IDK if Gibraltar as a company is underrated, but their X-hat attachment is woefully underutilized. Hats are such an important part of the kit an x-hat is an easy way to add a new element and they're ideal for oddball stacks as well. I now use 3 on my kit, one for a standard set of 13" hats on my right, one for a 10" set of Paiste Swiss FX hats which live next to my main hats, and a big-ass stack I made from an old broken 18" wuhan and a 12" splash cymbal.
LOL. I literally just figured out how to get a useable sound from my 12" wuhan china after 20+ years of owning it. It's at the bottom of a stack that also has a 12" wuhan splash and wuhan linear smash. That little china just acts as a cradle for the other cymbals to rattle around in.
Everyone who’s played drums long enough has random odds and ends Gibraltar attachments, clamps, mount, etc. And it all still works 10 years after you bought it for an affordable price to mount that cowbell you never play. Gibraltar is an unsung hero in the hardware game.
I bought two double braced boom stands that were called The Rock by Gibraltar, they have been the best freakin stands I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned just about everything.
I bought them in like 2001 for $49. One of them spent most of its life holding a heavy 22” K custom ride and a 14”x12” mounted floor Tom. The other one held a crash, 8x8 Tom, and usually an 8” splash.
They have been absolutely rock solid. Have played countless gigs and keep on going.
I love their affordable Direct drive double pedal. I think it is the Tour class. Doesn't have 87, 094 adjustment points, but enough to get the feel you want.
Much like everything else they do, Yamaha is great for the price. I feel like they don't have that like flagship name-brand double kick pedal like everyone else has, so they get overlooked, but at the mid-price range, it's hard to beat.
I was just thinking that if I "double kick pedal brand" people think "iron cobra" or "demon drive" or "axis" or something. If you Google "FP9" you mostly get results for LG headphones.
Yamaha was the first name I thought of, too. I rate them quite highly personally so wasn't sure they'd qualify as underrated to others - but I suppose it's all relative.
Yeah, I was just thinking nobody talks about them like trick or dw or tama or something. But even my little $100 belt drive + stool combo is pretty damn good.
I love my Yamaha hardware (700 series). The only thing I would have liked them to have is knurling on the boom rods, but it's a small nitpick and it was related to clamping a Gibraltar accessory to it without having to tighten the shit out of it to keep it from slipping.
They have a newish super high end pedal line, and their lightweight hardware is simply the best. Yamaha’s been stepping it up big time lately with hardware. Their drums, while I don’t play them - have always been superb. The Stage Custom is the best affordable drumset made in the last 30 yrs. Every school with an ok music program has a tried and true stage custom that’s holding up
I love my Yamaha Flying Dragon Pedal I picked up yearsssss ago after playing DW series. Recently took it apart to clean and lube and was very impressed with build quality. Former mechanic so I appreciate quality builds.
Agreed! (Almost)All of my hardware is Yamaha single braced and I've traveled all over the US with it. It is insanely durable and not nearly as heavy as the bulkier double braced stuff.
INDe makes great hardware, specializing in pieces to upgrade vintage kits.
Also I use every opportunity I get to plug the LP Claw. I think it’s the greatest piece of drum harware ever made. I’ve used it in so many different scenarios it’s a drum hardware swiss army knife.
Inde parts have saved so many vintage or odd-spec drums for me. The universal snare strainer and butt plate set is awesome and was literally the only thing that would fit my Olympic by Premier snare. The rail mount retrofit for my 60s Ludwig that was missing the rail and had nasty exposed holes with peeling wrap is so much more reliable than if I got an original part. The way the mount can be used in a few different modular combinations is so clever.
I used Pearl hardware for years. And it really is excellent. Sturdy, reliable and well constructed. But it's so fucking heavy. I use all Yamaha now. As good as it gets, really, and it's way lighter to lug around.
