DW Frequent Flyer Kit

taiko

Senior Member
I've just purchased one of the first DW Design Series Frequent Flyer kits and thought I would offer my initial thoughts on the kit. It has a 12 x 20 bass drum, 11 x 14 floor tom, and 8 x 12 tom tom with 5 x 14 snare. The design is simple and aimed at being easy to use and carry.

Construction
Well, it's DW, so it's superb. Not much to say beyond that. Everything is flawless. What I do like about the kit is that the hardware is light, yet sturdy. The bass drum mount for the tom is very nicely done. It's light and very easy to use and position. I'm quite impressed by this. Bass drum spurs are simple, elegant, and sturdy. Snare has the MAG throw off, but does not have the three position butt. The hardware is very nicely complemented by the DW 6000 series hardware that I have, to have a very easily transportable kit. Bearing edges are perfect, wrap is perfect, etc. I bought the White Onyx finish ply and it looks
wonderfully retro.

Sound
Of course, what matters most is the sound--and they sound great. They have a warm full tone. I put Acquarian Modern Vintage II heads on all of the drums and really love the sound. The bass drum comes with the DW pillow, which I don't like. With the MVII head on the batter side (with the built in felt) and a felt strip on the resonant side, the drum sounds amazing. I tend to prefer 20" over 18" bass drums for jazz, and this has the full depth of sound of a 20" bass drum. I like the sound better than a couple of 16 x 20 bass drums I've had (including a Ludwig Classic Maple). Toms sound very clear and warm. Once I removed the Remo/DW center dot head and put on an MV head, I liked the snare quite a bit, too. I have no complaints about the sound of this kit--in fact, I love it.

Use
I think it will be quite versatile, but I play mostly in small combo jazz groups. I think it will work great for trio or quartet work or even for larger groups. The bass drum has enough oomph that it should be acceptable for a big band as well.

Basically, I think DW has hit a home run here. This kit sounds wonderful and looks good doing it. It has all of the typical DW quality elements and is easy to move around. I've had several small, travel kits, including a Taye GoKit and Gretsch Catalina Club Street. None of them even come close to the DW. It's a bit bigger than the others, but it's worth it. I thought the Taye kit sounded really bad. The Gretsch kit is ok. The DW kit is fantastic. Of course, it costs more too--Taye kit is around $700, Gretsch around $600, and DW around $1200. The DW is worth the extra money, without a question.

I'm taking it on its first gig on Tuesday and will add anything that comes to mind. But if you want a compact, easy to move kit that sounds top notch, then the DW Frequent Flyer kit is the one you are looking for. I have some very good sounding drums, including a Canopus Neo Vintage bop kit and a Gretsch New Classic bop kit and I've owned kits like a Gretsch USA Customs in the past. This comparatively inexpensive DW is right in there with the best I've owned.
 
In my opinion, DW has done the exact right thing here. Make the drums shallower instead of reducing the diameters. 20x12 is an excellent portable size and it still sounds like a bass drum. I also love the small lug.

As I said on another forum, it's the depths, stupid.

Pics please.
 
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So nothing groundbreaking, a kit with a shallow bass drum. One of my beater kits has a 14x10 FT, even smaller than the DW, I put it on a snare stand.

Other than my kick being deeper (which I could easily remedy), what's the big hoo-hah at $1200?
 
Here are some pictures of the DW kit with my Paiste 602s.
 

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So nothing groundbreaking, a kit with a shallow bass drum. One of my beater kits has a 14x10 FT, even smaller than the DW, I put it on a snare stand.

Other than my kick being deeper (which I could easily remedy), what's the big hoo-hah at $1200?

Hmm. I would put the big hoo-hah at their sound. They sound great. Also, the hardware is rather light--tom legs are aluminum, for example, and the BD spurs are very simple. If you go to the DW website, they also talk about how it will fit into standard sized cases for airlines. I don't much care about this.

So for me, the hoo-hah is that they are great sounding drums at a nice price. And added to that, they travel quite well for gigs.
 
The hoo-hah:

  • A more portable kit that doesn't sound like a toy.
  • North American maple shells.
  • Aluminum hardware and small lugs for lightness.
  • Reasonable price point.

Not seeing a down side.
 
Thanks taiko for your detailed review. What are your impressions of the snare? In this price range snare drums included in shell packs are often disappointing. Are you planning to use the snare that came with this kit when you play out next week? Also, are the hoops 2.3 mm?
 
I saw these at NAMM. They seemed really cool.

I like the finish, but I hope they eventually offer a few more options.

Thanks for the review!
 
I don't think $1200 is really a lot for a north american maple DW kit. Looks really beautiful to me. Seems like DW has another winner.
 
Thanks taiko for your detailed review. What are your impressions of the snare? In this price range snare drums included in shell packs are often disappointing. Are you planning to use the snare that came with this kit when you play out next week? Also, are the hoops 2.3 mm?

YEs, they are 2.3mm. My impressions of the snare are good. I've only played it a little, but so far, after getting the right head on the batter side, I think it sounds pretty good. It is fairly crisp and I guess I would describe it as medium dry. But I've only played it for a little while, so I don't have a strong sense of it yet. It certainly is not the kind of crappy snare that usually comes with smaller kits like the Gretsch Catalina Club. I haven't decided if I will use it for the gig. I'll probably bring it along, but I may use my DW knurled brass snare.
 
You guys think these would ever of gotten ANY attention if they did'nt have a cute name ?

