Premier Olympic Drumset

[PianistDarren]

Hi all, bought my Premier Olympic Drumset about a month ago. Pay for my tuning fee at a reputable musicshop but they did not tune my set, called them and they insisted they had the set tuned. Got my drum tuned myself by watching Bob Gatzen's video. Since this is my first set, I will have some question to ask you all, hope you all don't mind

I have a few questions to ask -
1. Is the brand Premier good? Can it compare with other brand like Pearl, etc?
2. Did I made a good choice by choosing Premier Olympic Drumset?
3. How long do I need to change my drumheads?
4. My drumheads are covered with marks made by the drumstick, is it because those heads made by Premier are lousy?
5. I had half of my cymbal covered with marks made by the drumstick, any idea how I can remove them and keep them shine?
6. Do I need to used any polishes to polish my drum and cymbal?

Thanks.

 

[Dark Heart]

hey aren't you the guy from another forum. Forget which though, i remember theres one guy also inquire bout premier drums, same questions.

Premier is a good brand. But the popularity of premier isnt that big.
All drum heads after being hit, there will be stickmark on it. Your premier heads are no exception.

You could use metal polisher, something called autosol to polish your drums metal part.

Other than these i am not sure.

 

[sunkjob]

Hey man if u dun mind me asking,where did u get that set and for how much?and whats the specs?

I tried out my friend's PRT the other day and within 30-45mins of playing,the heads and cymbals were all covered with stickmarks v quickly.so what i learnt is that stock cymbals and heads are pretty lousy.unless u can tahan the sound and the stickmarks and its only for home use,i would suggest changing heads.other than that i dunno much about premier.hope this helps man

 

[PianistDarren]

=Dark Heart

Hi, thanks for your reply. Yeah, I am the guy who had posted at HWZ. Someone there told me to post at Soft as there are few drummer at HWZ.

Will browse around those musicshop for autosol. Thanks

 

[PianistDarren]

=sunkjob

Hi, thanks for your reply. I bought it at Swee Lee at the price of $750. Actually, I am buying the Pearl Rhythm Traveller set but they do not have any stock. Than change my mind to Forum Series, they also do not have any stock. So last choice is Premier. The drum specs are 22'' Base drum, 14'' hi-hat and snare, 12'', 13'', 16'' toms, 16'' cymbal. Btw just curious, why do you want to know the specs?

I really cannot tahan the sound and stickmarks on the drumheads so can you suggest some commonly use drumheads use by most of the drummer? Thanks

 

[sunkjob]

Abt the specs i was juz curious.so urs must be standard size rock kit ah.i dunno much abt premier so juz wanted to noe more abt it.if u really wanted the pearl rhythm traveller 1st hand den u shud have gone to ranking.they selling ard 650,ard same price as swee lee.if not u could have gotten it from a softie.i noe 2 of dem letting theirs go one of them at 450.but if u really want quality,i suggest getting the forum.i cant believe that swee dont have all of these stock.if u want some softies also letting go of their forum,check the classifieds.

About heads,the brands i noe are evans,remo and aquarius.evans and remo are the most common.remo can get at swee lee,but i suggest waiting for their sale.evans i forgot where,yamaha i think?or is it ranking?someone help me out here.remo and evans are around the same quality,same price.about aquarius,its not as common as the other 2.in terms of quality i dunno how it compares to the rest.the places u can get it are at drum resources (now somewhere along keppel road,near tanjong pagar), music gear (near aljunied mrt) and the place that sells canopus drums (i forgot the name for now haha)

So ya..

 

[sunkjob]

Ehs paiseh,music gear IS the place that sells canopus drums

 

[Namrehs]