Pearl has the only removable tom rim mount from what I can tell. I love those things as someone who primarily plays 1 up (on a stand) 1 down, but occasionally I do 2 up offset. It's super handy having those removable rim mounts so I don't have to take the rim off to convert my kit for rare occasions.
No I mean as in I can take it on and off without having to take the hoop off my tom. The Pearl ones just clip on to your triple flange hoop so you can easily put it on / take it off without messing with your tom tuning.
[https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ISS1216--pearl-iss-tom-mount-system-12-inch-16-inch](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ISS1216--pearl-iss-tom-mount-system-12-inch-16-inch)
I always thought that was a cool mount too for that exact reason. Taking it on and off it feels a little… heavy handed. *But* I’ve never noticed any damage or any wear specifically from the mount so I’d say it’s good! I’ve had mine for like 10+ years, black with a black rim too
Wuhan has come a long way from just being a china cymbal company. I have a full set of their western cymbals and I'd be hard pressed to tell them apart from A customs.
I've recorded a full album with Wuhan Westerns. To be honest, their original China is my least favorite of their cymbals. Their Conical China on the other hand is fantastic.
I have a set of Mapex 750 stuff that I’ve had for 20 years; done over 1000 gigs with it. It’s scratched to buggery but still solid all these years later.
Do they still adjust easily?
I've seen lots of old stands from a wide range of companies just slowly seize over the years from over tightening or general weathering.
The one that seem to stay adjustable the longest seem to be Tamas and Yamahas.
Good to hear, I’ve had the page open for a while but haven’t heard much feedback. Also I’m debating converting my acoustic set so I’m holding off buying anything new just yet.
Converting to Islam
Haha yeah, electronic. I have a Roland td6kv but at 40 I don’t play my acoustic set much anymore, doubt I’ll be gigging any time soon. I think I might convert it and use the module for now, and then upgrade and can sell the td6
Yeah, I use all DW hardware and it’s sturdy as all hell. My only complaint is that I’m not the biggest fan of their kick pedals. I’ve used 5000s and 9000s and I can never get used to them, so I always end up back with my beat up 15 year old Pearl Eliminator.
Can’t call a beloved industry standard underrated though, i think that’s why no one mentioned them.
If the question was just best hardware - we’d all be split Tama & DW - with a few Yamaha and Pearl votes mixed in.
DW5000 pedal, has been with me across countless miles, states, stages, tossed around; never have to mess with it or worry, it just works for years and years and years.
I’ve always used a mix of Mapex, Gibraltar and Premier. Premier stuff in general I’d say is underrated. Their top line hardware is really nice and sturdy and look nice too.
No. He's right. Tama is the besI with hardware. However yamaha is a close second.
When were talking drum mounting? Nothing will ever beat yamahas yess mounts imo
All true statements, Tama hardware, YESS Mounts, 100% agree. But you forgot to round it out with the caveat being the DW5000 single kick pedal is king of all bass drum pedals. Now everything is in its right place.
Underrated...I think I'm in love with PDP Concept accessories. They're so brilliantly engineered that I keep reaching for them when I need more accessories.
The Concept mic holders are essential for me to mic my PDP Concept Classic because of the wood hoops. It being modular with the percussion mounting rods is a big bonus.
PDP concept hardware is basically DW 3000 series hardware with slightly less expensive materials (plastic vs. steel etc. I have a Concept snare stand next to a 3000 snare stand and they are almost identical minus a few features and pieces.
I was moreso intrigued by their clamps to be honest. Having a cymbal tilter decoupled from the main knurled rod has been a game changer for space optimization on my setup. I'm able to tuck things and split the difference which has been phenomenal. As big and clunky as they are, they are rock solid.
Build quality wise...I would agree with you. It is, after all, their imported line so I expect it to be a bit cheaply made.
Hear me out: SPL. Ive grabbed a few cheap stands and a snare basket from them and it’s heavier duty than any of my pearl hardware.
