As a Gretsch owner and fan, I have to admit that I was really impressed with the Ludwig set. The kick drum sounded better, in my opinion, than that of the Gretsch set. Thank you gentlemen for the informative and entertaining upload. All the very best to all at DCP.
Gretsch owner here as well. Its just to bad they don't honor the lifetime shell warranties on sets from the 60's. Also to bad that they don't still use the old style mounts and muffles which I prefer.
There's a reason Gretsch has been around for so long. I loved the sound Lenny White had when he played them. Then there's Vinnie Colaituta and Steve Farron also had that great Gretsch sound
I agree 100%. The Gretsch speaks and pokes out better. The note drops, then gets out of the way. It's a much cleaner sounding set when you start putting other instruments around in.
@@med6369 Older sets could get clean cutting sound even with a bottom head missing. The newer sets not to keen on, if you play a variety of music you don't have the control over the ring/muffling of the drums (any modern set), That said I much prefer the sound of the Noble Cooley snare, to much ring in the others for my liking.
Terrific video, the effort was astronomical I'm sure! The Gretsch and Ludwig have more cut than the Noble & Cooley and the DW, and the Gretsch is the overall winner to my ears. They have a lot of punch and plenty of high-end clarity that would be present in any mix.
Back in the 90's the only time their name would come up would be in music stores. If someone mentioned 'boutique' drums they would bring up Noble and Cooley. I saw a couple drum clinics with drummer/teacher Frank Briggs in the 90's.He used Noble And Cooley kits and snare drums. They were so expensive and a luxury. People would say they were the best drums one could acquire.
I don't think that they are underrated. No one who hears them is likely to say that they are just 'so so' drums. They do not have the same exposure as the bigger companies so they are less well known. Chris Whitten- UK session drummer brought them to public prominence when he toured with Paul McCartney in the late 80s/early 90s, but they are probably better known to U.S. drummers since then.
All very good. No losers here. My favorites were the N&C snare and the Gretsch toms. N&C kick was my winner for best kick, but that Gretsch kick was so tight that it was an interesting contrast to how open the Gretsch toms were. The way you guys record these things is amazing, though. You guys could mic up 5-gallon pickle buckets and make them sing.
The crazy thing to me is that Ringo Starr bought one of those ludwig maple kits in like 1963, and The Beatles went on to do pop, country, folk, latin, psychedelic, hard rock, and the Ludwig just sounds great on whatever style they played.
In 1963, Ludwig drum shells were 3-ply mahogany/poplar/mahogany with solid maple reinforcement hoops. The modern Ludwig drums with basically the same shell configuration are the Legacy Mahogany series.
All of those kits sounded awesome. It was nice to see you play what you felt like on each kit, what vibe, feel each kit gave you. Great comparison video, it was a pleasure to watch!
Hot damn, that Noble & Cooley sounds insanely good. They all do, of course, but the Horizon’s tone felt “fullest”. That with the Copperphonic would be the chef’s kiss of chef’s kisses. Somewhat related, you all deserve huge kudos for the quality of videos you make now - and especially the mixes of the kits. Memphis Drum Shop used to be the king of the hill, and their set-up still sounds great. But DCP’s sound is incredible, like if drum sample libraries actually sounded like real drums in a room.
My wife just bought the N&C kit from this. Video for me for Christmas and I am moved to tears at the beauty and quality of this work of art of a drum set. Just absolutely gorgeous drums and built by a company with so many years of history.
Wow. The engineering and mixing was top notch! These all sound incredible. I have to say the Ludwig sounded best to my ears, followed by N&C, DW, and Gretsch. Not what I expected!
What I love most is in the end I still think the Gretsch is the best on the kit I've been playing Gretsch (all Ludwig snares tho) since I was 11 years old? I love that you boyzz did the individual drum sound comparisons at the end -that's epic! And I still hate DW. Bought my first Customs over the years and blended it with the Renown kit I bought from y'all about 3 yrs ago. Well done video and I'm going to watch again with Bluetooth connected to good stereo.
I have a Gretch Catalina Maple, and a George Way Tuxedo Maple/Poplar set, and love both of them. But this Noble&Cooley you showed sounds so great, that I wanna drive up to NH today, and take it home.
Cool shoot out and I appreciate the head-2-head cuts. Really clarifies the tonal subtleties. Oddly, to my ears, the Ludwigs sounded the most balanced and complementary to how I imagine I sound. I'm not a heavy hitter, and as lovely as the Gretsch's were, they deserve to be struck hard and they'll give it right back at you. The Ludwig's appear to want to "play along" with the player and I expect they'll take well to a wide range of tunings. I really appreciate your channel and my local drum shop, Buffalo Drum Outlet closed as the owner retired, so I'm without a shop. I dig the dog hangin' with you guys too. Feels friendly in Portsmouth. Cheers!
You don’t know how much I’m in love with DW, it just looks gorgeous, sounds good. I personally go for it cause I’ve always been a huge fan of DW, I still and always dream about it, so” i will give it a shout out for DW, 🎉John Good🎉 you’re a perfect example of a DW community, U just Rock and thank you for being showing your hard work, were just drum Families, so thank and God bless U. ❤❤❤
the tom from DW, by far the best thanks to John Good and his shell designs and technology, however; the snare and kick drums from N&C are on another planet.
All fantastic kits! Have to say, if I wasn't on a budget, hands down I go with N&C. Especially the snare. However, on a budget considerations, I'd have to go with Ludwig. Best sound for the money in my opinion.
All sound fantastic. My ears and heart say Gretsch. It really has that great Gretsch sound. You really can’t go wrong with any though and I’d happily have all four.
Another fantastic head to head video versus America’s best! Although I own a DW Collectors pure maple kit. I have to say that N&C sounds fantastic! That said, they all sounded really good, but the N&C seemed to have a little more attack than the others to my ears anyway. Love your videos guys!
