DVD Review – Drum Gear Buyers Guide

In this edition of The Paradiddler we're going to review a drumming resource published by Railroad Media. It's the DVD titled "Drum Gear Buyers Guide", and it's hosted by Mike Michalkow & Dean "Schroeder" Reimer. It's purpose is to give practical tips on what to look for when buying drum gear, specifically drums and accessories, drumsticks, drum heads, and cymbals.

In my article "Brute Force Learning", I mentioned that one of the instructional tools I'm using to better myself as a drummer is "The Drumming System" by Mike Michalkow. I will be reviewing that course sometime in the future, but suffice it to say that it is a plethora of drumming knowledge, not easily digested quickly. It is also produced by Railroad Media, just as this DVD we'll be discussing here. I'm starting to grow great respect for Railroad Media, since from what I've seen, they produce high-quality content, easy to understand, and reasonably priced. This DVD is no exception.

A little bit about the speakers of this presentation. Mike Michalkow is a world reknown drum instructor from the Vancouver area (that's Canada, eh?). He has several instructional DVDs under his belt, such as "Moeller Method Secrets", "Jazz Drumming System", and the above-referenced "Drumming System". He is also a huge Rush fan, which, as you may know, is very fine by me! Dean "Schroeder" Reimer is the 'gear specialist' at the Long & McQuade music store in Langley, British Columbia. As you'll see, Dean knows his stuff.

The video is more of a conversational piece between the two, where Mike basically walks into the store and starts blasting away questions, with Dean fielding them with aplomb. The subjects touched upon are questions that some of us may have wanted to ask, but not know quite how to ask them. The topics covered include:

• Drums & Accessories

• Drumsticks

• Drum Heads

• Cymbals

The subject matter is not so much price, but tips on what to look for when buying these items, so we don't go into the buying process blindly. For example, the guys recommend not buying the cheapest brand of drums. This is due to the fact that they may not be built to a high enough standard to prevent early breakage, or if part of the kit needs to be replaced, it may be difficult due to the lack of market presence of the brand. One of the brands recommended was the Forum line from Pearl. Pearl is a great brand of drums to start off with, with great support. It may be more expensive (a little) than the cheapest brand, but oh so worth it! Very valuable advice.

Mike and Dean go on to talk about drumsticks, which even to me is a slightly confusing topic, since, well, there are so many brands and so many sizes! Dean goes on to explain the similarities between the same size among the different brands. Mike boils it down to, basically, what feels right in your hands. There are extremes, of course, and they mention small sticks that are used primarily in Latin playing, all the way to the other extreme of big and beefy size sticks which are made to pulverize your drum heads (well, they're to play heavy rock, but that's the price to pay for loudness!).

The drum heads section is very educational, and there's no way I'm going into all the detail here ('cause this is just a teaser!). Dean explains the differences between the different thicknesses of the heads, between brands and within the brands themselves. The brands focused on were Remo and Evans, which are the more popular brands. It's amazing the variations within the brands and the uses for each head, be it for snares, toms, bass drums, batter side, resonant side - sheesh! The guys break it down nicely, and it serves as a very good reference for purchasing decisions.

The last section focuses on the cymbals, and there are a lot of factors that determine the quality and sound they produce. The main factors as discussed by Dean are the thinness (or thickness) of the cymbal, and if the cymbal is cut from a sheet, or cast individually. Different types of cymbals are sampled, such as crashes, rides, splashes, chinas, whether the cymbals are hammered or not, lathing, etc. This might be the most educational portion of the DVD, even though every section is worth reviewing.

There are many tidbits in the DVD that come up in conversation that we may not have known about. One of the more important ones, aside from the accessories mentioned, is that it would be a good idea to actually befriend some of the folks at the local music store (if there's one nearby) and ask questions - that's what they're there for! Play some of the equipment, test out those ride cymbals, see what sounds good to you. Also, you can use your favorite drummers as a guide. Find out what brands they use, and since you like them already, you can inquire about equipment specifically in those lines, and start from there. You already like their sound, so why not go from there?

Armed with this information, you are better equipped to make sound decisions as far as what equipment to buy. What the DVD doesn't delve into is how to get the best price for equipment you decide to buy. Although the local music store is a great place to get information and buy great gear, it may not always be the best price. I'll be addressing that issue specifically soon, so stay tuned to that.

At $27.00, I believe this DVD is a great value. It is a great resource to have in our libraries to help us make better purchasing decisions. A strong seven out of ten paradiddles!

For more information on the DVD, including promotions and payment options, click here.

Bonus! "Drum Gear Buyers Guide" is now included as a free bonus in the Mike Michalkow "Drumming System"! Click here to read the review and watch the video at the end for more bonus details.
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