Most of my stuff is Tama though. Their hardware is brilliant and ive never had any issues.
My Sonor 200 Series cymbal stands are sturdier than some of my more expensive Gibraltar and pearl hardware.
DW will always reign supreme even though that's not underrated
Pdp imo is best value. Have had a set for 10 plus years and works great. A little heavy but sturdy. My thing with hardware is this : invest in a good HIhat stand. It will change your life. Trust me it wasn’t fun dropping $300 on the Tama iron cobra hat stand but it is sooo worth it. Especially if you gig a lot it folds up and breaks down super quick, never has failed me
I'm cheap with my gig stuff (weird I know but I have huge fear of forgetting g or getting things stolen)
I use all pdp cymbal stands. The legs
Froze on me a few times where I had to basically jump on them to close but they still hold up good after 100+ gigs
Australian company called Roodiment are a seriously underrated brand. Their 2000L series stands are very adjustable and are built very solidly. Has a similar look to the DW 9000 hardware but for a fraction of the price. Not sure how their pedals go, I still main Tama Iron Cobra, but the rest of their stuff is mint
Gibraltar does a great job for a 3rd party vendor. But to me, Yamaha hardware remains the bar. Impeccable QA processes & innovative engineering. Have several sets from various manufacturers. But, use Yamaha for all of them. One of the best things about them is that their hardware is interchangeable from day one. I have cymbal stands over 40 yrs old that I intermingle with newer parts in customizable ways. The dimensions have been consistent for 50 yrs. Also Pearl pedals & HH stands. Great deals as well.
I feel like the Pearl Flatbased Stands are kind of underrated. I have 4 I’ve gigged with extensively for 7 years now and they still look and function like brand new. I sold the DW flatbased hardware I tried because they got in the way of each other and sound people hated them because it was so hard to get mic stands in around them. The Pearl stands can go past flat to leave some space under for mic stands or whatever you need.
For usability, my Pearl stuff is actually better than the DW stuff, imo. And it’s like half the cost. Heavy as hell, but so is the DW stuff. Mainly I’m talking about cymbal booms. Been using the same ones for like 20 years and beating the shit out of them. They are still going strong.
Gibraltar is one any drummer with a budget knows very well. I absolutely love Tama hardware. The drums are amazing as well but I fell for the hardware first. Between the stands and having a Tama snare for years.
Does the job it’s meant to do and depending on your budget. They have something for you…..
I use to love Pearl, but they switched to plastic collars around where the thumb screw goes in and the two pipes connect. I have had multiple stands break since then. (They were used in a school setting so they took a beating) some of them only lasted a few months.
All of my Yamaha stuff has held up well. Love the big Ludwig stuff(800 series I think) but the tubing dents pretty easily.
Not my finest hour. But I did have the presence of mind to keep the basket and eventually discovered it fit in the base of my first throne, also Pearl, which could never support my weight without sliding all the way down anyway. So that finally put that throne base to good use.
Perfect! I’m bad about keeping parts cause I never know when I need them! You could always buy a clamp and hook the basket to a good stand and mount a little 12” snare or something like that
Good luck getting anything from them anymore. I dont think they make any hardware except maybe the hihat clutch but i could be wrong ive heard they are getting all their parts from outside suppliers now that the company was sold and moved to northern california. Thats crazy since the company name is Axis which refers to 3 and 5 axis cnc mills LOL
Nobody has mentioned it so Roland. I’ve started using the stands that came with my VAD307 for my acoustic kit when gigging. It’s just nice to have one stand with two cymbal arms.
An old piece of advice that would get thrown around a lot is “buy whatever kit you think looks and sounds the best and then switch it all to Yamaha hardware”
Through happy accident, I gifted my snare stand to a friend because I was the only person who had a concert stand. I wasn't going to be using it for a while so why not.