Very nice! Remo heads for the win 🥳 This was a big step up in film making all due to the segment layout/format of this video. Please continue this format in the future. It is nice to hear what you both think about these products. After so many years of playing and selling drums you are able to share a valuable unique insight. Think of video making like a song. Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, instrumental, chorus, outro (optional prechoruses and bridges sparsed in for color). Intro, thoughts, gear, thoughts, gear, funny whathaveyou, thoughts, gear, outro. You guys got this!
I recently asked ya'll for a comparison like this, and here we are! All are fantastic. It would take better ears than mine to tell a huge difference, and, in the hands of a good sound man, any would work. I own Gretsch, and play Ludwig at church, but if I had to pick one here it would probably be the N&C. (But, since playing a set at NAMM a few years ago, I've always wanted one). Not crazy about the finishes. N & C is ok, and the Gretsch is classy. But I'd have the Ludwig in WMP. Love most DW finishes. Owned a Redwood Burl. Not crazy about this one, but love the purple heart snare.
EPIC job. I’m a Gretsch Broadkaster guy. Got them from you guys, and you were very helpful. As much as I LOVE my kit, if I owned any of these kits with my choice of heads, I would never have to look back. Thanks for doing this. Can’t wait to make the trip back up from Jersey. Your shop is mind blowing 👊
Very similar. The Gretsch had the best in way of the overtones. Also the bass and snare sounded great. The Ludwig's had it happening also. It would be a blessing to own any of these kits. Leaning towards Gretsch when I can make the investment.
You’ve done it again guys! 👍 Great work on the vid! Since I’m kind of a Ludwig guy, I’m going to have to say those are my fav. But all of the kits sounded killer! 🥁
The NC kit was surprisingly good. The Gretch had more sustain. I think the DW overall had the best drum sound and the DW snare was killer. Thank you for putting this together
To my ear they all sounded great. The real difference to me was the floor toms. I thought the N&C really won on the floors. Great video! I would love to see more comparison vids like this
Great sounding sets 👌 Nobel & Cooley should send you a big check $ for this video...they just sound awesome here 👌. Gretsch Kick sounds terrible in comparison to other - The rest of the set is fantastic. It is amazing how similar Gretsch and Ludwig 16" floor tom sound. DW has Unidentified buzz coming out of the rack toms , but their Bass drum and floor toms are the best. * If I had to choose one set, Ludwig is my choice. Overall kit just sounds the best !!!! Thank You guys for all your work, love this Chanel ❣️
Gretsch BASS DRUMS sound best in a 14 inch depth. More attack, and you don’t loose any bottom end fatness. They made a mistake using a long shell bass drum. With a Gretsch drum, you don’t need it.
So basically, you can't go wrong with any of these high-end kits :).... They all sound amazing!!! Hard to choose one; I'd go with the Gretsch, but that's probably in most part because that's what I've been playing for the past 13 years :)
Ludwig classic maple is not Ludwig's high end kit. Their Legacy Maple are and they harken back to thinner shells with re-rings. These classic maples remind me of the Ludwig's when they got ris of the re-rings and when with thicker shells in the late 70's so I suppose in a way they are "classic" but not high end .. my opinion of course.
@@lilbacon7777 you would have to find a dealer that sales them. Most like they would have to be ordered. You’re better off trying to find a vintage kit that has been maintained at roughly half the price. The only caveat is that Ludwig dropped the ball during the very last 60sand 70s because of Ringo popularity. Attention to finishing like the bearing edges left a lot to be desired . I am considering having minor recut on two kits I own from 1972 .
My favorites in order: Ludwig, DW, Noble and Cooley and Gretsch. The Ludwig's sounded the most beefy but cutting and clear not to mention the kick drum is just awesome. But all fantastic drums!
As a Brit and Gretsch USA Custom owner I decided that the best drums in the world were those from the US and made from US maple. A great heritage and tradition in drum making. I could easily have gone Ludwig DW or Noble. I especially like, if true, that Noble made snare drums for the battle of Gettysburg.
It wouldn't surprise me if most of that superb "North American Maple" is actually from Canada with its ideal growing climate. Can't say I've ever seen North American Maple explicitly advertised as "USA Maple" though I'm open to being proven wrong. I think that calling it North American Maple obfuscates its origin without actually being dishonest.
@@bakedalaska4363 I believe you are right, while there is MAple in The Northern USA, not sure if they could support the drum making quantities, so I am pretty sure they also get from canada
Ok... the drums all sound amazing, but the real showcase in this video is Tony. Damn, dude! You have gotten so good over the past few years. Amazing playing, brother.
This is one of my favorite videos you guys have done, 4 exceptional kits from some of the most iconic brands ever. It makes it really hard to choose a favorite because of how nice they look and sound!! Side note- I'd love to see a full video from your time at the Gretsch factory!!
Another great job, guys. I really enjoyed all of the kits and would be happy if I found any one of them on my doorstep. And I completely agree on the Ludwig snare comment.
That was an outstanding comparison! So well. done - congrats and thanks much guys! All kits sounded really great to me, and I'd be happy playing any one of them. Agree with the other comments about the great sound of the N&C. They definitely caught my ear too (maybe just a surprise for a lot of us, due to the fact they are not heard nearly as often as the others?) That said - in addition to the N&C, I'm gonna give a nod to DW kit. I just loved the tom sounds there. But again - all sounded like fantastic drum sets.
Great video as always. All sounded great. But man, the noble and Cooley took the win for me.. I've never really heard of them before this video. The history behind the company is also amazing.
The Noble & Cooley sounds the most transparent to my ears. Definitely the brightest and most resonant I think followed by the Gretsch. They’re all pretty close and all great kits though. Great video and some nice chops to boot! Well done!
I have 5 kits and they're all Ludwig, if I bought another.. it'd be a Ludwig. After watching this video, I have to say the Ludwig is my favorite. That being said.. I really wanna copperphonic now.
