The worst drum /cymbal purchase you ever made

Captain Bash

Silver Member
Ok gear heads, I have made some pretty terrible drum related purchases in the past. Here are my best of the worst.

1) Zildjian earth ride, that thing just ate sticks and had one sound - sold on

2) Ludwig Supraphonic, heard all the accolades but was very disappointed - sold on

3) 19 A custom crash, bought unheard, had this peculiar high overtone was odd - swapped

4) full set of Octobans, actually a whole lot of fun but soon went from gigging with 8 to 4 to 2 and then to not using them. Sold but wish I had em now

Those were mine but what were your worst purchases
 
1) I purchased a Zildian K Custom 22" Hi Def Ride and it sounded great! I cracked it about two weeks later (donno why). Turns out after I sent it too Zildjian the thing wasn't properly made or something so they sent me a new one, and its was really really heavy, so heavy that it had no crash qualities at all and just sounded like a thick piece of metal. So, after a few months of trying to fall in love with it I just sold it.

2) I purchased a 5.5x14 Nickle over Brass snare from DW. This thing had sooooo much overtones that I could't control. I tired tons of different heads and sticks and tuning techniques and finally I gave up and sold it as well.

That's all for me....for now
 
The Zildjian Cymbal Microphone set. Complete pain to deal with.

Zildjian 14" / 12" Trash Hats. Just hated them from the start.
 
In 1984, I bought a brand new Sonor Phonic Plus kit - snare, stands & pedals, everything - for about $1500. They were the worst drums I've ever owned, and easily one of the worst kits I've ever played. Even the metal (steel?) snare sounded miserable. Every drum choked. Heavy shells, heavy hardware, I guess I should have known, but the Sonor. reputation got the best of me.

Bought them in late-May, struggled with the sound for a short while, and by August I was already looking for different drums.

Less than 2 years later, I pulled them out of storage and traded them for a Syndrum Quad new in box, which I still own and used not long ago:

syn.jpg


:)

Bermuda
 
Hmmmmm.... I think....

First, a tama birch/basswood snare. Bought it as an impulse buy, never really used it.

second, dw 8" piccolo tom. It was cool the first few days. Hated after that.

third, dw 8" eco-x tom. Decided to order one. Once I got it, it was slightly lighter in color and never really used it much.

fourth, sabian xs20 cymbal set. Was happy with it for a few months until I heard some A customs and bought a box set. Should of just waited a bit longer and went straight to the zildjians.
 
18" A Zildjian Rock crash. Like a manhole cover. I never bought a crash that heavy ever again.

18" Wuhan china. I owned a 20" LP Rancan (essentially a Wuhan), and a 14" Wuhan, and still have (and love) them both. The 18" was a deep gongy bowl. So glad it's gone.

For almost thirty years of drumming, that's a thankfully short list!
 
I got some crazy heavy clangy K/Z hats in the 90s I hated. Runner up was my too heavy A Custom projection ride.
 
A 6", 8", and 10" set of rototoms.
 

That is one cool workspace. The land line, the TDK cassettes, keyboard shoved out of the way to make room for the drum brain....it warms my heart.

My own music production rig occupies the far end of my dining room table.

OB bad purchase content: haven't made any real crappy regret-tinged purchases; most of it has been just the result of trying out things on the way to finding out what I really like.

I guess I've been most disappointed by damped snare batters. I use coated Ambassadors or the Aquarian or Evans equivalent, but I stick a piece of gel on it to kill the overtones. I keep thinking that a Powerstroke or an Emperor will give me what I want with less external damping, but it never works. They sound dull to me, with or without gels. Can't get my head around it.
 
Before I found this site, I was in a desperate need of a replacement crash from my brass 14". I got a ZBT 14" crash instead.
 
Dixon hardware.

Bought two boom stands and a throne back in the 90's. None of it was able to hold up to regular gigging. All of it broke on the job at one point or another and had to be fixed or modified on the fly, in order to get me through.

Admittedly it was many years ago and I'm told they've come a hell of a long way since then, but their cheap, poorly put together crap was a bad enough experience that I'll never again pay to find out. First impressions obviously do count.
 
should add i found dixon hw circa late 90s to be very sturdy. never even thought about it for 20 years thats speaks volumes.

dennis chambers snare. bought pre internet couldnt try locally. liked when i had a free floating hook based head but that was a hassle and pricy to replace hooks. not a great tone imo and hard to sell for a decent price.
 
Simmons SDS-V. I still have them and need to put them up for sale.
They blew out my Toa 380 speakers. I bought them because I saw Phil Collins use them with Robert Plant, and in a stadium they sounded so good. At home they just caused destruction.
 
Before I found this site, I was in a desperate need of a replacement crash from my brass 14". I got a ZBT 14" crash instead.

I had ZBT's as my beginner cymbals.. Really really didn't like them at all
 
i Just bought 14"A Custom Hats, 16"and 18" A Custom crashes all brand new still in the plastic bags off a dude for $400! not only that, i got two heavy duty Mapex boom stands and a Zildjian gig cymbal bag! bargain! had a play around with the 14's and the 18 last night, and they sound brilliant! Best buy ever!
 
i Just bought 14"A Custom Hats, 16"and 18" A Custom crashes all brand new still in the plastic bags off a dude for $400! not only that, i got two heavy duty Mapex boom stands and a Zildjian gig cymbal bag! bargain! had a play around with the 14's and the 18 last night, and they sound brilliant! Best buy ever!

Does "Worst" mean something different to you than it does to us? PFOG, where are you? Come 'splain this to me.
 
Does "Worst" mean something different to you than it does to us? PFOG, where are you? Come 'splain this to me.

Whilst it's true that there are many differences here Downunder........from toilets that flush in the opposite direction, to seasons being so completely opposite that it's autumn (fall) here at the moment and not spring as it in the the northern hemisphere. I'm yet to see it put to us that we are to be so opposed that "best" now actually means "worst." :)
 
Back in the day I purchased a full set of Dead Ringers (self-adhesive foam circles applied to the bottom of the batter head). What was I thinking?
 
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