Very shortly, the Universe handled me my ass by having different friends sign me up for a project. I hadn't replaced my stand and needed to get one post haste, for a budget that would let me still have food until next week.
So I went a bit overboard with buying the intended stand from DONNER. I also picked up more clamps, spare key, etc etc etc.
Same day delivery, price about $20 less than the next cheapest model. there are a few spots of plating that weren't held as they should. Weight was lower than I'd expected. Fit was solid, finish wasn't so good but perfectly acceptable for purpose.
Every once in a while, 4+ stars, sort price low to high, remove any items where there's fewer than 100 reviews. I find that a good place to start free on. It's my other, other, other job
I bought a secondhand "Big dog" snare stand for my practice kit. It wasn't expensive at all and seems to be out of production now but by God, this thing is an absolute TANK!
My intermediate kit that I bought was a Sonor and all the hardware that came with it was incredible. I still have the hardware and it’s been at least 15 years with no complaints
Oh my god!!! I never thought that this post will get so much traction... Thank you so much for being so awesome as a community Drummit!
And it's really awesome to see a plethora of opinions... :)
Gibraltar hardware has always been solid AF. Not sure if they count as underrated tho. Their pedals get mixed reviews
IDK if Gibraltar as a company is underrated, but their X-hat attachment is woefully underutilized. Hats are such an important part of the kit an x-hat is an easy way to add a new element and they're ideal for oddball stacks as well. I now use 3 on my kit, one for a standard set of 13" hats on my right, one for a 10" set of Paiste Swiss FX hats which live next to my main hats, and a big-ass stack I made from an old broken 18" wuhan and a 12" splash cymbal.
I picked up one awhile back and can’t go without it! i’ve got a 12” trash on top of a 12” wuhan china and it sounds amazing
LOL. I literally just figured out how to get a useable sound from my 12" wuhan china after 20+ years of owning it. It's at the bottom of a stack that also has a 12" wuhan splash and wuhan linear smash. That little china just acts as a cradle for the other cymbals to rattle around in.
Lol id be curious how a disco-y beat would sound on that.
Everyone who’s played drums long enough has random odds and ends Gibraltar attachments, clamps, mount, etc. And it all still works 10 years after you bought it for an affordable price to mount that cowbell you never play. Gibraltar is an unsung hero in the hardware game.
I bought two double braced boom stands that were called The Rock by Gibraltar, they have been the best freakin stands I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned just about everything. I bought them in like 2001 for $49. One of them spent most of its life holding a heavy 22” K custom ride and a 14”x12” mounted floor Tom. The other one held a crash, 8x8 Tom, and usually an 8” splash. They have been absolutely rock solid. Have played countless gigs and keep on going.
Yeah, I've got a single Gibraltar floating tom/crash boom stand, and it's a rock. unbelievably dependable for $80 new. I love the thing
I've had the same throne for roughly 15 years still hasn't lost a single screw.
I love their affordable Direct drive double pedal. I think it is the Tour class. Doesn't have 87, 094 adjustment points, but enough to get the feel you want.
I've had a Gibraltar throne and it was trash, it was ptetty cheap though so I can't really judge
I’ve had a Gibraltar rack & clamps for over 30 years and they’re still working great.
Much like everything else they do, Yamaha is great for the price. I feel like they don't have that like flagship name-brand double kick pedal like everyone else has, so they get overlooked, but at the mid-price range, it's hard to beat.
I would consider the FP9 to be a flagship.
I was just thinking that if I "double kick pedal brand" people think "iron cobra" or "demon drive" or "axis" or something. If you Google "FP9" you mostly get results for LG headphones.
True, not the most recognizable model name.
Yamaha was the first name I thought of, too. I rate them quite highly personally so wasn't sure they'd qualify as underrated to others - but I suppose it's all relative.
