Dw?

[mamcdonald]

Who here has had any experience actually purchasing DW drums? I'm doing the Kitbuilder thing and my estimated quote for a 7x14 Edge snare: $862. That seems to be a rather BS price for chrome hardware and a natural lacquer. With the curly maple veneer its $950 bucks! I might be wrong but these seem a little expensive EVEN FOR DW. Now, the thing says that the estimated KITBUILDER quote is not the actual price that the dealer will sell it to me for. So my question is if any of you have purchased a snare (or entire set) from a dealer in a similar fashion and what the price difference between the DW suggested price and the actual price you paid for it was. I'm going to GC here within the next week to check it out for myself but I just wanted to get some opinions and info before I drive all the way out there. Thanks in advance.

[Futuro]

Yeah you can almost cut the retail price in half at some stores.

[crolfe1]

^^^ Kit builder doesn't lie there. The Edge snare you're talking about is the exact same one I have.

My configuration:
7"x14" DW Edge snare in natural laquer over exotic curly maple.

Guitar center sells the drum for $865.00 USD. I bought mine for about %15 less than that. This snare really is "that expensive".

Talk about the wait too!! I ordered it November 15th 2005, and picked it up the day it came in on march 14th 2006. Yes, it was a 4 month wait.

All-in-all though, I love my drum soooooooooooooo much!

So to recap... Expect to spend AT LEAST $775 on this drum.
List price is $1099.99
Expect to wait 3-4 months to get it.

Yeah you can almost cut the retail price in half at some stores.

I think you mean list price... half off retail almost all the time would put the product below what the retailer paid for it. Half off list... now that's something GC does almsot everyday (on most products).

[Wizz]

Yup DW is THAT expensive.
Now DW with sonor snares make the best sounding combo out there imo.

But! Black Panther pwns to.
it's a lot of money though be carefull when you purchase it. Cuz you could buy a nice set of cymbals with that money

[TTTSNB]

Thats just because its dw- completely overpriced.

[mamcdonald]

But is it just because of the fact that it's an Edge? Out of curiosity, I did just an all-maple 7x14 and it's under $500, which I would expect from any good quality company. So is it just because of the brass rings and stuff like that? I mean, I could probably get a hybrid from a custom company faster and cheaper than what DW is doing.

[Josiah]

Yea, the EDGE is an expensive snare is all. DW is also the only people who make the Edge snare, you won't find anyone else making that kind of snare drum for less then they do.

If you are willing to spend that kinda cash on a snare drum, there's a lot better then the Edge.. Craviatto for instance.

DW runs about the same price as every other highend drum company. I've seen pretty much the same kicks sitting next to each other with price tags from the big makers and they are all pretty much about the same.
If you are going to drop $3k on a kit, the few hundred dollar difference in price form Yamaha, DW or Gretsch is not what's the deciding factor about buying the drums.

It's about sound.

[Berk]

Well said.

[mamcdonald]

The same kit I'm getting from C&C for $1500, through the Kitbuilder estimated quote, is 3 grand from DW. Honestly, how do they even have the money to keep producing their own shells/lugs/custom finishes/etc.? I'd assume most of their income comes from their hardware because it's rather reasonably priced for stuff that truly is better than the rest of the competition but, like you said Jos, when you get up into the "big and expensives", it's not about the few hundred extra dollars, it's about sound. So how do they even stay in business when I hear alot more praise for brands like Yamaha and Gretsch instead of DW? Especially when they're giving Bozzio his $150,000 kits for free...I just don't understand it. But thanks for the Craviotto suggestion. I've seen them before but never really considered it until now.

[Talos]

Thats just because its dw- completely overpriced.

So true.

Id buy a Mapex Orion instead, gotta love Mapex :smash:

[Futuro]

I think you mean list price... half off retail almost all the time would put the product below what the retailer paid for it. Half off list... now that's something GC does almsot everyday (on most products).Ah ok, Yeah I meant list.

[spike9908]

But is it just because of the fact that it's an Edge? Out of curiosity, I did just an all-maple 7x14 and it's under $500, which I would expect from any good quality company. So is it just because of the brass rings and stuff like that? I mean, I could probably get a hybrid from a custom company faster and cheaper than what DW is doing.

DW has a patent on the brass maple combo, so unless the company is outside the US, it will be hard to find.

