snarescience.com

Hey everyone... It's been a while and I hope all is just super froody with y'all.

So I'm working up a budget for a full drumline replacement, but I've been out of the equipment loop for so long, I don't know what seems to be working. I could use some feedback.

We currently use Yamaha drums with the Randy May carriers and stands. I've grown to dislike the RM equipment. Its too fiddly and difficult to repair. Granted, this batch is 10+ years old, and its just breaking down, so maybe its not entirely bad design. But I will tell you matching up the metric bolts and screws is a major pain in the arse. Also, we're not so much into the bleacher-stand features. We do not set up on bleachers, so that feature on the stands is not needed. All in all, this drumline is like a B-17 catching flak over Nazi Germany. Its just damage and spare parts flying everywhere.

I'm drawn to the Mapex lineup. The drums seem reasonable, and although we're still stuck with the May Carriers, the stands seem much more in line with our requirements. My second choice would be Dynasty... those carriers seem to be rugged AF, and easy to maintain. The quad carrier system seems nice too... but I'm not sure how size-adaptable the Dynasty equipment is. In other words, when my size range is from a pre-9th grade girl who has not hit her growth spurt and may be reasonably expected to weigh less than 100 pounds, up to a 6-2, 250lb stud, will the Dynasty t-max carriers be the wrong choice?

Balance that against the Tama. Cool features... but it all seems a bit fiddly for me. With that being said, I'm going off the reservation and buying the Tama bass stands. I'm in love with the bass lock system, and when I have to budget for a bass drum rim replacement once per year because of dropped drums, that's going to add up over a 10year expected life.

What are your thoughts? My priorities are ruggedness, simplicity, drum security on the stands, and repairability. Hardware is going to be the driver. We are non-competitive rah-rah band in community that does not prioritize the arts. So once I have this stuff in my inventory, the emphasis is going to be on keeping it functional for a long time. Drum characteristics are important but secondary. So don't tell me about how much I'm gonna prefer $900 carbon-ply snare drums, because that won't mean diddly to me when I'm searching through the oddball bins at Ace hardware just so I can put 15 kids on the field.

If you're looking for long term use, rugged hardware, and simplicity, Dynasty is hands down the choice for you. If you're not worried about setting up in the bleachers, their stands are second to none, and while the harnesses admittedly aren't as comfortable as Randall May with the back brace, they are size adaptable, they're easy to use, and they're insanely durable. A lot of people will tell you that Dynasty drums are super heavy, but most of those people are carrying pretty old drums. They've made them a lot lighter, especially the tenors, and nobody on your line should have a problem carrying them. Also, even though this wasn't super important to you, on top of all that they sound fantastic.

Tama drums have some cool features, but everyone I've talked to has said they're stupid heavy. The bass stands are great though.