You probably will need to change your drumheads when you see bad dents in your drumheads. Perhaps you could make it a point to change it maybe 3 months once if you play everyday? I dont play my practice kit that often but i bring my snare out to jams. When the coating is peeling off badly, i'll change the head. Probably once every 6 months to a year, it's up to you. Haha. Marks made by the drumsticks on your drumheads will always be there regardless of brands or whether your head is coated or non coated. No need to worry about that.
As for your cymbals, are you using nylon tip drumsticks? Nylon tip tends to leave white marks on your cymbals. Im not really sure if it's tough to remove them because I have always been using wooden tip sticks. Cleaning with alittle soap and water should do the trick. You can purchase cymbal polish from zildjian, sabian, paiste. Zildjian and paiste cymbal polish comes in a paste/liquid form and you'll need to apply it on a towel to clean your cymbals. They are made from strong substances that would remove your logos on your cymbals but they bring the factory shine back on your cymbals. The sabian cleaner comes in a spray form and you just need to spray it on your cymbals, leave it and wipe it off after that. Not as strong as compared to the zildjian and paiste cleaners but they work well enough to remove dirt, fingerprints and also bring back its shine. A practice might want to do is to clean your cymbals everytime after you play them! This would keep them away from sweat from your hands and such and you wont need to polish them as often.
For your drum hardware, like what DarkHeart stated, you can use autosol. Autosol is the brand and the name of the product is Metal Polish. You can easily get them at hardware/DIY shops or NTUC fairprice for around 4 dollars? Comes in a tube form and they remove oxidation and rust from your chrome hardware and makes them shine like new again. Dust and wipe your drum kit every now and then and use thirsty hippo to take away the moisture from the air so you dont have to clean your kit as often!

sunkjob,
Remo - Swee lee
Evans - Ranking, Yamaha
Aquarius - Drum Resources
Attack - The Music Lab

Hope this helps!

 

[PianistDarren]

=sunkjob

Ya, I am aware that Ranking do sell the Pearl Rhythm Traveller kit. The selling price is $650, same as Swee Lee but the set does not comes with drum throne. Since drum throne can cost easily about $100+, I might as well get the Premier ones which include the throne. Also, I am afraid that the Rhythm Traveller might not sound nice as they do not have the bottom heads on their toms (not insulting Rhythm Traveller users here). I am also quite surprised that Swee Lee do not have stocks for Pearl drums. To be honest, they do have stock for the Forum Series, but it is last piece which is the display set and it is green in colour which is not my ideal colour.

As for the drumheads, I am thinking maybe going for Remo Pinstrips as someone suggested to me. What do you think?

Btw, do drum comes with warranty? My bass pedal is going to up lorry soon as the screws at the side are breaking.

 

[PianistDarren]

=Namrehs

Hi, thanks for your reply. Maybe this is my first kit than whenever I see more and more stickmarks leaving on the heads, my heart will start to pain (haha). Btw, do you use tension watch to tune your drum?

I am using wooden tip sticks too and it is true like what sunkjob had said, stock heads and cymbals tend to leave more stickmarks. And thanks for your reply on the different brands of cymbals polishes and how is it to be used. I remembered someone told me about using cymbal polishes in the long term, it will damaged the cymbal and the sound produced will be awful. Wondered if it's true?

 

[sunkjob]

Fyi,the cheapest throne that i noe of is at ranking selling dor ard 30 i tink.and imo pearl rt is good in terms of space and portability.and if ure gonna use it juz for home practice den getting the pearl rt may not be so bad at all.
And drums should have a warranty i think.did they mention abt it or give it to at swee lee or smth?and abt remo pinstripes,im not too sure.i dont really noe much in detail abt drumheads other than the brands.i bet u could mr namrehs here,he comfirm noe more than me abt dis

 

[Namrehs]

Im not too sure about cymbal polish damaging a cymbal but the cleaner (more shiny) it is, it's usually brighter sounding than when it's seasoned and dirty. What i've heard is that when you polish a cymbal, you remove a protective layer on top of the cymbal/the top layer of bronze to expose another layer. Because of this, the cymbal becomes shiny again. These are things i've read around SOFT but im not very sure myself. Haha! If you're afraid of damaging your cymbals, just clean then with a dry cloth regularly and take very good care of your cymbals! Keep them in cymbals bags when not in use instead of leaving them lying on the floor and such. It's pretty easy for me to take care of cymbals considering i spent alot on all my cymbals. Haha! I clean my cymbals after playing and polish them only once a year or so or when i feel like polishing them. Haha!
Check with the store in which you're purchasing your drums from regarding all the warranty and related matters. As long as the drum shells arent warped or damaged, they should be fine. They wont get damaged easily if you love your kit!

