dw Classics Series

leonellis

Junior Member
Has anyone heard/played a set of these? I'm intrigued as to the sound of the poplar/mahogany wood combination. I had a 69 Ludwig set that...well let's not get into that- ...it's gone now.... Anyway it was made of similar wood combo and just curious if any opinions out there as to dw's version- Thanks-
 
I played one in a drumshop. They sounded really good. They were , 12tt, 14ft, 16ft ,22bd ,14sd in white marine pearl. They had $8500. on them. Good drums but not that good. For that sort of money you could get a pearl reference which are far better drums than the DW classics.
 
I've played DW drums many times, the Collectors, Eco and the Jazz series, I never played their Classic series. I was under the impression that the shells were all made from maple, but I could be wrong. DW drums sound very good, but there are better sounding drums to my ears. When I bought two of my last three kits, DW drums were in the running, but lost out. Here in the states DW prices are much more realistic, I guess it all depends on the economy in other parts of the world. The Five Star drum shop in my area has a new DW 6 piece Collectors kit for about $3700 USD.and a 5 piece Jazz kit in Exotic wood shells for about $4100, among many others. There is a lot of hype and marketing going into the DW name. You should always buy with your ears.

Dennis
 
If you watch the Rock and Roll Hall of fame concert, you will see Max Weinberg playing a DW Classics 4. pc kit. I know that may not be the best way to judge a set.... always go and audition any set of interest. I am not a DW protagonist (there very well could be one in my future). I do understand that they are a bit more soft-spoken than the DW maples. I've heard mixed reviews about the value of the Pearl Reference Series, as well. I understand that they are Chinese made shells with some sort of microwave pressure gluing process on the plies of the shells.... ?????? It kind of makes me think of the Yamaha Phoenix hybrid shells.... which I would probably be more likely to consider for that kind of money. It is subjective and comes down to taste, ego and sometimes product loyalty.
 
...I bought a Classic kit last September.

I had been drooling over it for almost two years before pulling the trigger on the deal. The shell pack consisted of a 22x14, 12x8, 14x14, 16x16, and 14x5" snare in the vintage marine pearl finish. I do not know how these drums would stack up sound wise to the vintage, or new classic Ludwigs, but compared to my collectors kit (24x16, 13x9, 16x16, 14x6) these drums have all the warmth, and BOOM, with much stronger projection. I swapped the snare with a 13x5.5" Craviotto, which to my ears gives me a tighter more cohesive overall sound.



Here they are in the 22, 14, 12 combo. I had tried a few different head combos, but find the stock coated ambo top and bottom to give me the best sound. Two ply heads just turn these into cardboard.



As far as cost goes, these drums had sat in the shop for a couple of years, so I was able to work out a very favorable deal, which incidently was less than what it would have cost me for a similar Star Classic, or Pearl Refference kit.

I also ordered a 24x14" bass and a 13x9" rack tom to complete a second kit. These drums were priced the same as the collectors with the specialty lacquer finish.

Barry
 
I've heard mixed reviews about the value of the Pearl Reference Series, as well. I understand that they are Chinese made shells with some sort of microwave pressure gluing process on the plies of the shells.... ??????.

Chinese... microwave???

Pearl SST

"Pearl’s Superior Shell Technology utilizes a proprietary technique for achieving the ultimate air chamber. It begins with select woods chosen for their unique acoustic attributes, milled to precise thickness with overlapping scarf joint seams, for a perfect air-tight fit. The wood plies are saturated with Pearl’s proprietary “AcoustiGlue” that permeates every pore and dries to the exact consistency of the wood for optimum resonance. Finally, the plies are formed in high-temperature molds with 1000 PSI of hydraulic pressure to produce perfect drum shells that exhibit superior tone, optimal resonance and extreme strength."
 
My understanding from a couple friends who own them as a heavy-use replacement for their vintage gear is that they're more Slingerland than Ludwig.
 
Artstar... I had an interest in the Reference at one time, and was told by a seller/dealer on the west coast, that they were Chinese made shells and that they used some sort of high temperature pressurized gluing process, which made the glue molten between the plies. I could've misunderstood the description. My interest waned once I got a price. I've since got a set of DW Classics and I love them. They are a 4 piece with a 24" bass, 12" suspended and 16" floor in broken glass. They are with a matching broken glass Edge snare. I wish I could post a picture but my files are too large and I am not sure how to reduce them for the forum. I thought maybe I could email or pm someone with a pic, and they could post for me.
 
Reference and Masterworks are made in Taiwan, I think.
I have not heard the Jazz Series DW's yet, but I know a few people who I consider "anti-DW" that love the Jazz Series sound compared to the Collector's.
 
