PDP Concept Classic Review

[Tommy D]

I have done bearing edge work on Concept Maples and Concept Birch kits, so basically the same shells as these. Yeah, they benefit from having trued edges and consistent edge cuts. Like any Low/Mid grade kit, bearing edges are where they spend the least time. When I did my Concept Maples I did a slight round over (I believe it was with a 3/16" bit) with a sharp apex and a 45 on the inside. I wanted to get a bit better shell/head contact but still keep a sharp apex to maintain sustain in the drum head. Of course I varied the amount of round over between the toms, snare and bass drum to maintain the effect according to the head size.

When I did my Concept Birch drums, I did an offset double 45 on the 16", which is what the drum had from the factory. That drum tunes up super easily and still has a lot of grunt in the low end. I was rather surprised as double 45's are generally not a cut I make on drums.

In general, the drums do benefit from having new edges cut. Depending on what someone might charge you, you may want to consider it. As for cutting down the floor toms, I'm guessing you will have to cut 3" minimum off the top of them to clear the existing lug holes. I haven't done the measurements in a long time, but that sounds about right. So that makes for an 14x11 and 16x13. I like the 16x13, but 14x11... That's just about a rack tom size. I would have a mild amount of concern that the drum will not produce enough grunt/growl and will have too "pure" of tone to it. Also, at that shallow a depth you may find your floor tom legs to be too short to raise the drum to a proper playing height.

 

[fredpasta]

I have two of these kits. I have the standard (22/13/14/16/18) and the Bop (18/12/14)

I haven't tried changing the bearing edge work but I have experimented with different heads. Currently I'm running Evans EC2 Frosted and they have been my favorites by far. What an awesome kit and killer depth.

The 18" additional floor tom just makes me smile every time I hit it.

Here's a sound clip of my main kit for anyone interested

Well then ... these tubs sound great! I have a 12/14/18 bop kit and a 22/13/16 as well. I'm also using a 14x7 Concept Classic which is killer for the deep funk/soul stuff. Nice deep crack! An old Pearl brass FreeFloating Picollo does everything else for me. Fantastic snare. Here in Spain we can't get any C/C singles unfortunately. I've been in touch w/PDP USA and they said I could order a 10" (I love 10" toms) from a dealer, but dealers here in the EU won't bother. I go one up, two down, so I don't use the 13 at all. Maybe the 13 is just too big for the higher tuning you're trying to get? I've been using Emperor Vintage coated batters and some coated Ambassadors for reso's. I'd be extremely happy with the tuning you've got happening on yours. How do they sound without being mic'd up? Just the room sound? In different rooms? I'm thinking maybe I should try some of those EC2's. Opens the drums up nicely. How much higher are are your reso's tuned than the batters?
Thanks Spaz Nice playing btw ...

 

[JimmyM]

I had it in my mind that I was going to get a nice conservative PDP Concept shell kit. Then a buddy of mine threw a wild set of DDrum Diablos at me where I could make two sets for the same as the PDP's and I went for them instead. But I thought the PDP's were excellent drums, though I didn't like the lugs, either. But at least they were chrome and not black like my Diablos!

 

[fredpasta]

I have done bearing edge work on Concept Maples and Concept Birch kits, so basically the same shells as these. Yeah, they benefit from having trued edges and consistent edge cuts. Like any Low/Mid grade kit, bearing edges are where they spend the least time. When I did my Concept Maples I did a slight round over (I believe it was with a 3/16" bit) with a sharp apex and a 45 on the inside. I wanted to get a bit better shell/head contact but still keep a sharp apex to maintain sustain in the drum head. Of course I varied the amount of round over between the toms, snare and bass drum to maintain the effect according to the head size.

When I did my Concept Birch drums, I did an offset double 45 on the 16", which is what the drum had from the factory. That drum tunes up super easily and still has a lot of grunt in the low end. I was rather surprised as double 45's are generally not a cut I make on drums.

In general, the drums do benefit from having new edges cut. Depending on what someone might charge you, you may want to consider it. As for cutting down the floor toms, I'm guessing you will have to cut 3" minimum off the top of them to clear the existing lug holes. So that makes a 14x11 and 16x13.

