What products have caused you to become a snob?

Okay I’ll go first. Seems like everything I own is vintage including my 2001 Rover which is still fun to drive. They don’t make em like this anymore.
 

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I'm a broke ass American, so I have nothing high end or super quality so no. I buy the cheapest yet most reliable things I can and then make them do what I need and last as long as possible.
Snobbery is what I am subjected to on a regular basis being the guy who fixes the expensive stuff.

same here...but I definitely will not use anything other than Zildjian cymbals. That is my "snob" thing I guess.

and I have chosen between heat in the house for a month, or food, and a Zildjian in the past. Luckily, I don't live like that as much anymore...
 
Cymbals, yes I am a cymbal snob. They don’t have to be expensive, but the cork has to smell good.

The other thing is the strainer/throwoff of a snare. I have become extra picky about those, and it makes or breaks my interest in buying a snare. At a minimum I weigh the cost and extra holes involved in installing a “better” strainer.
 
When I'm playing somewhere that already has a kit I bring a snare, throne, kick pedal and cymbals so I guess those would qualify as the parts I'm snobbish about. The throne and kick pedal is really about contact points and making sure my butt, hands and feet are always placed on something I'm familiar with making me more comfortable and of course the snare and cymbals are all about the tone. If they have any decent crash cymbals, I'll use them but I'll pretty much always use my own ride and hats.
 
My full Zildjian K Constantinople Sound Lab Prototype set.

I don't even look to other things anymore in regards to cymbals.

That is crazy s I tended to collect only the K Brilliant series from the 90's (IAK's)

But I don't feel snobbish about it TBH. Just good finds that makes my signature sound and personal growth.

The other way went it with snares (and to some extent, hardware too)
After owning the best Craviotto's, Brady's, DW's etc. I found the basic snares working the same (or sometimes much better) then the expensive ones.
 
I've been lucky to have a dad that is a drummer as well, so growing up I pretty much always had good, or at least semi-pro grade, gear in my posession. So I don't know if I have one specific item that really opened my mind, I could say when I bought my first china, I could not afford anything more than a Sabian B8 (had not heard about Wuhan yet...), so it was quite harsh and abrasive compared to the other B20 cymbals I used. Learned quickly that it's best to save up and go for the good stuff. I guess I'm spoiled, but I don't see it as a bad thing, as long as my economic situation supports it. It's harder to play on cheap cymbals though, if I somehow have to. Cheap drums as well, but I can usually tune it/dampen the heads and make it playable at least (but in my mind I go: I wouldnt be caught dead owning this piece of junk... 😆).
 
Cymbals and heads.

They're the two things that you have to spend good money on. You can make a cheap kit sound amazing with good heads and cymbals but that's common knowledge not snobbery. Hardware not so much nowadays as it's come along leaps and bounds in recent years.

I could never be a gear snob, I started my gigging journey as broke teenager. Plus I use Mapex which is notorious for incurring the wrath of gear snobs.
 
What do you mean by snob? Merrium -Webster defines snob as follows (their bold words not mine)

1 British : cobbler. 2 : one who blatantly imitates, fawningly admires, or vulgarly seeks association with those regarded as social superiors. 3a : one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior. b : one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste.

I imagine most people probably use a variation of 3a and b: “one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those [things] regarded as inferior, often having an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste.”

Just wanted to clarify that was the meaning of the general membership of DW in your question.
 

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Ludwig Forever!? (y)

Whenever people get on here with the whole "What kit should I buy?" question, in my head I always say these words in this way:

Ludwig Classic Maple!

AgileTanCowrie-size_restricted.gif
 
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I honestly don’t feel this way about gear. I’m, like you, very happy with my gear but I’d never look down my nose at someone else’s gear choices or a well made reasonably priced product (take my Prem APK 1006 COS 14” x 6.5” snare, Paiste 1000/Alpha cymbals and Pearl Export for instance). I know that you’re a good guy, not a snob in the slightest and that this simply makes for an interesting thread.:) However, there’s a number of guys on here who’re a little more open about their disdain for gear such as what I’ve listed above…I’ll grab my popcorn!! 😂 (y)

Thank you for the kind words! I don't know if there's really any drum product that I think NO ONE should play. I think products that I won't touch will be perfect for someone else.
 
Is it disdain or secret envy? :unsure:

I've found that most times when people insult or belittle something or someone, it is invariably because of some shortcoming of the issuing party rather than the object of the insult or belittling. I think people on DW generally refrain from blatant disdain and lean more towards backhanded compliments. :ROFLMAO:

Here you go:

🍿🍿🍿

Me: [Rags on every drum solo ever on YouTube]

Also me: [Cuts off computer and goes and cries in the corner]

🤣
 
For me, a last-of-the-handmade Sakae Almighty maple kit on close-out from DCP with some extra drums.
Even with mark downs they were a significant stretch for my budget. Snagged 3 snares (10/12/14), 3 kicks (18/18/22), and 3 toms (13/13/14). Every single beat I hear 100 years of history and craftsmanship. Amazing drums in every single respect.
Don't get me wrong, there are some great cheap kits out there. I have one and love it. But these Sakae drums are in a class all their own. I play them every single day with appreciation and humility!
 

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Honestly, my utter contempt for A&F aside and other than a few brands I don't like, no. I'm old enough and have owned enough kinds of drums and cymbals to think that there's no best in any category. I do mentally say, "Well, that's too bad" when I see someone playing Pearl or new-logo Sabians, but that's all about taste rather than about actual quality.
 
I think when I went to pro grade cymbals.
Played B8's for a long time growing up, but when I started on B20's, I never would consider a "beginner grade" again.
Not sure if that's "snobbery" or not, but I feel good about it.
There are professional level B8 cymbals too, like those Paiste 2002's which I'm a convert of. Many low-end, stamped cymbals are made of B8 though, and I agree most of them don't sound any good.
Regarding my own snobbery:
  • Ludwig Speed King pedals (I can play, but probably won't own, any other pedal)
  • 14" deep bass drum (same as above)
  • Bright, not too heavy cymbals (too dark or heavy and it doesn't feel as responsive to me)
  • That specific pair of a Gretsch snare and 42-strand snare wires (just designed to go together)
  • A china cymbal (guess where I'm from? ;) )
 
Nothing wrong with saying some gear isn't good enough for you.

IMO it's when someone says it's not good enough for anybody that judgemental snobbery comes into play.
You say that but I bet you would agree my first bass drum pedal not being good enough for anyone...
It didn't have a base plate and it kept coming apart, losing the beater from the beater shaft and from the pedal... the chain would not stay in track....
The beater holder would get loose and move from side to side.. and no matter how you oiled it still made a lot of noise it was complete garbage.
 
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