[MNdrummer21]

Yea but Dunnett makes a similar deal to the Edge(wood/stainless steel or titanium) that are pretty similar. I would check those out and see if you can get what your looking for.

[crolfe1]

I can guarantee Dunnett will be the same, if not more than the DW!

[othankheavenfor311]

i heard DW was nice as hell though...

i talk to my friend who has been playing for about 40 years and he said tht DW made the best drums out there that he had ever heard

idk though cuz ive never played em but i heard they were worth the money

[VTDS_xx]

^It's all opinion.
But yeah, DW is a very nice brand of drums.

[Talos]

All custom drums are pretty much the same, made of the same wood and stuff, then the rest is down to you. But OCDP and DW are the most expensive custom kit makers around though, I think.

[mamcdonald]

Umm...no. Not only is DW not a custom company but they make their own shells. And I know alot of brands that experiment with different shell/wood/material combinations (Craviotto, Brady, every custom company [with hybrids and what not]). To say that most custom companies are the same is a very large understatement.

And, on the matter of expense, that should be one of the final deciding factors. As Josiah said sound should come first, which is the whole point of this thread. While I wanted an Edge snare, I'm not sure if I can dish out the $1000 needed to get one, especially knowing that there are many other wonderful companies and brands out there that might be able to give me something just as nice for cheaper.

[Talos]

To say that most custom companies are the same is a very large understatement.

No one even said that :confused:

I said theyre pretty much the same, most use Keller shells and have veneer finishes and stuff like that.

Oh, BTW - I dont know much about Custom drum companies, I think theyre overpriced and not worth it when you could get a better kit from Mapex or all those other brands. I specialize in Mapex and Tama

[mamcdonald]

Yeah, and I said they're pretty much NOT the same. Yes, the biggest most talked about companies, the OCDP/SJC/Pork Pie/Creation/etc. companies, all use relatively similar products and methods to create their drums. But, if you really delve into all the custom companies out there you will find that many have same amazingly unique products to offer. For example: Brady's Block snare drums and use of Jarrah wood and C&C's abalone finishes, just to name a few.

[MNdrummer21]

Go to the dunnett site and check out the snares I was talking about. They are 925.00 and you can choose whether you want oak, cherry, maple, birch, milkwood, etc. or you can go for exotic woods rosewood, wenge, raintree, koa, etc. for something in the 1,000s I think. anyway, check em out.

[TTTSNB]

So true.

Id buy a Mapex Orion instead, gotta love Mapex :smash:
Yeah, I mean, I know the concept is you get what you pay for, but it seems like there's no reason for DWs to be that much more than other kits.

[crolfe1]

^^^ DW's are not really that much over the top. If you look at a few other manufacturers top end kits: drum designers from Sonor, orions from Mapex, collectors series by DW, custom absolutes from Yamaha, and reference series from Pearl, they really are not all too different in price!

Guitar center has SEVERAL 5 piece DW kits in the 10,12,14,16,22 configuration for about $3500, $3800 for exotic laquer. The Mapex Orion in a simialr configuration sells for $3329. The Delite, not even the Drum Designer series, cost about $3000 for the same setup. The maple custom absolute from Yamaha runs about $3200. The Pearl reference also runs about $3000.

So I don't understand why DW drums out placed out there as the most expensive, when really, they are priced relatively the same as every other's drum makers top end kits.

[Quinto]

Honestly, how do they even have the money to keep producing their own shells/lugs/custom finishes/etc.? I'd assume most of their income comes from their hardware because it's rather reasonably priced for stuff that truly is better than the rest of the competition.



dw makes pdp, which are great drums.^

try the ludwig exotic snares. you should definetely think cravioto, single ply drums are so cool.

[crolfe1]

Solid shell drums are "where its at."

Stave shells are also great choices!

[MNdrummer21]

segment shells often get ignored, but they make for great sounding snares.

[Chippy569]

http://inkinc.hostedz.com/images/drums/Others/DWSnare1.jpg
$100 flat at ellis :)

[Talos]

dw makes pdp, which are great drums

I think you may be wrong there but im not sure. I think the only thing DW are to PDP is that they bought the name or something like that.

Please correct me if im wrong

[Josiah]

^

You are. PDP is entirelly owned and operated by DW. They use very close ways of making the drums, but obviouslly not exact as they are cheaper. The edging and shell construction is done almost identical. The factory is in Baja, so they are saving a ton on labor and other costs to help make PDP cheaper.

