as I've discovered throughout my career. However, I noticed that other than a few experimentations with some low- to -mid-level drum kits, I've always played expensive drums.

I guess I came up in a different era - yes, the big four (Ludwig, Rogers, Slingerland, and Gretsch) cranked out student-level gear in the 70s (when I started playing), but my family wasn't aware of this and started me out on the then "top shelf" stuff, and back then, that's all the big makers made: it was either top shelf, or student. Tama, Yamaha and Pearl simply didn't compete then and manufacturers didn't make a multitude of different lines which I've always felt just confuses the potential buyers. My only choice was pro, or not.

It was very much the same thing with cymbals from the big two (Z and P). Your only choice was either the really crappy seconds they made under a different name, or you had A's or 2002s (or 602s), and that was it.

And I need to keep in mind that for most of my playing career, I've always played a Ludwig Supraphonic, and only in the last few years have finally gravitated to a 6.5 Supra, and into some wood snares, my Pearl SSC being my favorite right now, but the Supra still travels with me too. So if your snare drum is your voice, then I've had pretty much the same one all these years, and the Supra isn't considered an uber-expensive one - it does what it does and just works.

But like owning any kind of tool, I am not into having something break on me during a gig. This is why I would always opt to put my best foot forward with the pro-level stuff. It's not that I want to show off the money I burn on gear, I don't want something failing on me when I least expect it. Ask any plumber or construction worker (or other professional) if he'd forego his good tools for any job and I doubt you'd find any who would. Larry's an electrical guy - I'm sure he's not depending on Radio Shack tools for his livlihood. So I don't either.

That's why I want expensive drums, every time I go out.
 
To answer the Thread title - no, we don't need expensive drums.

But.....we want them

I have some MIJ snare drums that I like to play as much as any of my very expensive drums....and they look nice too.

Here are some of my MIJ snares....Red Sparkle Apollo and WMP Stewart..
I love these drums. My Grandmother bought me one for Christmas in 64 and that started my lifelong (so far) drumming experience. R.I.P. Grama Lowrie..

I think tuned well with the right heads and as long as the bearing edges are good most cheap snare drums sound very good.
 

Attachments

  • STEWART AND APOLLO SNARES.JPG
    STEWART AND APOLLO SNARES.JPG
    134.8 KB · Views: 1,217
I've always played expensive drums.
But like owning any kind of tool, I am not into having something break on me during a gig. This is why I would always opt to put my best foot forward with the pro-level stuff.

Your logic makes sense. And if I ever start playing in venues other than bars, where most of the audience is outside having a smoke, I will invest in some nice professional gear.

Thanks for your input Bo.

.
 
Back
Top