I’m about to buy a kit for my studio and I’m thinking about going classic maple Ludwig kit with a supraphonic snare. I’ll be recording in a well treated living room and my only fear with this is that they’d be too powerful for too small a room. You seem experienced so could you help me out?
I'm a major DW fanboy, I play a DW collectors maple SSC kit, and the DW in this video sounded great, but damn, Noble and Cooley, just awesome. #1 for me. #2 DW, #3 Ludwig, and then Gretsch, but all four were sick!
In order: 1. N&C (best all around) 2. Gretsch (classic and iconic) 3. Ludwig (predictable and versatile) 4. DW (kick and snare are great but toms are boxy and lifeless sounding) although they are well built and eye candy.
I own a Gretsch USA Custom and I use a Ludwig Black Beauty snare with it. They sound incredible together live and in the basement. With that said all of these kits sound amazing, N & C was a big surprise!
All these kits sounded amazing, I'd be happy with any one of them... I'd have to be in the room and have a play to choose. Having said that, I really enjoyed the demo, and look forward to the next one! Thanks guys!
I am a drummer /percussionist. When I play percussion, my bandmate drummer partner plays Noble an Cooley drums and I've been listening to them for years. They sound very much appropriate to this video. They are the most expensive drums on this market. And are probably the most beautiful drums. DWS don't sound any better in this demonstration in my opinion than the Gretch drums or Ludwig except for they may look better and resale value is better because the woods that they use. Gretch drums Toms have five lugs and make them distinctive in their sound. Those Ludwig Drums were totally consistent to the 65 silver Sparkle Ludwig I had. I got many compliments with my Ludwig Drums. I love the Gretsch drum sound as a whole. They sound good and feel good. My friends Noble and Cooley's are solid Maple shells and he spends a lot of time tuning them. They are not very forgiving drums they were solid ply Maple shells. After years of playing the shells warped and he had to send them back to the factory to get edges recut. Bob Gadson engineered those N&C. They came with pinstripes on the batter side of them which we really studied them for quite some time what was the better drum head for those Noble and Cooleys. By price Noble and Cooley's cost more. DW next, then Gretsch, then Ludwig in price. Gretch drums round edges surprised me. It was distinctive from the other drums. For this demonstration and for the price I think I prefer the Grinch drums. Thank you for the wonderful demonstration, I hope I didn't write too much.
Way off. That dw kit can cost over 10,000 dollars and they have others that cost most than that . N& C OLNY sets that come close in price was the oak set. Then their union series , which I think is one of the best sounding drums of any price range that I've ever heard. But, I think all N&C drum sets are amazing sounding .
All subjectively, gimme that Ludwig Kick (and snare), that DW 16x14 and for the other sizes, any brand will do (pretty much the same)... Subjectively again, I'll take them with the Gretsch finish. Fantastic job once again. Thank so much guys.
Tip of the hat to Tony for what looks like a Black and Gold (Bruins colors !!!! 👍) plaid shirt while playing another Massachusetts classic combo, Noble and Cooley drums and Zildjian cymbals!!! A few of my favorite things from "home"! You're a class act Tony!
So I "watched" this blind folded with my wife to aid the playing/replaying/pausing and I hate to say it but every drum I said yes to was a DW with the one exception being the Noble & Cooley snare which I think was the best sounding drum of ALL of the drums! I have a bias to that walnut snare since I play a Mapex Saturn V 7 piece including the Black Panther Chris Adler signature Warbird. They were all really great sounding kits but those overtones of every other kit but the DW is what did it in for them. The warmth that DW has is almost a signature sound to me and I just can't pass them up even blind folded! Great video comparison guys!
Those Zildjian Fat Hats sound absolutely amazing.... as for the drums, I'm a Gretsch guy, but the N&C and the DW sounded just as good in my ears. Absolutely gorgeous tom sound. The Ludwig sounded the most muted/choked and it made my eyes bleed ;) Thanks for another fantastic video!!
I actually liked the Ludwig kick drum and copper snare the best, but the toms seemed weaker than the other kits, and I'm also not crazy about that finish. I think Noble & Cooley was the best sounding kit as a whole while the Gretsch had the best looking finish.
this video is not about which kit is better, its about which sound you want. its definitely helped pushed me more towards the kit i came in wanting a little more (Gretsch USA custom), but otherwise, to me, the NC kit is about equal to the DW kit which everyone usually foams at the mouth over
Go USA! I'm from the UK and I'm proud of Premier drum's and the older non operational drum companies from here, and of course the newer one's, like BDC, Liberty and Cambridge drums, I think highwood are still in business too?! The manufacturing and level of drum's on show in this video are absolutely mind blowing good! My favourites are DW and Gretsch, the others are amazing of course but the Gretsch and DW sonically and aesthetically are absolutely perfect, IMO, one day I'll place an order, not dissimilar to Shane's recent DW drum set home filler! 😅 Great video's DCP Thanks 👍
like every time when you make this kind of comparisons: I would take them all !!!! But its also a little bit of an image thing, and so would be my ranking: Gretsch first, by a hair's breadth before Ludwig, by a skin of one's teeth before Noble and Cooley........ and then...............
Ludwig is my preference as someone who is not a drummer but likes to make bedroom recordings. They may not have as much tone and sustain as some other sets, but that allows them to blend into all kinds of music.
Addendum, the Noble and Cooley AND Ludwig are absolutely top drawer as well, of course, if I was going to make a custom special order it'd be either of the Gretsch, Noble and Cooley or DW.
In truth it is the heads that make the sound , the wood Is mostly just an adornment, if I had to pick a winner it would be the Gretsch but they all sound extremely good , I would be happy to play any of these kits , having said that , a great drummer can make an old and dilapidated kit , fitted with top end heads sound as good as anything whatever the price.
Idk what all y'all did to the mix, but I like the way the Gretsch toms sustain. They sound more alive and complex with high overtones, but they're subtle and nice to my ear. The other toms sound kind of sterile, but very clean. That Ludwig snare, wow.