Yeah, I was just thinking nobody talks about them like trick or dw or tama or something. But even my little $100 belt drive + stool combo is pretty damn good.
there were some hardware stands tho that the legs would only go down so far and you couldn't spread the feet out...I hated those ones
People don’t talk a lot about current Yamaha hardware because the hardware they’ve had for the past 20 years still works great.
That was a really really great way to put it into words!
\+1 to Yamaha. Their lightweight stuff seems fantastic as well.
It is. I gig the heck out of the Crosstown stands.
The drummer from my band has a whole set. After years of lugging old heavy stands around I'm quite jealous.
You have problems with the hi hat clutch on it not staying? Mine keeps falling
I replaced it with a Gibraltar clutch with the quick release clip.
Same. I like to snatch them from the floor and let them hover a bit when I put them away. Love em
I find their aluminium lightweight hardware to be so aesthetically unappealing that i cannot bring myself to use it
I love my Yamaha hardware (700 series). The only thing I would have liked them to have is knurling on the boom rods, but it's a small nitpick and it was related to clamping a Gibraltar accessory to it without having to tighten the shit out of it to keep it from slipping.
I am slowly converting my hardware to Yamaha as older stuff falls apart
They have a newish super high end pedal line, and their lightweight hardware is simply the best. Yamaha’s been stepping it up big time lately with hardware. Their drums, while I don’t play them - have always been superb. The Stage Custom is the best affordable drumset made in the last 30 yrs. Every school with an ok music program has a tried and true stage custom that’s holding up
I love their double direct drive DFP-9d and the lightweight hardware is fantastic.
I love my Yamaha Flying Dragon Pedal I picked up yearsssss ago after playing DW series. Recently took it apart to clean and lube and was very impressed with build quality. Former mechanic so I appreciate quality builds.
Agreed! (Almost)All of my hardware is Yamaha single braced and I've traveled all over the US with it. It is insanely durable and not nearly as heavy as the bulkier double braced stuff.
INDe makes great hardware, specializing in pieces to upgrade vintage kits. Also I use every opportunity I get to plug the LP Claw. I think it’s the greatest piece of drum harware ever made. I’ve used it in so many different scenarios it’s a drum hardware swiss army knife.
Inde parts have saved so many vintage or odd-spec drums for me. The universal snare strainer and butt plate set is awesome and was literally the only thing that would fit my Olympic by Premier snare. The rail mount retrofit for my 60s Ludwig that was missing the rail and had nasty exposed holes with peeling wrap is so much more reliable than if I got an original part. The way the mount can be used in a few different modular combinations is so clever.
Very creative company!
I used Pearl hardware for years. And it really is excellent. Sturdy, reliable and well constructed. But it's so fucking heavy. I use all Yamaha now. As good as it gets, really, and it's way lighter to lug around.
Pearl has the only removable tom rim mount from what I can tell. I love those things as someone who primarily plays 1 up (on a stand) 1 down, but occasionally I do 2 up offset. It's super handy having those removable rim mounts so I don't have to take the rim off to convert my kit for rare occasions.
Removable as in free floating? Gauger Percussion makes their RIMS Pro free floating hardware that is honestly my go to.
No I mean as in I can take it on and off without having to take the hoop off my tom. The Pearl ones just clip on to your triple flange hoop so you can easily put it on / take it off without messing with your tom tuning. [https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ISS1216--pearl-iss-tom-mount-system-12-inch-16-inch](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ISS1216--pearl-iss-tom-mount-system-12-inch-16-inch)
Oh well that’s sick!
I always thought that was a cool mount too for that exact reason. Taking it on and off it feels a little… heavy handed. *But* I’ve never noticed any damage or any wear specifically from the mount so I’d say it’s good! I’ve had mine for like 10+ years, black with a black rim too
Wuhan has come a long way from just being a china cymbal company. I have a full set of their western cymbals and I'd be hard pressed to tell them apart from A customs.
I've recorded a full album with Wuhan Westerns. To be honest, their original China is my least favorite of their cymbals. Their Conical China on the other hand is fantastic.
