My opinion on DW hardware: Boo!!!!! Garbage. Especially the new stuff. 9000 series is horrible. I have burned through pedals, thrones, snare stands, cymbal stands....all within months! Plastic? Really? The real old stuff was actually pretty great tho.
My opinion on DW drums: Nice looking and well built for the most part with the biggest hype machine EVER behind them. I have seen and heard some pretty horrible quality control things over the past 10 years or so. Overall I would say they sound "canned" to my ears...if that makes any sense. I have played tons of DW kits and snares in tons of situations from huge sound systems to small clubs and various studio environments. Just don't dig em overall. They don't have any personality to me and I would never spend my hard earned money on their drums. Just my personal choice
Now, if their drums were half the price I might be into getting a "Classic" kit for touring, but....as it stands I think they are overpriced and have little to no character. I don't even like to be seen playing them in public because I don't want people thinking I would actually spend my money on something like that! No offense to anyone who owns and plays them, but I almost feel like they are a status symbol to some people. In a lot of cases, a gold plated, ugly, horribly tuned status symbol with the absolute WORST stock heads I have ever heard.
Also...the whole George H Way/Camco thing really turns me off to DW because they use (or used) Camco's molds for their lugs and pedals. It just reminds me of one of the most forward thinking, kind, and genuine drum enthusiasts ever to build drums getting screwed over hard near the end of his life...and it makes me not want to support them. I know that is not really a justifiable reason against dw, but it still is how I feel in the back of my mind.
mschrant: The shells changed when they stopped using Keller shells and started making their own. I don't know that that is a bad thing..infact I would say it is a positive thing. They have made some pretty great innovations in terms of shell technology. The new "super solid" snare drums seem pretty incredible.
Has anyone played one of these super solid bad boys?
ANyway....sorry about all the negativity. I am curious to hear other opinions so that maybe I can be swayed to be a believer!
-Adam