Yes, I do. This kit fits into a nice niche. It's not cheap and low-end like quite a few of the smaller, light kits. It is a kit with a sound I feel comfortable taking on gigs, but it isn't so expensive that I feel uncomfortable having it in less than wonderful areas of town. To my ears, it sounds far better than kits like the Gretsch Catalina Club and is also better than the Taye Studio Maple. Subjective, yes, I know. But I can't think of another kit that puts together DW quality, great sound, light weight, and good looks at this price.
 
Congrats and welcome to the dw family!

The kit looks great! Im pretty sure it sounds great. The price range isnt all that bad. Are the shells thin and have rings?
 
I think it looks like a winner. I would pay 200.00 less if they would lose the snare drum. Most have great snares we already like or love. $1000.00 would be a good fit.
 
Come on guys, you can always buy "_____" drums for "less money" and blah blah blah. Who cares? Why so much drama about DW's ? Always. Sick of it.

Nice kit, I really like it. I'm sure they sound great and I have no doubt they are worth every bit of $1200. I heard the Peter Erskine demo of these, was impressed. I'm primarily a Yamaha fanboy but have a set of DW's too. Welcome to the family!

Neal
 
Nice kit. Although I think if I were frequently flying, you might want to look at Sonor's Players kit, which is essentially the same thing being sold by retailers for $449.00. I know, the Sonor's are probably a mystery wood, but there are enough of us who've had good luck with Sonor Safari's and Bop kits, and their Players kit is in the same vein, just slightly larger, like these DW's. And if you can live with a slightly deeper bass drum, like, a 14x20, with standard 8x12 and 14x14 toms, don't forget Ludwig's Club Dates that you can buy for under $800 new.

Those DW's sure are nice though.

Sorry evilg99 - I just had to point those out. I'm sure the DW's are worth it, but there's this invisible line I try not to cross when talking about a kit I'd primarily use for rehearsals. However, I am keen on putting my best foot forward whenever I go out to play in public, which is what my bigger kits are for.
 
Nice kit. Although I think if I were frequently flying, you might want to look at Sonor's Players kit, which is essentially the same thing being sold by retailers for $449.00. I know, the Sonor's are probably a mystery wood, but there are enough of us who've had good luck with Sonor Safari's and Bop kits, and their Players kit is in the same vein, just slightly larger, like these DW's. And if you can live with a slightly deeper bass drum, like, a 14x20, with standard 8x12 and 14x14 toms, don't forget Ludwig's Club Dates that you can buy for under $800 new.

Those DW's sure are nice though.

Sorry evilg99 - I just had to point those out. I'm sure the DW's are worth it, but there's this invisible line I try not to cross when talking about a kit I'd primarily use for rehearsals. However, I am keen on putting my best foot forward whenever I go out to play in public, which is what my bigger kits are for.

That's fine....but you have to agree, there's an undue amount of what I am calling "DW Drama" around here. DW's are expensive, yes. So is a Harley. So is a BMW. Is a Kia better? Or a Honda? Who's to say. It's all subjective.
Just to illustrate my point - the Sonor Players' kit is not the same thing at all. Cheap shell hardware, the shells are Chinese maple and the wraps are (my opinion) super ugly colors. So the value is just not there at all. Since I own Club Dates, I can't argue there...but they are still not in the same ballpark as the DW's.

Neal
 
That's fine....but you have to agree, there's an undue amount of what I am calling "DW Drama" around here. DW's are expensive, yes. So is a Harley. So is a BMW. Is a Kia better? Or a Honda? Who's to say. It's all subjective.

Neal

Well, I've owned Hondas and now own a BMW. The BMW is vastly better. No comparison. And comparing a Kia and a BMW (or even a Honda), well all I can say is I see a lot of Kias at the end of tow trucks. And, sadly, after many good Hondas, the last one I owned was a piece of crap--a 2010 Insight. Had pieces falling off on a regular basis.

I really don't care about brand name. I bought the DW kit because it meets my needs perfectly. I've tried several inexpensive smaller kits and have not been very satisfied with the sound. Bo mentions the Sonor bop kit, which I have owned. It's not bad at all, other than the snare. I think its a great kit for the price. I have a Gretsch Catalina Club Street kit and it sounds fine. But fine isn't what I'm looking for. If the DW kit didn't sound great, I wouldn't be happy with it.
 
Well, I've owned Hondas and now own a BMW. The BMW is vastly better. No comparison. And comparing a Kia and a BMW (or even a Honda), well all I can say is I see a lot of Kias at the end of tow trucks. And, sadly, after many good Hondas, the last one I owned was a piece of crap--a 2010 Insight. Had pieces falling off on a regular basis.

I really don't care about brand name. I bought the DW kit because it meets my needs perfectly. I've tried several inexpensive smaller kits and have not been very satisfied with the sound. Bo mentions the Sonor bop kit, which I have owned. It's not bad at all, other than the snare. I think its a great kit for the price. I have a Gretsch Catalina Club Street kit and it sounds fine. But fine isn't what I'm looking for. If the DW kit didn't sound great, I wouldn't be happy with it.

Exactly, agree. Just to be clear, I was not arguing that DW's are not worth it - I was arguing that they are. Well built, sound good, beautiful and I believe the value is there = you get what you pay for. They can't be compared to cheap kits. Many people may get along fine with a less expensive kit....that's fine too. Choices....ain't it grand?
 
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