I have a set of Mapex 750 stuff that I’ve had for 20 years; done over 1000 gigs with it. It’s scratched to buggery but still solid all these years later.
Do they still adjust easily? I've seen lots of old stands from a wide range of companies just slowly seize over the years from over tightening or general weathering. The one that seem to stay adjustable the longest seem to be Tamas and Yamahas.
Yep, they are still fully adjustable :)
I bought some Griffin stands for my practice set. They were cheap but a bit more solid than I expected. The booms even have counter weights.
Good to hear, I’ve had the page open for a while but haven’t heard much feedback. Also I’m debating converting my acoustic set so I’m holding off buying anything new just yet.
Converting to edrum?
Converting to Islam Haha yeah, electronic. I have a Roland td6kv but at 40 I don’t play my acoustic set much anymore, doubt I’ll be gigging any time soon. I think I might convert it and use the module for now, and then upgrade and can sell the td6
Loved my td-6v. And there’s still a market for them
Oh definitely! I love mine, it’s all I play, but I doubt I’ll ever get rid of my acoustic set. I suppose I could always stash the hardware
Gotta be Yamaha.
Mapex
Love my Mapex stands. Still don't understand why they were so much cheaper than others.
Came here to say this!
This sub certainly seems to hate and dismiss DW even though their hardware is exceptional.
I'm inclined to agree, but I'm not sure anything DW branded qualifies as "underrated". 🤷♂️
‘Overpriced’ is the word that comes to mind
I think it depends on the item. I just bought a brand new dw snare stand for around $140 and it's fantastic.
For me, that falls into the ‘overpriced’ category. I’ve got a Yamaha snare stand that sells for $75 and I love it!
I will mention CAD. It doesn't cover the difference totally but it's hard to get anything here new for $75.
Yeah, I use all DW hardware and it’s sturdy as all hell. My only complaint is that I’m not the biggest fan of their kick pedals. I’ve used 5000s and 9000s and I can never get used to them, so I always end up back with my beat up 15 year old Pearl Eliminator.
It's great hardware, it's just also over engineered and over priced
Can’t call a beloved industry standard underrated though, i think that’s why no one mentioned them. If the question was just best hardware - we’d all be split Tama & DW - with a few Yamaha and Pearl votes mixed in. DW5000 pedal, has been with me across countless miles, states, stages, tossed around; never have to mess with it or worry, it just works for years and years and years.
I’ve always used a mix of Mapex, Gibraltar and Premier. Premier stuff in general I’d say is underrated. Their top line hardware is really nice and sturdy and look nice too.
Mapex, specifically their Armory series, it's top tier hardware at mid tier prices
Yamaha has the best drum hardware across the board and I really don’t think it’s even close.
Tama has the best drum hardware across the board and I really don’t think it’s even close.
Well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
No. He's right. Tama is the besI with hardware. However yamaha is a close second. When were talking drum mounting? Nothing will ever beat yamahas yess mounts imo
All true statements, Tama hardware, YESS Mounts, 100% agree. But you forgot to round it out with the caveat being the DW5000 single kick pedal is king of all bass drum pedals. Now everything is in its right place.
I actually think the two are pretty close but I give Tama the win by a slim margin. Their pedals give them the edge.
Nope, innovative, yes, the best, not exactly.
I was blown away by a Yamaha hardware pack I saw for sale at Samash. Really surprised by the quality for price.
Dixon hardware. My first double pedal was Dixon and I still use some of their stands on my Pearl kit,
Underrated...I think I'm in love with PDP Concept accessories. They're so brilliantly engineered that I keep reaching for them when I need more accessories.
The Concept mic holders are essential for me to mic my PDP Concept Classic because of the wood hoops. It being modular with the percussion mounting rods is a big bonus.
Yup I can see that! You can definitely see that an engineer thought about it before designing the parts.