Thank you for this. So, FWIW... Noble & Cooley kit is my favorite, by FAR. Such character to each drum. DW second, Gretsch third, and Ludwig was honestly a huge disappointment. Very one-dimensional sonically, and really that single dimension doesn't sound so good. That purpleheart DW snare is out of this world. What a magnificent drum. Your vidoes are top-notch, but could I ask you to consider two things? First, as in some videos, please share the sound with the kits tuned higher. On every kit I would love to hear the 12" tuned to where you have the 10", for example. Second, please also share the sound of the kick drums with less muffling... I gig a lot with a drummer who has a maple Noble & Cooley kit, and the bass drum has such a beautiful voice. Thanks again!
I mean,.....come on -- they all sound great. But, for me -- the Gretsch kit had something going on that the others didn't have. Something with the overtones -- really sound beautiful. The N&C would be a close 2nd with the Ludwig and DW very close as well. That N&C snare sounded the best IMO (not by much) and that's hard for me to say as I own a Copperphonic that I love. As far as aesthetics -- the Ludwig's win - I love that finish.
Ludwig makes the most boring looking drum-sets, no option for gold/brushed Nickle/black hardware (See DW). A Yamaha Stage Custom looks better ! . Noble & Cooley Wow, like a fine piece of furniture & great sound. Still if someone put a gun to my head and said choose one of these kits and we promise you won't have to take it on stage, which one would I pick ? Well that's obvious. Ludwig ! That's what a Maple set should sound like IMHO ! 😀 Really nice demo. and killing it with the Zildjian Fat Hats. Thanks DCP.
I guess we're mostly hearing the suspension system and the bearing edges! And in the case of the Ludwig the depth of the toms. Ludwig is the driest, Gretsch the most open, DW and Cooley sounded almost identical to me. Just that perfect maple studio sound. All in all incredibly similar among all of them!
Very nice comparison. I've owned kits from Gretsch USA, Gretsch Brooklyn, Ludwig Classic Maple, DW Collector but not Noble and Cooley. In my view the high quality kits from all these Companies are really excellent and the choice of heads and the drummer's ability to properly tension/tune the heads really critical to a great sounding kit.
Favourite is the Noble Cooley!! Have a great high frequency transient but gutsy, warm mid to bass end. All the others lacked that high end attack. At least to my ears. 😏
Noble&Cooley are so freaking good. Just superbly made and sounding drums.
c and c custom is also amazing
to much $$$$$
As a Gretsch owner and fan, I have to admit that I was really impressed with the Ludwig set. The kick drum sounded better, in my opinion, than that of the Gretsch set. Thank you gentlemen for the informative and entertaining upload. All the very best to all at DCP.
Thanks for watching, Wayne!
Gretsch owner here as well. Its just to bad they don't honor the lifetime shell warranties on sets from the 60's. Also to bad that they don't still use the old style mounts and muffles which I prefer.
Nothing beats a Ludwig kick.
Currently playing Brooklyns but own and have owned Ludwig , I like the Gretsch with Ludwig snare but they all sounded dang good ! 20:11
They all sound good, but to my untrained ear I thought Ludwig sounded best, just a resonance they have I cant describe.
I used to like Gretsch least from these brands, but suprisingly when I see the comparison, I like Gretsch best :)
I liked it best too with the exception of the kick.
There's a reason Gretsch has been around for so long. I loved the sound Lenny White had when he played them. Then there's Vinnie Colaituta and Steve Farron also had that great Gretsch sound
I agree 100%. The Gretsch speaks and pokes out better. The note drops, then gets out of the way. It's a much cleaner sounding set when you start putting other instruments around in.
Either the USA Custom or Brooklyn will become my high end kit next year. They sound next to musical.
@@med6369 Older sets could get clean cutting sound even with a bottom head missing. The newer sets not to keen on, if you play a variety of music you don't have the control over the ring/muffling of the drums (any modern set), That said I much prefer the sound of the Noble Cooley snare, to much ring in the others for my liking.
Awsome job guys, thank you! Now I want a Noble&Cooly kit with a Ludwig bass drum and the DW snare :)
Brother you need help in the snare department Noble and Cooley are the absolute best. It is no wonder most LA Studio have them no questions asked.
The best drum review channel, not even close
Thank you very much!
I love that Gretsch USA Custom kit, and that Ridgeland snare drum is just killin’!
Thanks guys!
Glad you like it!
Terrific video, the effort was astronomical I'm sure! The Gretsch and Ludwig have more cut than the Noble & Cooley and the DW, and the Gretsch is the overall winner to my ears. They have a lot of punch and plenty of high-end clarity that would be present in any mix.
Noble and Cooley is such an underrated company, thanks for showing how dope they are
That kick was insane.
Agree They sounded great.
I never heard of them until I saw a recent Mellencamp show. Now I've been saving moolah!
Back in the 90's the only time their name would come up would be in music stores. If someone mentioned 'boutique' drums they would bring up Noble and Cooley. I saw a couple drum clinics with drummer/teacher Frank Briggs in the 90's.He used Noble And Cooley kits and snare drums. They were so expensive and a luxury. People would say they were the best drums one could acquire.
I don't think that they are underrated. No one who hears them is likely to say that they are just 'so so' drums. They do not have the same exposure as the bigger companies so they are less well known. Chris Whitten- UK session drummer brought them to public prominence when he toured with Paul McCartney in the late 80s/early 90s, but they are probably better known to U.S. drummers since then.
Your time and effort is appreciated
Noble & Cooley to me sounds the best
Thank you.
We appreciate that!
to much $$$$$
All very good. No losers here.
My favorites were the N&C snare and the Gretsch toms. N&C kick was my winner for best kick, but that Gretsch kick was so tight that it was an interesting contrast to how open the Gretsch toms were.
The way you guys record these things is amazing, though. You guys could mic up 5-gallon pickle buckets and make them sing.
