What do you love about your DWs?

[Steech]

I love high end gear but have never understood the appeal of DW Collectors. They sound pretty dead to me even after putting in some serious time to try and get them to sound good.

Please educate me. What am I missing?

 

[drumphils]

What year are yours?

Phil

 

[Steech]

What year are yours?

Phil

I sold mine about 7 years ago. I had them about 2 months and bought them new. I’ve played newer ones since then and still no.

 

[bigbonzo]

I sold mine about 7 years ago. I had them about 2 months and bought them new. I’ve played newer ones since then and still no.

So,you're asking about drums you sold 7 years ago?

 

[cashmanbashman]

I can’t get anything to get as lively as my DWs so my advice would sound stupid to you. The truth is we all see and hear differently. I can’t find a Ludwig kit that I can get into and others love them, doesn’t mean one stinks and the other is great. I like the low end on the DW bass drums so that’s what I love most to finally answer your question. Man I’m a blow hard sometimes.

 

[Rhyma Hop]

I love high end gear but have never understood the appeal of DW Collectors. They sound pretty dead to me even after putting in some serious time to try and get them to sound good.

Please educate me. What am I missing?

Did your kit have the re-rings inside?

 

[Tama CW]

So,you're asking about drums you sold 7 years ago?

Yes. And the additional ones he has tried since that time. Sounds like they have a data base to go on.

My next question would be so is that implying some DW's did indeed sound "not so good" 7 yrs or more ago.....and now they sound "better"?

 

[kevinyarger]

I sold my DW in 2013 to help fund my Craviotto but I can say my favorite part of the DW was the sustain the floor toms had. They just rumbled. I honestly wasn't expecting it, I originally only purchased it to be my touring kit because I knew if my band got robbed(again) I would never be able to replace my Premier kit. To me DW's have a nice top end attack, with their toms. I could imagine for some peoples ears DW's sounding "thin". Which was what I was expecting before I got to play mine. All of that faded when I sat behind the kit.

I really do enjoy DW's wood ply shells as well over most brands and really miss the 7x14" that I sold along with the kit. I'll also say, I love the DW's tru hoops, I really thought all 3.0 flanged hoops would be the same but they just are not. For me they feel like the happy medium between die cast and standard 2.3 triple flange hoops.

 

[Steech]

I can’t get anything to get as lively as my DWs so my advice would sound stupid to you. The truth is we all see and hear differently. I can’t find a Ludwig kit that I can get into and others love them, doesn’t mean one stinks and the other is great. I like the low end on the DW bass drums so that’s what I love most to finally answer your question. Man I’m a blow hard sometimes.

Good answer, thanks! That’s one for the low end in the bass drums.

 

[Steech]

So,you're asking about drums you sold 7 years ago?

Yes and no. I’ve played on about 5-6 kits since then and have heard a few others up close and unmiked and still didn’t hear anything overly impressive. I realize this is all personal preference so that is why I am asking what people like about their DWs.

 

[Steech]

Did your kit have the re-rings inside?

Nope no re-rings just straight maple shells (thin). That’s what I don’t get.

 

[mandrum]

Mine are collectors (of dust). I know they appeal to many people but I can not get into the sound and i just feel very uncomfortable playing them for some reason, I should have sold them years ago. Sold a 1996 Starclassic maple set to get them, that was a big mistake. I slimmed down to just a 4 piece Ludwig Legacy.

 

[Steech]

I sold my DW in 2013 to help fund my Craviotto but I can say my favorite part of the DW was the sustain the floor toms had. They just rumbled. I honestly wasn't expecting it, I originally only purchased it to be my touring kit because I knew if my band got robbed(again) I would never be able to replace my Premier kit. To me DW's have a nice top end attack, with their toms. I could imagine for some peoples ears DW's sounding "thin". Which was what I was expecting before I got to play mine. All of that faded when I sat behind the kit.

I really do enjoy DW's wood ply shells as well over most brands and really miss the 7x14" that I sold along with the kit. I'll also say, I love the DW's tru hoops, I really thought all 3.0 flanged hoops would be the same but they just are not. For me they feel like the happy medium between die cast and standard 2.3 triple flange hoops.

Thanks

Mine are collectors (of dust). I know they appeal to many people but I can not get into the sound and i just feel very uncomfortable playing them for some reason, I should have sold them years ago. Sold a 1996 Starclassic maple set to get them, that was a big mistake. I slimmed down to just a 4 piece Ludwig Legacy.

Yeah, I ended up selling my DWs to get a set of Yamaha Live Customs. Night and day.

 

[Hazelwood7]

They are generic sounding to me in the way that’s recording customs are generic but for a time period that is what you heard on records. People get sick of that sound and years later people love it again. They have a sound that you love or your like meh.

 

[Matched Gripper]

I love high end gear but have never understood the appeal of DW Collectors. They sound pretty dead to me even after putting in some serious time to try and get them to sound good.

Please educate me. What am I missing?

I’ve always thought DW Collectors sounded best with the factory heads on them. They have a recognizable sound. Almost like vintage Ludwigs but a little livelier. JMO! I recall some critic describing them as Ludwig clones.

PS: Didn’t know Collectors w/o re-rings was a thing.

 

[Matched Gripper]

I can’t get anything to get as lively as my DWs so my advice would sound stupid to you. The truth is we all see and hear differently. I can’t find a Ludwig kit that I can get into and others love them, doesn’t mean one stinks and the other is great. I like the low end on the DW bass drums so that’s what I love most to finally answer your question. Man I’m a blow hard sometimes.

I have only heard Oriollo Phantoms recorded online, but, from what I’ve heard, they are much livelier than DW Collectors. Accord Sonor heavy beech drums, even Ludwig CM’s. JMO!

 

[JDA]

"I don't like the rods, they've got too many threads."
---------------------------------Monty Python 1967

 

[Steech]

They are generic sounding to me in the way that’s recording customs are generic but for a time period that is what you heard on records. People get sick of that sound and years later people love it again. They have a sound that you love or your like meh.

Yup my thoughts exactly. I was hoping for some kind of X factor but didn’t get it.

 

[repete]

The only DW kits I owned were back when they were using Keller shells - they were sold a long time ago because I'm a drummer and
that's what we do - but they were fantastic sounding. One had a hanging 16x13 floor tom. It was massive sounding

 

[tnsquint]

I have four kits, from 2005 - 2018, one being a shell pack. They are extremely consistent and easy to tune. I find a lot of tonal options depending on head selection and tuning, though they do seem to like low tuning specifically. That’s cool as that tuning is in vogue with most contemporary styles of music; specifically when mic’d. From a business standpoint I’ve had more DW rentals than probably every other brand I own combined. I do see that trend changing a bit now as there are increasing requests for Gretsch and Ludwig. Historically Yamaha has been second behind DW.

To me, they are just very well made drums. Lots of available low end and the hardware just works.