Which set?

First budget.....then sound....then features and finish. Go by those guidelines and you won't go wrong.
 
What are the sizes? All other things being equal (and I realize they're not), I'd take the ones in the sizes I prefer.
 
I'm drooling over the new Tama Silverstars. I am wild about birch shells and these kits sound super awsome. I'm not wild about any of the finish choices, but for the sound of these drums I'd make the sacrafice.
 
All of those sell well, and all these kits will give you years of service. How much "grunge" are you gonna play? Like MikeM stated, maybe think about what sizes you want. The Club Jazz has an 18" kick. Is that gonna do you well, for "grunge". PDP's come with 22", and I think 24" kicks (depending). Silverstar, a 22" kick.​
 
I know it's unpopular here but if you like a muffled kick (pillow/blanket) then you should def get at least a 22 for rock.
 
yeah...i might get a 24 actually...but that wont really work for jazz and fusion

There was a time when jazz drummers used 24", 26" or even 28" bass drums. No idea when it became illegal to use anything but an 18".....especially for the guy who wants to play a bit of everything, but I guess it's a sign of the times.
 
There was a time when jazz drummers used 24", 26" or even 28" bass drums. No idea when it became illegal to use anything but an 18".....especially for the guy who wants to play a bit of everything, but I guess it's a sign of the times.

true...i think ill go with the pdp concept maple with a 24 but...i might get to the store and get persuaded into buying something different as usual haha
 
There was a time when jazz drummers used 24", 26" or even 28" bass drums. No idea when it became illegal to use anything but an 18".....
True.

Jazz drummers typically use smaller drums with higher tunings - 20/12/14 being the most typical configuration.

Grunge drummers typically went with large sizes and lower tunings. Think Dale Crover or Dave Grohl with a floor tom-sized rack tom and big bass drums. Only guy I can think of that played a 22/10/12/14 was Matt Cameron, but he's gone up in sizes since then (grunge being dead and all...).

Since you're trying to split the difference, you might do either a 22/13/16, or a 22/10/12/16. Or better yet, get 10/12/14/16 toms. That way you could do a 10/14 setup (Jojo or Benny) or 12/14/16 (Chad Smith), or use 'em all like Weckl, Vinnie, Gadd, et al. But I most definitely would NOT get an 18" kick for a versatile setup. In rock, that's just a floor tom. As a kick, unless you're mic'd (even at practice) you'll never be heard.

FWIW, I went to the pdp page and checked out their video. It's cool they have so many configuration options, but man, for a promo video, you'd think they coulda done something (like tune them nice!) to make them sound better than tubby thuddy cardboard - atrocious! I *know* they can be made to sound better than that.
 
True.

Jazz drummers typically use smaller drums with higher tunings - 20/12/14 being the most typical configuration.

Grunge drummers typically went with large sizes and lower tunings. Think Dale Crover or Dave Grohl with a floor tom-sized rack tom and big bass drums. Only guy I can think of that played a 22/10/12/14 was Matt Cameron, but he's gone up in sizes since then (grunge being dead and all...).

Since you're trying to split the difference, you might do either a 22/13/16, or a 22/10/12/16. Or better yet, get 10/12/14/16 toms. That way you could do a 10/14 setup (Jojo or Benny) or 12/14/16 (Chad Smith), or use 'em all like Weckl, Vinnie, Gadd, et al. But I most definitely would NOT get an 18" kick for a versatile setup. In rock, that's just a floor tom. As a kick, unless you're mic'd (even at practice) you'll never be heard.

FWIW, I went to the pdp page and checked out their video. It's cool they have so many configuration options, but man, for a promo video, you'd think they coulda done something (like tune them nice!) to make them sound better than tubby thuddy cardboard - atrocious! I *know* they can be made to sound better than that.

ill think about it...and i agree! tune em high or atleast medium and let them sing!
 
I don't know if you already made your mind up. If not, here is my opinion.

I purchased the Gretsch CCJ 6 months ago to use it for some vintage funk stuff. The main reason was that I needed some rather vintage looking gear fot the gig at a low price tag.
Second, I am tired of carrying ;-)

And my summary couldn't be much better. Yes, the snare drum needs some extra money to buy new heads and snare wires if you want to acchieve a good sound. It is still not the "whow" kind of drum, but I definitely like the sound with a remo skyntone on top and better reso head and wires underneath. Not a modern rock sound of course.

The 12'' rack tom is a bit odd to tune due to 5 lugs. Well, if it usually takes 5 minutes to set up a new head, I spent a little more patience on this particular drum. But the result is really amazing at higher pitches. Compared to a canopus bop kit (that costs four times as much) owned by a friend, I couldn't really tell a difference in sound quality.

The kick is really amazing for such a little drum. I would not hesitate to use it for grunge or rock stuff, especially with my Audix D6 in it. At the moment I still use the stock heads with a port hole and no dampening, so further sound improvement should be possible with premium heads.

Of course a 18 inch kick still remains a compromise, but a very bearable one!
 
I don't know if you already made your mind up. If not, here is my opinion.

I purchased the Gretsch CCJ 6 months ago to use it for some vintage funk stuff. The main reason was that I needed some rather vintage looking gear fot the gig at a low price tag.
Second, I am tired of carrying ;-)

And my summary couldn't be much better. Yes, the snare drum needs some extra money to buy new heads and snare wires if you want to acchieve a good sound. It is still not the "whow" kind of drum, but I definitely like the sound with a remo skyntone on top and better reso head and wires underneath. Not a modern rock sound of course.

The 12'' rack tom is a bit odd to tune due to 5 lugs. Well, if it usually takes 5 minutes to set up a new head, I spent a little more patience on this particular drum. But the result is really amazing at higher pitches. Compared to a canopus bop kit (that costs four times as much) owned by a friend, I couldn't really tell a difference in sound quality.

The kick is really amazing for such a little drum. I would not hesitate to use it for grunge or rock stuff, especially with my Audix D6 in it. At the moment I still use the stock heads with a port hole and no dampening, so further sound improvement should be possible with premium heads.

Of course a 18 inch kick still remains a compromise, but a very bearable one!

cool! i think i might go with that one unless i find one im absoulutely in love with
 
I haven't tried out the concept line from pdp, but I really want to, A friend of mine has a pdp fx and it sounds awesome and he got it used for $300. He's taken it to play events and always gets compliments. I've heard the silverstar it it sounds incredible for the price. I haven't heard the catalina so I can't comment on that.
 
Right, the silverstar is a really descent kit for the price. Unfortunately I don't like tama kits. Somehow "unsexy" to me ;-)

Whatever you get, if brand new, either doublecheck the return policy or set it up at your local dealer's first to see if everthing is ok. Budget instruments sometimes lack final inspection, because that keeps personnel costs down.

btw is the CCJ still available in rustic pearl finish in the U.S.?
It was pain in the **** not to get my fav finish here in Germany.
 
Right, the silverstar is a really descent kit for the price. Unfortunately I don't like tama kits. Somehow "unsexy" to me ;-)

Whatever you get, if brand new, either doublecheck the return policy or set it up at your local dealer's first to see if everthing is ok. Budget instruments sometimes lack final inspection, because that keeps personnel costs down.

btw is the CCJ still available in rustic pearl finish in the U.S.?
It was pain in the **** not to get my fav finish here in Germany.

yes it is! and i just got a cc rock! its awesome!
 
Back
Top