The crazy thing to me is that Ringo Starr bought one of those ludwig maple kits in like 1963, and The Beatles went on to do pop, country, folk, latin, psychedelic, hard rock, and the Ludwig just sounds great on whatever style they played.
In 1963, Ludwig drum shells were 3-ply mahogany/poplar/mahogany with solid maple reinforcement hoops. The modern Ludwig drums with basically the same shell configuration are the Legacy Mahogany series.
All of those kits sounded awesome. It was nice to see you play what you felt like on each kit, what vibe, feel each kit gave you.
Great comparison video, it was a pleasure to watch!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Jonas! Each kit did make me play a little differently, good observation!
You guys do better drum demo's out there than some of the others that I've seen
Hot damn, that Noble & Cooley sounds insanely good. They all do, of course, but the Horizon’s tone felt “fullest”. That with the Copperphonic would be the chef’s kiss of chef’s kisses.
Somewhat related, you all deserve huge kudos for the quality of videos you make now - and especially the mixes of the kits. Memphis Drum Shop used to be the king of the hill, and their set-up still sounds great. But DCP’s sound is incredible, like if drum sample libraries actually sounded like real drums in a room.
Thanks so much Alex, I care a great deal about making them sound as good as I can!
@@tinterlande The work shows! You should feel proud.
Tony, please tell me which audio interface you are using. Thanks for the great work.
@@ViktorSyrotin Presonus StudioLive 32AC, nothing fancy but gets the job done. Thank you!
Sounds great, Tony, thank you!
My wife just bought the N&C kit from this. Video for me for Christmas and I am moved to tears at the beauty and quality of this work of art of a drum set. Just absolutely gorgeous drums and built by a company with so many years of history.
Wow. The engineering and mixing was top notch! These all sound incredible. I have to say the Ludwig sounded best to my ears, followed by N&C, DW, and Gretsch. Not what I expected!
Thank you very much!
Thank you Eric!
What I love most is in the end I still think the Gretsch is the best on the kit I've been playing Gretsch (all Ludwig snares tho) since I was 11 years old? I love that you boyzz did the individual drum sound comparisons at the end -that's epic! And I still hate DW. Bought my first Customs over the years and blended it with the Renown kit I bought from y'all about 3 yrs ago. Well done video and I'm going to watch again with Bluetooth connected to good stereo.
The Noble & Cooley kit with the DW snare is my favorite. That snare sounds amazing.
I have a Gretch Catalina Maple, and a George Way Tuxedo Maple/Poplar set, and love both of them. But this Noble&Cooley you showed sounds so great, that I wanna drive up to NH today, and take it home.
Cool shoot out and I appreciate the head-2-head cuts. Really clarifies the tonal subtleties. Oddly, to my ears, the Ludwigs sounded the most balanced and complementary to how I imagine I sound. I'm not a heavy hitter, and as lovely as the Gretsch's were, they deserve to be struck hard and they'll give it right back at you. The Ludwig's appear to want to "play along" with the player and I expect they'll take well to a wide range of tunings. I really appreciate your channel and my local drum shop, Buffalo Drum Outlet closed as the owner retired, so I'm without a shop. I dig the dog hangin' with you guys too. Feels friendly in Portsmouth. Cheers!
I own the Ludwig Classic Maple so I am partial to them but the Noble & Cooley really tickled my heart.
You don’t know how much I’m in love with DW, it just looks gorgeous, sounds good. I personally go for it cause I’ve always been a huge fan of DW, I still and always dream about it, so” i will give it a shout out for DW, 🎉John Good🎉 you’re a perfect example of a DW community, U just Rock and thank you for being showing your hard work, were just drum Families, so thank and God bless U. ❤❤❤
the tom from DW, by far the best thanks to John Good and his shell designs and technology, however; the snare and kick drums from N&C are on another planet.
All fantastic kits! Have to say, if I wasn't on a budget, hands down I go with N&C. Especially the snare. However, on a budget considerations, I'd have to go with Ludwig. Best sound for the money in my opinion.
I think I like the Noble & Cooley the most, maybe followed by the DW. All great options!!
Agree, all great options!
Thirded!
@@OliKember 4th’tid
If I had to choose one kit I would go with Ludwig or DW. The other two sets had soundcharacter that I didn't like. Great video, well done.
As usually happens you nailed it once again. N&C and Gretsch sound very similar and are definitely my favourites as well as cymbals, simply amazing
Thanks so much Al!!
All sound fantastic. My ears and heart say Gretsch. It really has that great Gretsch sound. You really can’t go wrong with any though and I’d happily have all four.
Good choice and no, you really can't go wrong!
Another fantastic head to head video versus America’s best! Although I own a DW Collectors pure maple kit. I have to say that N&C sounds fantastic! That said, they all sounded really good, but the N&C seemed to have a little more attack than the others to my ears anyway. Love your videos guys!
Love the güey you break down each drum individually, in a row, by mfg. very useful! The Gretsch drums sound the warmest to me. All great kits tho!
I'm a Ludwig guy but all those kits sounded killer. Hard pressed to pick a favorite but that gretsch kick was the best by a good margin
i will stay with ludwig no matter how hahah
Very nice! Remo heads for the win 🥳 This was a big step up in film making all due to the segment layout/format of this video. Please continue this format in the future. It is nice to hear what you both think about these products. After so many years of playing and selling drums you are able to share a valuable unique insight. Think of video making like a song. Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, instrumental, chorus, outro (optional prechoruses and bridges sparsed in for color). Intro, thoughts, gear, thoughts, gear, funny whathaveyou, thoughts, gear, outro. You guys got this!
I recently asked ya'll for a comparison like this, and here we are! All are fantastic. It would take better ears than mine to tell a huge difference, and, in the hands of a good sound man, any would work. I own Gretsch, and play Ludwig at church, but if I had to pick one here it would probably be the N&C. (But, since playing a set at NAMM a few years ago, I've always wanted one). Not crazy about the finishes. N & C is ok, and the Gretsch is classy. But I'd have the Ludwig in WMP. Love most DW finishes. Owned a Redwood Burl. Not crazy about this one, but love the purple heart snare.