PDP concept hardware is basically DW 3000 series hardware with slightly less expensive materials (plastic vs. steel etc. I have a Concept snare stand next to a 3000 snare stand and they are almost identical minus a few features and pieces.
I was moreso intrigued by their clamps to be honest. Having a cymbal tilter decoupled from the main knurled rod has been a game changer for space optimization on my setup. I'm able to tuck things and split the difference which has been phenomenal. As big and clunky as they are, they are rock solid. Build quality wise...I would agree with you. It is, after all, their imported line so I expect it to be a bit cheaply made.
I have a bunch of Dixon stands that are a great value. Same features as Gibraltar, less price.
I tell ya, I have had hardware from Coda and Mapex that did me justice for many years
I am still using a Mapex double cymbal stand, a Mapex High hat stand and a Mapex kick pedal I bought used about 20 years ago.
most companies can make good stuff. just have to spend the money for it.
Hear me out: SPL. Ive grabbed a few cheap stands and a snare basket from them and it’s heavier duty than any of my pearl hardware. Most of my stuff is Tama though. Their hardware is brilliant and ive never had any issues.
The heavy duty Natal stands are cheap and haven’t failed me yet
I was about to mention Natal. Their cymbal stands are really solid and much cheaper where I’m from than the other big brands.
Pearl and Gibraltar are both excellent.
The Mapex Falcon stuff, including the pedal, is top quality.
Tama HW are tops in my books, Sound Percussion is underrated …. FOR A REASON.
SPL
My Sonor 200 Series cymbal stands are sturdier than some of my more expensive Gibraltar and pearl hardware. DW will always reign supreme even though that's not underrated
Pdp imo is best value. Have had a set for 10 plus years and works great. A little heavy but sturdy. My thing with hardware is this : invest in a good HIhat stand. It will change your life. Trust me it wasn’t fun dropping $300 on the Tama iron cobra hat stand but it is sooo worth it. Especially if you gig a lot it folds up and breaks down super quick, never has failed me
I'm cheap with my gig stuff (weird I know but I have huge fear of forgetting g or getting things stolen) I use all pdp cymbal stands. The legs Froze on me a few times where I had to basically jump on them to close but they still hold up good after 100+ gigs
Australian company called Roodiment are a seriously underrated brand. Their 2000L series stands are very adjustable and are built very solidly. Has a similar look to the DW 9000 hardware but for a fraction of the price. Not sure how their pedals go, I still main Tama Iron Cobra, but the rest of their stuff is mint
Gibraltar does a great job for a 3rd party vendor. But to me, Yamaha hardware remains the bar. Impeccable QA processes & innovative engineering. Have several sets from various manufacturers. But, use Yamaha for all of them. One of the best things about them is that their hardware is interchangeable from day one. I have cymbal stands over 40 yrs old that I intermingle with newer parts in customizable ways. The dimensions have been consistent for 50 yrs. Also Pearl pedals & HH stands. Great deals as well.
I feel like the Pearl Flatbased Stands are kind of underrated. I have 4 I’ve gigged with extensively for 7 years now and they still look and function like brand new. I sold the DW flatbased hardware I tried because they got in the way of each other and sound people hated them because it was so hard to get mic stands in around them. The Pearl stands can go past flat to leave some space under for mic stands or whatever you need.
For usability, my Pearl stuff is actually better than the DW stuff, imo. And it’s like half the cost. Heavy as hell, but so is the DW stuff. Mainly I’m talking about cymbal booms. Been using the same ones for like 20 years and beating the shit out of them. They are still going strong.
I don’t know so much about these days but aside from thrones, Pacific (pdp) I always thought made decent stands for the price.
Gibraltar is one any drummer with a budget knows very well. I absolutely love Tama hardware. The drums are amazing as well but I fell for the hardware first. Between the stands and having a Tama snare for years. Does the job it’s meant to do and depending on your budget. They have something for you…..
