anyone play GMS drums

[slambang]

My quest for a gourmet kit continues ...

I'm considering Noble & Cooley, Ayotte and GMS drums. The problem I'm running into is that NOBODY in my area carries these kits. If I find a dealer, chances are they only have a few snares for me to demo. I've been surfing the net and calling manufacturers direct to get information - but I'm not going to drop the amount of cash these kits go for without sampling first-hand.

I'm relatively familiar with N&C and Ayotte - I was wondering if anyone had input/comments on GMS drums. I've checked out the site, read some reviews in Modern Drummer and looked over catalogs - though, I'd like to get as much input as possible.

Any information is greatly appreciated.

[RichW]

slambang,

I've played on many brands of drumsets, including all of the majors--DW, Yamaha, Gretsch, Pearl, Ludwig, etc.--and many boutique brands, including Ayotte, Spaun, OCDC, D'Amico, N&C, and GMS. After much investigation, when I was finally ready to buy my dream kit, I chose a six-piece GMS SE kit. First, the bass drum sound is bigger than anything I've heard on any other kit. The toms are neither sterile-pure nor muddy; they're rich, but focused. Equally important, the volume, resonance, and timbre of the toms are all beautifully uniform and musical. The "small-picture" result is that no single tom sticks out from the rest, and likewise there are no weak links among them. The "big-picture" result is that the kit sounds like a sonorous, multifaceted single instrument. You have probably experienced kits in which at least one tom sounds wimpy, or has a shorter decay than the rest, or refuses to tune properly. The GMS kits I tested, and later the one I custom-ordered and currently own, embody the opposite, where everything works together like the proverbial musical family.

On a more nuts-and-bolts level, the bearing edges, finish inside and out, and generally the workmanship on all of the many GMS sets I've seen have been flawless.

Besides this, the lug design is both simple and smart. Where lugs are concerned, less mass and less metal on the shell just makes sense. The tom brackets are also practical and low-profile.

A major investment like a custom drumkit is a big decision, and it involves elements of personal preference. Good luck in your decision.

RichW

[mR.dnA]

You might want to hit the Pearl Drummer's forum (off of www.pearldrum.com) - there's a guy on there with the handle "GMSdrummer" that probably has some more input (although RichW gave a pretty slammin' review here already!).

[vinniewannabe]

I have a black GMS Road Master Series I purchased in 94. I can't say enough about this kit. VERY tunable, tons of resonance, durability, good looks, USA made etc etc. I get a lot of comments on the sound of these drums.

Expensive, yes. IT"S WORTH IT.

What everyone else said on this posting is true.

Of course, I am a little biased. Keep in mind there are a lot of good custom drum companies out there. Try and get as much information as you can about them and make an informed decision. You probably won't be disappointed with any of them that you choose.

But GMS are great and highly recommended from someone who has them.

Good luck.

[slambang]

Thank you so much for your input guys - Rich, GMS should hire you!!

Turns out there are no GMS dealers in the Massachusetts / Rhode Island area, which poses a problem because I won't put out the cash without sitting behind them first.

I'm thoroughly impressed with GMS in terms of customer relations and have a feeling that they'll get my business.

Do you have pics of your kits? What sizes did you go with?


thanks again.