It may have been Taiwan.... once I'd gotten the price, my thinking could've been warped by the shock. I did consider the Jazz Series, but I live near Dallas and was not finding either the Jazz or the Classics series to demo. I did see the RR hall of fame concert and thought the Classics would be worth looking into. At the time I had two vintage kits... a Gretsch and a Rogers. I found a used (just like new) Classics kit in Austin and made the trip to play them. I would not return without them. They do seem to have the warmth of the Slingerland RK era kits but the shells have a Gretsch-esque resonant quality. I've heard some poorly tuned Collectors Series kits and was unimpressed at times. Conversely, I've heard some of them sound great. I guess the Classics are more to my liking. I sold my Gretsch kit to Chris Hesse with Hoobastank and bought the Classics. They will be in my will.
 
...I bought a Classic kit last September.

I had been drooling over it for almost two years before pulling the trigger on the deal. The shell pack consisted of a 22x14, 12x8, 14x14, 16x16, and 14x5" snare in the vintage marine pearl finish. I do not know how these drums would stack up sound wise to the vintage, or new classic Ludwigs, but compared to my collectors kit (24x16, 13x9, 16x16, 14x6) these drums have all the warmth, and BOOM, with much stronger projection. I swapped the snare with a 13x5.5" Craviotto, which to my ears gives me a tighter more cohesive overall sound.



Here they are in the 22, 14, 12 combo. I had tried a few different head combos, but find the stock coated ambo top and bottom to give me the best sound. Two ply heads just turn these into cardboard.



As far as cost goes, these drums had sat in the shop for a couple of years, so I was able to work out a very favorable deal, which incidently was less than what it would have cost me for a similar Star Classic, or Pearl Refference kit.

I also ordered a 24x14" bass and a 13x9" rack tom to complete a second kit. These drums were priced the same as the collectors with the specialty lacquer finish.

Barry

i have your kit so many times on this forum!

looks classy!

<3

Elliot
 
I wish I could post a picture of my Classics kit but the forum says that my files are too big when I try to attach them. If someone could allow me to email them to their email and post them... it would be much appreciated.
 
I played one in a drumshop. They sounded really good. They were , 12tt, 14ft, 16ft ,22bd ,14sd in white marine pearl. They had $8500. on them. Good drums but not that good. For that sort of money you could get a pearl reference which are far better drums than the DW classics.

That sounds like list/retail. Was it?
 
If you shop... you can purchase that kit in that configuration in the closer to $4K range. Maybe a little over.
 
I wonder how the dw classics compare (soundwise) to Ludwig Legacy, given the shell composition.

I own a Legacy Classic and I have played a DW Classics series kit many times at my local drum shop and to me they both sound great.The Legacy Classic is louder volume wise and has more attack than the DW Classics. The DW Classics are very fat round sounding drums.They sound great, but I prefer the sound of the Legacy Classics.The Legacy Classics have a bit more sharpness to the stick attack .
 
Reference and Masterworks are made in Taiwan, I think.
I have not heard the Jazz Series DW's yet, but I know a few people who I consider "anti-DW" that love the Jazz Series sound compared to the Collector's.

I own a set of Jazz Series - 12-14-18-22 & 6.5x14.

It's my favorite kit. Definitely has the Gretsch thing happening, great, full sound, warm in all the right places. Super responsive on tuning, GREAT bass drum, the snare is nuts. Sounds amazing under mics.

Quite different from the Classics to be sure.
 
Chonson... I looked throughout the Dallas area for both the Classic Series and Jazz Series and could not find either to demo. I would have liked to have played the Jazz Series. I've heard very positive reviews. I had a Gretsch stop sign badge kit for 16 years and found them to be a little different from the earlier Gretsch (round badge) drums. Loved them just the same. They are what I sacrificed to get my Classic Series DW's. The Classics are often compared to the Slingerlands but I see trade-offs. They are fat and warm but just more resonant. They seem to project a little more than I expected. I've not had a chance to mic them yet. I have a feeling I would have liked the Jazz Series, as well. They just aren't out there to be heard. I don't know why music stores don't have either of these series on their floors. I am sure there are people who don't go for the Collectors but would find something in both of those series.
 
...my drums came in.



24x14, 16x16, 13x9, 14x5.5" snare. I am just tinkering, puttering, and dialing them in. So far, I am very impressed. These drums are warm, and boomy, like my collectors, but there is a noticible increase in the projection, and volume.



I am using an Aquarian SKI batter, Fibreskyn res on the bass, vintage emp/renaisance res on the snare, and vintage A coated top and bottom on the toms.



I can't wait to give these a really good test drive.

Barry
 
Back
Top