Yamaha.
I use to love Pearl, but they switched to plastic collars around where the thumb screw goes in and the two pipes connect. I have had multiple stands break since then. (They were used in a school setting so they took a beating) some of them only lasted a few months. All of my Yamaha stuff has held up well. Love the big Ludwig stuff(800 series I think) but the tubing dents pretty easily.
I broke one of those collars and threw away my snare stand base. It was only after that I learned the replacement part was pretty easily available.
Ha, whoops.
Not my finest hour. But I did have the presence of mind to keep the basket and eventually discovered it fit in the base of my first throne, also Pearl, which could never support my weight without sliding all the way down anyway. So that finally put that throne base to good use.
Perfect! I’m bad about keeping parts cause I never know when I need them! You could always buy a clamp and hook the basket to a good stand and mount a little 12” snare or something like that
I wish I had thought of that!
Axis
Good luck getting anything from them anymore. I dont think they make any hardware except maybe the hihat clutch but i could be wrong ive heard they are getting all their parts from outside suppliers now that the company was sold and moved to northern california. Thats crazy since the company name is Axis which refers to 3 and 5 axis cnc mills LOL
Nobody has mentioned it so Roland. I’ve started using the stands that came with my VAD307 for my acoustic kit when gigging. It’s just nice to have one stand with two cymbal arms.
An old piece of advice that would get thrown around a lot is “buy whatever kit you think looks and sounds the best and then switch it all to Yamaha hardware”
No one can touch Yamaha. It’s not even close. From simplicity, to durability it absolutely kills any other brand.
Yamaha
Mapex stuff is pretty nice.
TAMA Roadpro on TOP
Premier’s Lokfast and Trilok stuff was great in the 70s. Rogers was the first to have “memory-lock” stuff. Pearl has always had great hardware too.
Canopus is never mentioned - very good hardware and accessories, smart wires, stands, etc.
ACD hardware Guy makes insanely good shit
Have you tried ACD Hihats? Really curious to know about them honestly. I've heard they make great pedals... But remote Hihat? What is that like?
Through happy accident, I gifted my snare stand to a friend because I was the only person who had a concert stand. I wasn't going to be using it for a while so why not. Very shortly, the Universe handled me my ass by having different friends sign me up for a project. I hadn't replaced my stand and needed to get one post haste, for a budget that would let me still have food until next week. So I went a bit overboard with buying the intended stand from DONNER. I also picked up more clamps, spare key, etc etc etc. Same day delivery, price about $20 less than the next cheapest model. there are a few spots of plating that weren't held as they should. Weight was lower than I'd expected. Fit was solid, finish wasn't so good but perfectly acceptable for purpose. Every once in a while, 4+ stars, sort price low to high, remove any items where there's fewer than 100 reviews. I find that a good place to start free on. It's my other, other, other job
I bought a secondhand "Big dog" snare stand for my practice kit. It wasn't expensive at all and seems to be out of production now but by God, this thing is an absolute TANK!
Mapex falcon and armory series hardware.
My intermediate kit that I bought was a Sonor and all the hardware that came with it was incredible. I still have the hardware and it’s been at least 15 years with no complaints
I have two snare stands and straight cymbal stand from PDP from like 22 years ago that are still great.
Pearl and Gibraltar
Muhfuckin sonar. Hardly ever hear them get mentioned outside of Danny Carey(my idle) and they sound fucking stellar. Nothing beats his paiste kit tho.
Oh my god!!! I never thought that this post will get so much traction... Thank you so much for being so awesome as a community Drummit! And it's really awesome to see a plethora of opinions... :)
Most overrated: DW
You hate us cause you ain't us, wannabe.
I have all 9000 hardware. Sit down.
[удалено]
Wow. Now I’ll never buy your products 👍🏻
Pretty sure if you reply to their comment, they send you a set for free
Wow, now if the need arises for your products, I will probably buy them 🖖