Noble & Cooley set sounds amazing! Snare, toms, & kicks. I want one already!
I'm a die-hard Ludwig guy and you just can't beat their tone and character. Having said that, they all sounded good.
To much ring out of the Ludwig Snare for my liking
@@chrish7336something you can control but live it will cut through the music, that’s a good thing.
I have come to the conclusion that - to my ear Ludwig drums have the best sound.
Best drum comparison I've ever seen ,you let the drums speak for themselves . This helped me make up my mind with my next pro kit. Cheers.
EPIC job. I’m a Gretsch Broadkaster guy. Got them from you guys, and you were very helpful. As much as I LOVE my kit, if I owned any of these kits with my choice of heads, I would never have to look back. Thanks for doing this. Can’t wait to make the trip back up from Jersey. Your shop is mind blowing 👊
Very similar. The Gretsch had the best in way of the overtones. Also the bass and snare sounded great. The Ludwig's had it happening also. It would be a blessing to own any of these kits. Leaning towards Gretsch when I can make the investment.
Mixing and audio sounds great Tony along with your playing!
Thanks man!!
Thank you very much!
You’ve done it again guys! 👍 Great work on the vid! Since I’m kind of a Ludwig guy, I’m going to have to say those are my fav. But all of the kits sounded killer! 🥁
Thanks, Claes!
The NC kit was surprisingly good. The Gretch had more sustain. I think the DW overall had the best drum sound and the DW snare was killer. Thank you for putting this together
To my ear they all sounded great. The real difference to me was the floor toms. I thought the N&C really won on the floors. Great video! I would love to see more comparison vids like this
Love the sound and look of the Gretsch USA Custom
These all sound amazing. If i have to choose, it's Ludwig, DW, Noble and Cooley, Gretsch
I wish the Ludwig would have had the same depth rack toms as the rest, but ... great video ....and quite honestly, ... they all sounded great!
Great sounding sets 👌
Nobel & Cooley should send you a big check $ for this video...they just sound awesome here 👌.
Gretsch Kick sounds terrible in comparison to other - The rest of the set is fantastic.
It is amazing how similar Gretsch and Ludwig 16" floor tom sound.
DW has Unidentified buzz coming out of the rack toms , but their Bass drum and floor toms are the best.
* If I had to choose one set, Ludwig is my choice. Overall kit just sounds the best !!!!
Thank You guys for all your work, love this Chanel ❣️
Gretsch BASS DRUMS sound best in a 14 inch depth. More attack, and you don’t loose any bottom end fatness. They made a mistake using a long shell bass drum. With a Gretsch drum, you don’t need it.
So basically, you can't go wrong with any of these high-end kits :).... They all sound amazing!!! Hard to choose one; I'd go with the Gretsch, but that's probably in most part because that's what I've been playing for the past 13 years :)
Ludwig classic maple is not Ludwig's high end kit. Their Legacy Maple are and they harken back to thinner shells with re-rings. These classic maples remind me of the Ludwig's when they got ris of the re-rings and when with thicker shells in the late 70's so I suppose in a way they are "classic" but not high end .. my opinion of course.
@@2008alde Does Ludwig still produce new legacy maple kits? They're a little difficult to find for sale ignoring the fact that they're expensive
@@lilbacon7777 you would have to find a dealer that sales them. Most like they would have to be ordered. You’re better off trying to find a vintage kit that has been maintained at roughly half the price. The only caveat is that Ludwig dropped the ball during the very last 60sand 70s because of Ringo popularity. Attention to finishing like the bearing edges left a lot to be desired
. I am considering having minor recut on two kits I own from 1972
.
My favorites in order: Ludwig, DW, Noble and Cooley and Gretsch. The Ludwig's sounded the most beefy but cutting and clear not to mention the kick drum is just awesome. But all fantastic drums!
As a Brit and Gretsch USA Custom owner I decided that the best drums in the world were those from the US and made from US maple. A great heritage and tradition in drum making. I could easily have gone Ludwig DW or Noble. I especially like, if true, that Noble made snare drums for the battle of Gettysburg.
It wouldn't surprise me if most of that superb "North American Maple" is actually from Canada with its ideal growing climate. Can't say I've ever seen North American Maple explicitly advertised as "USA Maple" though I'm open to being proven wrong. I think that calling it North American Maple obfuscates its origin without actually being dishonest.
@@bakedalaska4363 I believe you are right, while there is MAple in The Northern USA, not sure if they could support the drum making quantities, so I am pretty sure they also get from canada
Ok... the drums all sound amazing, but the real showcase in this video is Tony. Damn, dude! You have gotten so good over the past few years. Amazing playing, brother.
Noble & Cooley sounded the best to my ears. I especially liked the kick and snare over all tonality.
The ultimate store for ANY & EVERY drum need!!
-Indiana Love 💯🥁
You're the man, Al.
You guy,s are the best to srewed my mind i think i know is i love em all thanks for the awesome segment👏👏🤟🏼🤟🏼🥁🇨🇦
This is one of my favorite videos you guys have done, 4 exceptional kits from some of the most iconic brands ever. It makes it really hard to choose a favorite because of how nice they look and sound!! Side note- I'd love to see a full video from your time at the Gretsch factory!!
Another great job, guys. I really enjoyed all of the kits and would be happy if I found any one of them on my doorstep. And I completely agree on the Ludwig snare comment.
Thank you Peter! Can't go wrong with any of these!
That was an outstanding comparison! So well. done - congrats and thanks much guys! All kits sounded really great to me, and I'd be happy playing any one of them. Agree with the other comments about the great sound of the N&C. They definitely caught my ear too (maybe just a surprise for a lot of us, due to the fact they are not heard nearly as often as the others?) That said - in addition to the N&C, I'm gonna give a nod to DW kit. I just loved the tom sounds there. But again - all sounded like fantastic drum sets.