[mamcdonald]

You also don't have the extreme control over finishes, sizes, woods, and the other options you have with DW.

[Talos]

And the PDP hardware is supposed to be terrible.

[Quinto]

its not bad, buts its certainly not good. the stands are way too light. the pedals are crap, but i hear the mounts are pretty good

[InCasinoOut]

No one even said that :confused:

I said theyre pretty much the same, most use Keller shells and have veneer finishes and stuff like that.

Oh, BTW - I dont know much about Custom drum companies, I think theyre overpriced and not worth it when you could get a better kit from Mapex or all those other brands. I specialize in Mapex and Tama
So what exactly makes you think a high-end custom kit is not worth it, when compared to high-end kits by the bigger brands? You said yourself that you don't know much about custom companies. From the custom kits I've seen, I think it's pretty safe to say they can and do compare to high-end kits by the big companies.

edit: on another note, I also have a PDP, and quite a few of the parts on it are identical to DW, sometimes just cast with the PDP logo.

[aaronperry10]

Umm, for one, I'm back, and for two. I have experience with the purchase of dw drums. i bought a 6 piece shell pack for 3,300 dollars and it came with a snare. These drums are WORTH THE MONEY! They have a very strong wood and if you use the right heads and everything, they sound like a dream. if you want nice drum heads, either buy Aquarian (for bass) and Remo or Evans for the drums. Thats a little off subject. DW is a really good choice if you have the money. I would take it anywhere if you do buy it because paying for the repair is EXPENSIVE. My drummer buddy just had his 12x13 repaired and it cost him 250 bucks.

[We_Love_Lime]

Umm, for one, I'm back, and for two. I have experience with the purchase of dw drums. i bought a 6 piece shell pack for 3,300 dollars and it came with a snare. These drums are WORTH THE MONEY! They have a very strong wood and if you use the right heads and everything, they sound like a dream. if you want nice drum heads, either buy Aquarian (for bass) and Remo or Evans for the drums. Thats a little off subject. DW is a really good choice if you have the money. I would take it anywhere if you do buy it because paying for the repair is EXPENSIVE. My drummer buddy just had his 12x13 repaired and it cost him 250 bucks.

Aquarian and or Remo or Evans eh to acheive a nice sound?

If you say...

12x13. Has anybody seen a drum with the depth larger than the width ( Besides a bass drum ?)

[mamcdonald]

Maybe he's doing it depth by width...I used to do that. Still, it's an odd drum size.

[We_Love_Lime]

Maybe he's doing it depth by width...I used to do that. Still, it's an odd drum size.

Agreed..

Plus his whole post seems rather odd.

[aaronperry10]

Maybe he's doing it depth by width...I used to do that. Still, it's an odd drum size.

Thirteen inches deep, 12 inches wide

[We_Love_Lime]

Thirteen inches deep, 12 inches wide

Interesting...

Wtf?

[aaronperry10]

those are the measurements on my lower tomtom

[We_Love_Lime]

those are the measurements on my lower tomtom

What's your higher one?

And possibly your floor tom than?

[aaronperry10]

My high tom is an 11x12 and my floor tom is a 16x16.....im using a peace set right now.....i got sold the DW because it was too expensive to maintain it

[mamcdonald]

Maintain it? What do you need to maintain drums besides new heads and a good cleaning every now and then?

[aaronperry10]

occasionally, the stand that i had would collapse or fall on the weighted side and scratch the finish on it and it cost money and took FOREVER for the shop to finish

[We_Love_Lime]

occasionally, the stand that i had would collapse or fall on the weighted side and scratch the finish on it and it cost money and took FOREVER for the shop to finish

Just uhh..

Buy a new stand?

[ofDooM]

personally i would prefer Yamaha Recording Customs than a DW set. Hardware is just mindblowingly good, the shells are insanely loud, and the set is comepletely customizable.

[DrumBeginner]

A friend in town is offering me a Mapex Black Panther 10" snare drum for 60 bucks!!!! I think this is a good deal however I want to ask your opinions!


Also, is a 10" snare quite small?? I think it might be meant for racks, because it comes with an L bracket.


Thanks

[Carn]

well, I was at my local drumstore the other day, and they had some DW hardware coming in...it said 'made in china' :D