Thanks! So if I'm correct, the Concept Maples are the same shells, just w/o the wood hoops? My bearing edges actually look well done from the factory, although I haven't been able to check them on a super flat surface. I'm not a real fan of the double 45's either ... not the sound I'm after. I'm looking for a bit more thud than 'wide open'. That said, Spaz hasn't done his edges and they're sounding mighty fine with what I would assume is the same double 45 from the factory. And with the stock reso heads as well! I think he knows a thing or two about tuning I'm thinking of a 45/roundover edge as you've done on your maples. I think a full baseball bat would just be too much. I'd be fine with a 14x11 and a 16x13. On my '95 Collectors (back in Canada at the moment) the 16 is closer to 12 deep. Maybe even a tad less! I bought them used 13-14 years ago, but I'm guessing it came from the factory like that. It's a hung tom and wild sounding. I'm also trying to tame my volume any way I can, so trying to lessen attack.
So are you saying as the toms increase in size, more round over?
Thanks again Tommy ... fred

 

[Tommy D]

Thanks! So if I'm correct, the Concept Maples are the same shells, just w/o the wood hoops? My bearing edges actually look well done from the factory, although I haven't been able to check them on a super flat surface. I'm not a real fan of the double 45's either ... not the sound I'm after. I'm looking for a bit more thud than 'wide open'. That said, Spaz hasn't done his edges and they're sounding mighty fine with what I would assume is the same double 45 from the factory. And with the stock reso heads as well! I think he knows a thing or two about tuning I'm thinking of a 45/roundover edge as you've done on your maples. I think a full baseball bat would just be too much. I'd be fine with a 14x11 and a 16x13. On my '95 Collectors (back in Canada at the moment) the 16 is closer to 12 deep. Maybe even a tad less! I bought them used 13-14 years ago, but I'm guessing it came from the factory like that. It's a hung tom and wild sounding. I'm also trying to tame my volume any way I can, so trying to lessen attack.
So are you saying as the toms increase in size, more round over?
Thanks again Tommy ... fred

Yes, they are the same shells, same lugs, hardware, etc. The only difference is the wood hoops, the hoop claws and the slightly thicker lug gaskets.

Regarding the amount of round over, I like to have that outside edge vary in the amount of round over depending on the drum's diameter. To much of a round over on a small tom, like a 10", and the head gets too muffled. The drum doesn't want to "open up". To little of a round over on something like a 16" and you basically have no effect of the round over on the sound of the drum. The head is too large and the roundover too small to quell the sustain and provide any shell resonance to the sound. I also tend to cut different edges on the reso heads than I do on the batter side. I don't like my reso heads being cut off by a heavy roundover on the outer edge. I will usually go with a small round over with a sharp apex on all my reso sides and do the graduated round over on the batters. You can also provide a flat portion at the apex to provide even more head to shell contact, but I would only do this on the largest of shells (16/18/20/22/24 etc.) again at varying amounts of flatness depending on what sound I was trying to achieve.

 

[fredpasta]

Yes, they are the same shells, same lugs, hardware, etc. The only difference is the wood hoops, the hoop claws and the slightly thicker lug gaskets.

Regarding the amount of round over, I like to have that outside edge vary in the amount of round over depending on the drum's diameter. To much of a round over on a small tom, like a 10", and the head gets too muffled. The drum doesn't want to "open up". To little of a round over on something like a 16" and you basically have no effect of the round over on the sound of the drum. The head is too large and the roundover too small to quell the sustain and provide any shell resonance to the sound. I also tend to cut different edges on the reso heads than I do on the batter side. I don't like my reso heads being cut off by a heavy roundover on the outer edge. I will usually go with a small round over with a sharp apex on all my reso sides and do the graduated round over on the batters. You can also provide a flat portion at the apex to provide even more head to shell contact, but I would only do this on the largest of shells (16/18/20/22/24 etc.) again at varying amounts of flatness depending on what sound I was trying to achieve.

Great info ... Thanks!

 

[feelyat]

I have benefitted from the work that Tommy has done on those PDP Concept Maple drums -- he sold them to me, and his work is impeccable. If I'm not mistaken, the first picture in his post is one of mine -- the red looks familiar. The half-roundover approach he used gives great results.

That said, I paired up that kit with a matching 10" tom that still has the stock edges, and it sounds great, too.

 

[Gunnellett]

I guess I'm mistaken in thinking these Classic wood hooped drums have a bearing edge with a bit of a round over. I had read that somewhere but that doesn't mean anything!

 

[stevil]

Get the edges done! You won’t regret it.

 

[Tommy D]

I have benefitted from the work that Tommy has done on those PDP Concept Maple drums -- he sold them to me, and his work is impeccable. If I'm not mistaken, the first picture in his post is one of mine -- the red looks familiar. The half-roundover approach he used gives great results.

That said, I paired up that kit with a matching 10" tom that still has the stock edges, and it sounds great, too.

Yep, that red drum is the 12" tom on the Concept Maple kit you bought from me.

 

[wikkid1]

I like these lugs better than DW's flagship lugs.

Me too. Never been a fan of the DW lugs.

 

[JimmyM]

Me too. Never been a fan of the DW lugs.

I’m just the opposite. I love the DW lugs but don’t care much for anything resembling tube lugs. On the other hand, it wouldn’t have stopped me from getting a PDP set at one time. But I went Ludwig instead.