Maybe because this is a very USA-oriented forum, and Premier is a foreign brand that was never popular here in their heyday. In the fifties and sixties, we had to deal with metric shells that were and remain somewhat hard to find heads for. I know that turned me off. I'm sure others feels the same way. The brand just doesn't get much love or attention here.

I suppose that could be a good thing if you happen to like Premier drums, I mean, you can usually get them for a good price. As for the metric size heads, ya, it's sort of a pain, but like I've said, standard heads will fit on everything but the 16 and they tune up nicely. I can tune this kit low, medium or high and get a great sound. I can't say the same for some Ludwig kits I've owned and I love Ludwig.

I believe you're right about being a "Foreign" brand, I see the same thing with Sonor and we all know how good they are.

Right. Sonor makes great drums and always have, but they get little attention here,. because they are just not very popular in the USA, and never have been. Also, the birch shells are a turnoff, at least for me.

There are drum brands from all over the world that get mentioned here, but nobody, outside of a few English, Euro and Aussie members play them: Ajax, Carlton, Hayman, Drouyn, Trixon, Tromsa, HiPercussion, Tamburo, etc.

Ya, I get it, not much love for a lot of Asian made kits and even some kits made here in the states. I believe it's more of a nostalgia thing, at least on this forum. You like what you like.

Keith Moon loved them!

I stood at the front of their stage, about 20 feet from Moon, back in 1974.

He played double bass and double row of tom toms. I don't think he ever played a ride cymbal in his life. He just rolled around on the toms and snare.

Johnny,

In my opinion, the older we get, the more nostalgic we get. There isn't much drum-related nostalgia, for me, that involves Premier drums....other than one story about them, when I was in college....

... The college had acquired a set of lavender-purple Premier "Resonators" (or something like that). They were like a shell-in-a-shell design....NO idea what they were going for with the design, but they were SO heavy, I opted to use my own Rogers MemriLoc kit, instead. I don't recall anything particular about the sound of them, but I wasn't going to be the one to break them down, haul them around and set them up again!

On the "pro" side of Premier. I saw a model that was posted around somewhere years ago...very similar to the Ludwig Jazzette -with the 18 X 12 bass drum....It had a really pretty root beer swirl looking wrap...nice kit. It also had the cool lugs and the cool cymbal stands with the "lever" type tighteners.

Again, no argument that they were well-made, classy-looking drums....just don't have any history with the brand the way I do with Ludwig and Rogers.

My first kit was a Premier pale blue marine blue kit with two big floor toms bought back in the mid-1970s for 50 UK pounds. I'd love to know what became of that kit! I still use a Premier 252 direct-drive pedal which I would contend is still to be improved upon!

I believe there's some bias towards Premier, I hear a lot of guys say that they never got into Premier, but never actually owned a kit. I have to admit that this is only the third vintage Premier kit I've owned, mainly because they just don't come around that often. The first was a 70's kit in that duro plastic finish. Many moons later I bought the gold sparkle kit because the price was right and they looked cool. But that kit had modifications and was missing some original parts. Then I was offered this aquamarine sparkle kit, I'm not one for nostalgia, I base my opinions on quality and in my opinion, Premier should be right up there with Rogers, they are definitely of higher quality than Ludwig or Slingerland from the same era. But, I get it, some guys are just set in their ways.

what can be said of Premier can be said of Jaguar (Or another British car in the US market)

Some fittings weren't as 'stout' and their American counterpart(s)

Their beauty- pretty much undeniable ( man does not drum on looks alone however)

Some oddities already mentioned non-us? international size; some delay in adopting the 9X13 tom;

The durability/ability to get knocked around and survive (vs say Ludwig Slingerland)

Some complexities in their "fittings"..

All in All what can be said of the success/failures of British cars in the US market" applies

I don't see any mystery to "the reasons" at all.

Jaguar XJ6 vs Chevy Impala SS

which one would you in 1978 pick to jump in and drive to California from New Jersey across the country in a moments notice 1st?

Right, the Ludwig Slingerland Gretsch Rogers.

Wouldn't want to risk being stuck in Chicago overheating waiting for a thermostat or parts for electric windows that refuse to close, from Blighty ye merry Olde England.

Beauty yes. Brains yes. finicky little durability issues eh.

I owned lived and gigged with a set from 1971 to 1996 (and still bought a second one)

But the fittings oy vey the fittings / Compared with W/A and Ludwig etc- no comparison.

Like a Jaguar: delicate

That's where the Japanese were smart. They saw the Ludwig and the Slingerland and just over-built upon what had already existed; mostly from Tama.

British had "their own" way.

Same as British/ Japanese/ American cars successes and fails, in the market.

Also owned many TR7's!~

and MGB's and MGB GT's and XJS..and Back in those days!..