Great video as always. All sounded great. But man, the noble and Cooley took the win for me.. I've never really heard of them before this video. The history behind the company is also amazing.
Glad you enjoyed!
I’m just excited reading the title!!!! 😍
Then I think you are really going to like the video!
That Noble and Cooley snare is likely the best sounding snare I've ever heard.
I own both. Noble and Cooley is a far superior drum.
absolutely, it is on another planet.
Always a pleasure watching Shane's crew share my favorite instrument.
For the shell pack, I would take the Gretsch, especially that kick drum sounds exactly as I like. But the snare would be the Ludwig, that's a beast!
Not mentioned here, but I love C&C so much. fav USA drum set. From this video, I think Gretsch takes the cake for me
The Noble & Cooley sounds the most transparent to my ears. Definitely the brightest and most resonant I think followed by the Gretsch. They’re all pretty close and all great kits though. Great video and some nice chops to boot! Well done!
I have 5 kits and they're all Ludwig, if I bought another.. it'd be a Ludwig. After watching this video, I have to say the Ludwig is my favorite. That being said.. I really wanna copperphonic now.
After this video, I feel like everyone should have a Copperphonic!
I’m about to buy a kit for my studio and I’m thinking about going classic maple Ludwig kit with a supraphonic snare. I’ll be recording in a well treated living room and my only fear with this is that they’d be too powerful for too small a room. You seem experienced so could you help me out?
I'm a major DW fanboy, I play a DW collectors maple SSC kit, and the DW in this video sounded great, but damn, Noble and Cooley, just awesome. #1 for me. #2 DW, #3 Ludwig, and then Gretsch, but all four were sick!
In order:
1. N&C (best all around)
2. Gretsch (classic and iconic)
3. Ludwig (predictable and versatile)
4. DW (kick and snare are great but toms are boxy and lifeless sounding) although they are well built and eye candy.
I own a Gretsch USA Custom and I use a Ludwig Black Beauty snare with it. They sound incredible together live and in the basement. With that said all of these kits sound amazing, N & C was a big surprise!
All these kits sounded amazing, I'd be happy with any one of them... I'd have to be in the room and have a play to choose. Having said that, I really enjoyed the demo, and look forward to the next one! Thanks guys!
Thanks so much Joanne!
Those N&C toms are insane. The DW Floor sounds nicest to me. That whole DW actually.
I am a drummer /percussionist. When I play percussion, my bandmate drummer partner plays Noble an Cooley drums and I've been listening to them for years.
They sound very much appropriate to this video.
They are the most expensive drums on this market.
And are probably the most beautiful drums.
DWS don't sound any better in this demonstration in my opinion than the Gretch drums or Ludwig except for they may look better and resale value is better because the woods that they use.
Gretch drums Toms have five lugs and make them distinctive in their sound.
Those Ludwig Drums were totally consistent to the 65 silver Sparkle Ludwig I had.
I got many compliments with my Ludwig Drums.
I love the Gretsch drum sound as a whole.
They sound good and feel good. My friends Noble and Cooley's are solid Maple shells and he spends a lot of time tuning them.
They are not very forgiving drums they were solid ply Maple shells. After years of playing the shells warped and he had to send them back to the factory to get edges recut.
Bob Gadson engineered those N&C.
They came with pinstripes on the batter side of them which we really studied them for quite some time what was the better drum head for those Noble and Cooleys.
By price Noble and Cooley's cost more. DW next, then Gretsch, then Ludwig in price.
Gretch drums round edges surprised me. It was distinctive from the other drums.
For this demonstration and for the price I think I prefer the Grinch drums. Thank you for the wonderful demonstration, I hope I didn't write too much.
Thanks for watching, we appreciate your feedback!
Way off. That dw kit can cost over 10,000 dollars and they have others that cost most than that . N& C OLNY sets that come close in price was the oak set. Then their union series , which I think is one of the best sounding drums of any price range that I've ever heard. But, I think all N&C drum sets are amazing sounding .
All subjectively, gimme that Ludwig Kick (and snare), that DW 16x14 and for the other sizes, any brand will do (pretty much the same)...
Subjectively again, I'll take them with the Gretsch finish.
Fantastic job once again. Thank so much guys.
again you nailed it. I love your content :) btw this noble cooley set sounds gorgeous
Thank you and yeah it does!
I've watched a lot of your videos and I think this is one of the best. Loved the DW Purple Heart snare, Amazing
Glad you enjoyed it!
Tip of the hat to Tony for what looks like a Black and Gold (Bruins colors !!!! 👍) plaid shirt while playing another Massachusetts classic combo, Noble and Cooley drums and Zildjian cymbals!!!
A few of my favorite things from "home"!
You're a class act Tony!
Toms: N&C, Kick: Ludwig, Full kit: Gretsch. That dude in glasses looks like a doctor man😂 until he picks the drum sticks😄 you guys are good as dope😉
So I "watched" this blind folded with my wife to aid the playing/replaying/pausing and I hate to say it but every drum I said yes to was a DW with the one exception being the Noble & Cooley snare which I think was the best sounding drum of ALL of the drums! I have a bias to that walnut snare since I play a Mapex Saturn V 7 piece including the Black Panther Chris Adler signature Warbird. They were all really great sounding kits but those overtones of every other kit but the DW is what did it in for them. The warmth that DW has is almost a signature sound to me and I just can't pass them up even blind folded! Great video comparison guys!
Those Zildjian Fat Hats sound absolutely amazing.... as for the drums, I'm a Gretsch guy, but the N&C and the DW sounded just as good in my ears. Absolutely gorgeous tom sound. The Ludwig sounded the most muted/choked and it made my eyes bleed ;) Thanks for another fantastic video!!
Thanks for watching, Hans!
