And what flavor Koolaid was that? The "Stencil drums sound as good as USA made drums" flavor? I'm just going to say it, yes, Stencil drums can sound as good as USA made drums....period! I love my Rogers and they probably made the best drums from that era, but isn't it smarter to gig with a kit that won't lose much value if it gets scratched or dinged? Especially if you can achieve a sound that rivals USA made kits and looks cool to boot.

Everything Rogers that I've owned has been obviously superior build quality. The chrome holds up, the woodworking is precise, and the hardware still works well decades later.

That said, I never keep the Rogers kits that come through my hands because I don't think they have classic vintage tone. Bearing edges are one of the biggest factors setting modern drums apart from vintage ones, and Rogers was so far ahead of their time on this in the 60's that to my ear they just sound like modern drums, loud and open with lots of sustain. They were also ahead of the curve on low mass hardware mounts, really. But I want a vintage sound, and the round badge bearing edge contour produces that far better than the sharp Rogers one.

***edit: sorry, I forgot the thread topic for a moment.

Every single MIJ BD claw I`ve encountered is cheap. By that I mean I can take my fingers, grip it and bend it out of shape. Even today`s Yammies, Pearl, whatever.

I can`t do that with my Phonics, you would have to put it in a vice and grab it with pliers.

So far Ludwig, Slingy, Rogers, and DW have passed the strength test too.

I doubt they were visionaries at the time. They were copying US kits and selling them at a discount. They (Pearl, Tama, Yamaha) did change the market entirely in the latter 70s- 80s though.

Use a small ratchet and socket on Ludwig lug screws. No slip off, no stripping the screw head.

I have no doubt that vintage MIJ drums sound great regardless of the wood used. Something sounds good if it sounds good to you and your audience.

The way I see it, if someone finds a sound they like they should stick with it. Ludwig 24" kick drums and various Ludwig snares did it for me.

Luckily, I don't go around trying to bend my hardware. I've had a couple Sonors, one teardrop and a Phonics. I liked the sound of the teardrop, not so much with the Phonics, plus I would never gig with that one, it weighed a ton! I sold it soon after buying it. Sonor makes some great drums, but a bit of overkill on the hardware in my opinion.

Today's Yammies? Todays Pearls? What the hell? I simply and utterly do not believe you. Sorry mate.

There is a huge element of truth in what your saying there.

When did Japanese drums stop being stencil kits and became, well, proper drums? When Steve Gadd took up a set of Yammy RC's and played on more hits than there are members on this forum? Or was it when Cobham came out the closet with a huge Tama kit? When was that transition?

A second thing, I'm guessing that Spectrum album is a Tama kit. It's stunning playing which I listen to regularly, but I've never like the drum sound tbh.

I just got rid of a Gigmaker from Yamaha, I like to tune the batter head tight, I was limited to tension or they bend. Back before that, I had a store name brand and it did the same thing. The Gigmaker was very recent, the brand name was vintage. It did sound surprisingly good but it wont stand a Rock drummers punishment long. I had to re-form those as well.

You can easily go to GC or a drum shop and see what I mean.

Bent claws pull unevenly. Especially wide wood hoops. When I took the Gig claws off and lay them out, not one was the same as the other.