Gear Reviews
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
Papa Roach’s Tony Palermo
Tony Palermo has been a Pearl endorser since 2008, and for his most recent set the company custom-made shorter-sized floor toms to give them a faster decay. MD caught up with Palermo to get more details about his setup changes.…
Angel Drums - Segment-Shell Maple Drumset
Massive, upfront tones that will steal the show live and in the studio. Angel Drums is a small Hungarian company that prides itself on making no compromises when it comes to the quality of the snares and drumsets that it…
Zildjian - Aaron Spears and Kaz Rodriguez Artist Series Drumsticks
Extra-long but perfectly balanced models for two of the most versatile drummers around. With such a deep history in cymbal making that dates back hundreds of years, Zildjian still seems like a relative newcomer as a drumstick manufacturer. Yet the…
DW, Adoro, Gibraltar,Black Swamp, Tama, Roland
DW Collector’s Series Private Reserve Exotics Exotic finishes over available DW shell configurations include Tortoise Shell Pommele, Moabi, Horizontal Padouk, Vertical Padouk, Super Maple Curl, African Chechen, and Monkey Pod. Each can be ordered in a hand-sprayed polyester gloss or…
Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault
The Who’s Zak Starkey’s Collection Keith Moon provided the magic ingredient in the unique chemistry that created the legendary rock band the Who. Moon’s passion and unpredictable drumming propelled the band to heights that no other drummer could duplicate. When…
Roland V-Drums Acoustic Design VAD506 Kit
The ultimate immersive e-drums experience. Can you believe it’s taken forty-plus years for an electronic drumset to emerge that looks and feels nearly identical to an acoustic kit? Well, the time has come, folks. Roland’s new Acoustic Design series of…
Doc Sweeney - Pure Series Snare Drums
Three solid-shell snares designed to let the timber speak for itself. The last time we checked in with Rancho Santa Fe, California–based boutique brand Doc Sweeney was in the May 2020 issue, when we reviewed the gorgeous 1920s-inspired Classic series…
DW, DrēmTrigger, Gibraltar, RTOM and more
DW Design Series Additions These drums are offered in standard five-piece configurations with three add-ons: a 7x8 rack tom, and 12x14 and 16x18 floor toms. The shells are said to sound full, resonant, and responsive. Features include True-Pitch tension rods,…
Attack Drumheads - The Baron Red-Dot Batter
A durable, easy-to-tune option with just the right amount of built-in dampening. Attack Drumheads has been around since the ’80s, under different ownership. In October 2018, the brand was acquired by Cardinal Percussion of Youngstown, Ohio. This was my first…
Jonas Brothers’ Jack Lawless
New Jersey native Jack Lawless started out as the drummer of Joe Jonas’s chart-topping alternative-pop group DNCE. When the Jonas Brothers got back together, Lawless got the call for that tour as well. We were able catch up with him…
Vic Firth Re-Mix Brushes
Vic Firth recently expanded its catalog with four pairs of uniquely designed Re-Mix brushes/rods made from different types of organic material, ranging from soft and subtle broomcorn to a combo of stiff yet flexible birch and rattan. These models are…
Centent Cymbals - Ardor, Sparks, and Emperor Series
Centent is a Chinese company that produces high-quality yet competitively priced cymbals out of different bronze alloys, including B8 (8-percent tin/92-percent copper), B10 (10-percent tin/90-percent copper), and B20 (20-percent tin/80-percent copper). The cymbals are manufactured using a combination of modern…
Sonor - Benny Greb Signature Snares
Ten years ago, Sonor introduced the original 5.75x13 signature beech snare for top endorsing artist Benny Greb. Greb and Sonor recently revisited that incredibly popular model to make a few tweaks. The result is not one but two upgraded versions…
Gretsch, Latin Percussion, Steinberg, Peavey and more
Gretsch Brooklyn Series Drumkits Two new Nitron finishes have been added to the Brooklyn series: Blue Burst Pearl and White Marine Pearl. Constructed from 6-ply North American maple and poplar, Brooklyn series drums are finished with 3 mm double-flanged 302…