I thought that about the Ludwig kit as well, Hans! I couldn't believe how underwhelming that kit sounded.
@@DrummerGrrrl Glad I wasn't alone! 😉
I actually liked the Ludwig kick drum and copper snare the best, but the toms seemed weaker than the other kits, and I'm also not crazy about that finish. I think Noble & Cooley was the best sounding kit as a whole while the Gretsch had the best looking finish.
@@TXMusicDrummer good point!
this video is not about which kit is better, its about which sound you want. its definitely helped pushed me more towards the kit i came in wanting a little more (Gretsch USA custom), but otherwise, to me, the NC kit is about equal to the DW kit which everyone usually foams at the mouth over
I picked: !) Ludwig 2) N & C 3) Gretsch 4) DW
Go USA! I'm from the UK and I'm proud of Premier drum's and the older non operational drum companies from here, and of course the newer one's, like BDC, Liberty and Cambridge drums, I think highwood are still in business too?!
The manufacturing and level of drum's on show in this video are absolutely mind blowing good! My favourites are DW and Gretsch, the others are amazing of course but the Gretsch and DW sonically and aesthetically are absolutely perfect, IMO, one day I'll place an order, not dissimilar to Shane's recent DW drum set home filler! 😅
Great video's DCP Thanks 👍
I guess it's like fine wine tasting, they all sound great! I didn't notice that much difference between them. Nice playing, thanks!
like every time when you make this kind of comparisons: I would take them all !!!! But its also a little bit of an image thing, and so would be my ranking: Gretsch first, by a hair's breadth before Ludwig, by a skin of one's teeth before Noble and Cooley........ and then...............
Noble&Cooley were the best and the Gretsch a close second! I own both makes!!
Great picks Michael!
@@drumcenternh Thanks! Noble& Cooley are so diverse now and b4 had some of the best sounding and innovative drums,as they are now!!
Ludwig is my preference as someone who is not a drummer but likes to make bedroom recordings. They may not have as much tone and sustain as some other sets, but that allows them to blend into all kinds of music.
Although I own a DW and 2 Ludwig kits, I liked the Noble and Cooley kit the best out of these.
Addendum, the Noble and Cooley AND Ludwig are absolutely top drawer as well, of course, if I was going to make a custom special order it'd be either of the Gretsch, Noble and Cooley or DW.
03:05, 6:55, 10:47, 14:17 To my ears that Noble & Colley is my favourite. Oh, and best looking too.
I really dig the Classic Maples, personally. Thanks for the great video! All beautiful drums indeed.
Thanks for watching and you can't go wrong with a Classic Maple!
Came for the drums. Stayed for the romper.
In truth it is the heads that make the sound , the wood Is mostly just an adornment, if I had to pick a winner it would be the Gretsch but they all sound extremely good , I would be happy to play any of these kits , having said that , a great drummer can make an old and dilapidated kit , fitted with top end heads sound as good as anything whatever the price.
Noble&Cooley has so much body and wood tone from those shells. I'm shocked the sounded better than DW's
Bravo. nice video.
Idk what all y'all did to the mix, but I like the way the Gretsch toms sustain. They sound more alive and complex with high overtones, but they're subtle and nice to my ear. The other toms sound kind of sterile, but very clean.
That Ludwig snare, wow.
Thank you for this. So, FWIW... Noble & Cooley kit is my favorite, by FAR. Such character to each drum. DW second, Gretsch third, and Ludwig was honestly a huge disappointment. Very one-dimensional sonically, and really that single dimension doesn't sound so good. That purpleheart DW snare is out of this world. What a magnificent drum. Your vidoes are top-notch, but could I ask you to consider two things? First, as in some videos, please share the sound with the kits tuned higher. On every kit I would love to hear the 12" tuned to where you have the 10", for example. Second, please also share the sound of the kick drums with less muffling... I gig a lot with a drummer who has a maple Noble & Cooley kit, and the bass drum has such a beautiful voice. Thanks again!
Thanks for your thoughtful comments! We will take this into consideration!
.most drummers previewing drums can't help but turn it into a freestyle solo when all I wanna hear is those drum tones! Thanks guys
I mean,.....come on -- they all sound great. But, for me -- the Gretsch kit had something going on that the others didn't have. Something with the overtones -- really sound beautiful. The N&C would be a close 2nd with the Ludwig and DW very close as well. That N&C snare sounded the best IMO (not by much) and that's hard for me to say as I own a Copperphonic that I love. As far as aesthetics -- the Ludwig's win - I love that finish.
DW sounds the best out of the 4 brands, but they all are awesome 👍👍.
Ludwig makes the most boring looking drum-sets, no option for gold/brushed Nickle/black hardware (See DW). A Yamaha Stage Custom looks better ! . Noble & Cooley Wow, like a fine piece of furniture & great sound. Still if someone put a gun to my head and said choose one of these kits and we promise you won't have to take it on stage, which one would I pick ? Well that's obvious. Ludwig ! That's what a Maple set should sound like IMHO ! 😀 Really nice demo. and killing it with the Zildjian Fat Hats. Thanks DCP.
Thanks for watching, Dilan!
I guess we're mostly hearing the suspension system and the bearing edges! And in the case of the Ludwig the depth of the toms. Ludwig is the driest, Gretsch the most open, DW and Cooley sounded almost identical to me. Just that perfect maple studio sound. All in all incredibly similar among all of them!
Very nice comparison. I've owned kits from Gretsch USA, Gretsch Brooklyn, Ludwig Classic Maple, DW Collector but not Noble and Cooley. In my view the high quality kits from all these Companies are really excellent and the choice of heads and the drummer's ability to properly tension/tune the heads really critical to a great sounding kit.
Ludwig, Noble Cooley, Gretsch, DW- in that order.
Favourite is the Noble Cooley!! Have a great high frequency transient but gutsy, warm mid to bass end. All the others lacked that high end attack.
At least to my ears. 😏