What Makes Cheap Drums Cheap (And Good Drums Good)??

Comments · 154

• PR

  @proteuswave · 1 year ago

  I think this is the most important drum video I've seen in years. Few people discuss craftsmanship, materials, or functionality to the extend it was discussed here. Excellent video and Many thanks!

  5

• MA

  @mack56 · 2 years ago

  I cannot even believe the snare drum I got for Christmas in 1966. I couldn't get a drum set for lack of room and my patents not wanting to deal with such a thing. It was made of compressed cardboard, like the sonic tubes for cement. I played the heck out of it along with the Monkees T V show. By far, that drum was way inferior to the $65 Amazon snare. I cant believe that I thought it was cool. Of course, I was only 10 years old. Lol!

  15

• RO

  @roryyerama5496 · 2 months ago

  If nothing else, you nailed the St. Anger snare sound 🤪

• JO

  @jonashellborg8320 · 2 years ago

  Groove playing:<br>No chances <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etNNOInCSzM&amp;t=835">13:55</a><br>Good heads &amp; wires <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etNNOInCSzM&amp;t=918">15:18</a><br>Shell improvements <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etNNOInCSzM&amp;t=1488">24:48</a>

  6

• DR

  @drumjedi5301 · 2 years ago

  I generally avoid most inexpensive drums; However, there is one major exception. My gigging rig is an older Sonor Safari, with the &quot;Select Hardwood&quot; shell (which I&apos;m about 99% sure is poplar) that cost me $400, with hardware, gently used. It has a 10&quot; rack, 14&quot; floor, and 16&quot; kick, and a virtually useless 14&quot; snare. I immediately replaced the snare with a Tama steel 12x3 snare that sounds great.<br><br>I built this kit specifically for smaller venues where volume is a concern, but still wanted big, full tone. This is where the soft poplar comes in clutch. I use double ply heads tuned pretty much at the bottom of each drum&apos;s tuning range, and I hand sanded the bearing edges to round them just slightly. Combined with Sonor&apos;s surprisingly solid hardware, hoops, and build quality, that cheap, small kit sounds absolutely fantastic mic&apos;d up through a PA, and I&apos;m constantly getting compliments on the sound and size (a note: we play rock and country).<br><br>Is it a 1=1 replacement for a normal size high quality maple, birch, or mahogany set? No. The tuning range is limited and it&apos;s missing some of the nuance and feel of a full size kit; but in the environments I use it in, it&apos;s superb. Certain &quot;cheap&quot; drums are worth owning and playing in the right situations.

  8

• GO

  @goodtimejohnny8972 · 2 years ago

  That&apos;s how my Maple classic snare looks on a machinist table! 90 degrees from each snare bed is the only wood that touches. I call it the mega snare bed model.😂

  5

• AN

  @andreimalashenko9132 · 2 years ago (edited)

  Definitely a huge difference in the snare response &nbsp;and sensitivity . After all of your work and effort I do think the drum sounds much better. Was very interesting to watch all the steps that were done in order to improve the instrument. One thing I have to say which has nothing to do with the snare drum. That bass drum you were using sounds amazing!

  5

• CH

  @Charlie-o3g3e · 7 months ago

  I took delivery of a Sonor AQ2 150 anniversary set the day before thanksgiving 2025, I was shocked to see the interior of the shell unfinished. &nbsp;I will finish them in the spring; as I reside in Wisconsin. &nbsp;Great video thank you. &nbsp;I’m 65 and have always said that the shell material plays a minor part in my he sound production. &nbsp;Still it is a very controversial subject.

  1

• GO

  @goodtimejohnny8972 · 2 years ago

  In my personal experience it&apos;s the hardware. Night and day difference between a Gretsch tuner and the El cheapo D-Drum nut and bolt lug. Also bearing edges, however there are plenty of companies who don&apos;t seem to get this right. I&apos;ve seen new unboxing videos demonstrating poor bearing edge on the flagship Gretsch drums. My Ludwig maple classics made in 2000 have terrible edges as well. Makes it really difficult to tune. So I say it&apos;s best to deal with a company that will accept returns because you never know what you&apos;re going to get until you personally inspect the drums yourself. I also saw a brand new high end DW drum kit for sale at a music store that had many imperfections in the chrome hardware. QC must of had the day off.

  19

• JO

  @JonathanOnDrums · 2 years ago

  This thing is gonna be the snare drum of Theseus pretty soon.

  2

• TR

  @tripacer2005 · 2 years ago

  One very important thing on low end snares is to coat the inside shell with 6 or 8 coats of polyethene sand with 440 sandpaper between coats and put Remo Ambassador batter head on , that will brighten and give more volume.

  2

• OL

  @oleran4569 · 2 years ago

  Thank you for making these videos! Like others (Maybe more so due to my own fog of ignorance.), I&apos;ve looked for a snare drum sound I truly liked for years. Your teaching and suggestions have helped immensely. I now have a good selection of drums that will do what I want them to. Your channel is a great resource! (And your buddy John at Dallas Drums is awesome!)

  2