What are the best sounding drums you have ever heard, recorded, played, etc...
What where they made of, what manufacture, sizes?
I'm going with the assumption that a great musician will maximize his instruments sound. Therefore i'm look for the drums with the greatest possible maximum.

Noble & Cooley--hands down.

I've loved these drums since the first time I've ever heard them and I've never stood in a room with one of their kits that didn't sound great. I'm very fortunate to own one of them. Even on nights when the kit has sounded less-than up to its usual standards on stage (due to aging heads or weird room acoustics or whatever), they've always sounded great out front. Eric Marshall (The Fiendish Minstrels, Shalini, Let's Active) recently played my kit on one such night and it just amazes me how these drums never sound bad out front.

Last spring I actually got to tour the factory and my respect for the company and the drums themsleves improved immensely. (It's not like I didn't have tons of respect for them anyway.) These are amazingly well-crafted drums and hand-built in almost every aspect of the process. Much of the company's machinery dates back to near the turn of the century (1899-1900) and requires that some human operate the mechanics by hand. These are probably closer to hand-built than just about anything else on the market.

The shells are relatively thin and seemingly close to the thickness of older Gretsch drums. (The ply configuration varies depending on the size of the drum.) There are no reinforcing rings and the bearing edges are very precise and fairly sharp. I think the design of having a RIMS suspension system mounted without touching touching the lug screws is brilliant.

While I also have a love for many other drums (vintage Gretsch, Ludwig, and certain Rogers drums for instance), nothing comes close to the Noble & Cooleys in construction, ease of tuning, and consistently good sounds. I can't say enough good things about these drums.

www.noblecooley.com

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

jesusfuckingchrist! i just checked out the website; those are some darn expensive drums, so i sure hope they do sound like hot shit!

I haven't checked out their list prices in a while in comparison to other high-end custom drums, but a few years ago, their retail price was less than both DWs and Yamaha's Maple Customs. Like anything else these days (except Harley Davidson motorcycles), you can get these drums for well below list price.

On top of that, you'd be getting the baddest drums made.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

i'm actually toying with the idea of buying a kit, as i'm supposed to be drumming for a friend's new band next friday, but seeing as how drums aren't really my main instrument, i'm wondering whether it's worth it. plus i'll have nowhere to store the bastards. and i certainly don't have that kind of dinero, either!

then i would say no. not worth it. Just borrow someone's.... Or if you really want to buy: old ladies and ex-wives hold no less than 2/3 of the worlds drum supply

Find an old Tama Imperialstar or Rockstar kit. They're cheap, and have not yet garnered the collector status they deserve.

i'll have nowhere to store the bastards.

Stack them up in the corner of your living room and tell your friends it's an industrial sculpture.

Most of Action Park was recorded on borrowed, not very exciting Premiers. And I think the drums sound pretty great on that record.


good drummer + crap drums = good drum sound

crap drummer + good drums = crap drum sound

crap drummer + crap drums = crap drum sound

good drummer + good drums = good drum sound

bob

yes, that is a much clearer way of stating the assumption i started with.

Oh yeah. Sorry.

I guess I'm saying that I suggest you don't break the bank by getting DW or Noble and Cooley when buying drums. Expensive drums won't help a mediocre drummer.

Also, I like the sound of thinner shells more than thicker shells.

bob