Gather enough drummers together, and inevitably the conversation will turn toward the eternal question of whether vintage drums sound better than new ones. The pro-vintage crowd argues that twenty-plus-year-old wood has had time to settle into a reliable, consistent tone. The pro-modern group will counter that their drums are the beneficiaries of a full century of better design and technology, from absolutely accurate bearing edges to modern hardware that can stand up to the punishment it endures gig after gig.

December 2015 Issue