Check these various websites for the different drumheads:
http://www.universalpercussion.com/attack.html
http://www.aquariandrumheads.com/
http://www.evansdrumheads.com
http://www.remo.com/

I personally am still exploring on different drumheads so everytime i change heads, i would try on a different kind. Haha. Evans has a really good description of the different drumheads they offer. They even have simple charts of each drumhead! Really useful. Haha. Explore yourself with different brands and heads and you'll find one that you like best! Also, i tune my heads by ear/feel without a tension watch. Not really good at tuning though but sounds decent enough for me! Haha.

 

[PianistDarren]

=sunkjob

Wow, I didn't know that drum throne can cost only 30 over bucks. Thanks for your info and how is the quality like? And what I meant is those thrones made by Tama and Roland, they can cost easily over $100.

As for the warranty, they didn't mentioned anything about it to me and I forgot to ask them too. Will give them a call soon regrading this.

 

[PianistDarren]

=Namrehs

Thanks for your reply Will check on those websites.

Sorry, last few questions to ask you all. Hope you all don't find me a nuisance here.
1. If drum hardware like the bass drum pedal or the cymbals stand are damaged, which brand will you change it to? The brand same as your drum set or other brands? Btw, do musicshops in Singapore take in Premier hardwares?
2. I am quite interested to get a crash cymbal. Have seen the Zildjian thin crash at the Beatspot - Yahama and it cost quite alot. What do you think? Or is there any good and cheap crash cymbal around?
3. Other than getting a cymbal, do you all change hi-hat cymbal as well?

Thanks.

 

[faithsilence]

Hi there,

1) Hardware-wise I personally prefer Pearl 1000 and 2000 series. Yes they are expensive and heavy but they are really good with many innovative features. Other than Pearl, I also like Yamaha hardware. I am not sure if musicshops will take in Premier hardware or not. Good hardware usually are double braced, have thick shafts and are heavy to ensure stability.

2) Zildjian are expensive but they sound good. Other alternatives, u can try out Turkish (Musiclab), they are definitely more affordable and sound good too cos my instructor (Alvin Tan) uses them and I have heard him play. Besides Turkish, I will also recommend Istanbul Mehmet (Nigel Gan - Drumresources) and Bosphorous. Personally, I like the sound of Sabian HHX series, Zildjian K Customs, Paiste Signature series, Istanbul Mehmet Traditional and Sultan series and Turkish. There are also other brands like Dream (Musicgear), Soul Tone and many others.

3) I have changed my hi-hats too cos I was looking for a higher 'chic' sound. Currently using a 14" Istanbul Mehmet flat-top.

Ultimately, it is all up to u and what type of sound do u like and of cos the genre of music u are playing. Usually, this will change over time as u play and hear different brands etc. I started out with Istanbul Mehmet Samatya series due to budget constraints but eventually, as I play, I also learn to like the sounds of other brands like Zildjians, Sabian, Paiste etc etc. I used to lean towards brighter sounding cymbals but now leaning towards darker sounds.

 

[PianistDarren]

Hi, thanks for your reply!

Regrading the bass drum pedal, how do you go about choosing the good ones?

Also, since I am thinking of getting a crash cymbal than I might as well get a cymbal package which included the hi-hat, crash and riding cymbal. Do you think there is a need? Currently, I am not liking my stock hi-hat as I find that it has its own limitation. Not sure if it's the stand or the cymbal. (Seen the Zildjian A Custom package selling at $1350!)

Thanks.

 

[sunkjob]

@PianistDarren
Im not too sure abt quality.nv even seen it myself.i juz rmbred reading it smwhr ard here.and if i rmbr correctly at swee lee there are a few tama thrones below 100.bt its more of their lower end ones.
And for hardware such as stands,the best for me i think would be gibraltar.solid stuff.but i think quite ex oso.if ure looking for hardware thats not gonna go beyond the four walls of ur room,den brand wouldnt really matter,unless its brandless.i bet u can find a good deal in the ads section.for pedals it would be DW.for me their variety from high end to low end beats out their competitors.
And if looking for cymbals,again u can check out the ads.gt a few thin crashes.or if ure looking for a new cymbal pack,the best deal out there rite now is the meinl hcs pack for 273.bloody good deal.and faithsilence is rite.there are many other cheaper alternatives out there,most of them are actually underrated.so dont go for the brand,go for the sound

 

[sunkjob]

@faithsilence
Juz wanna ask u,how much is the istanbul mehmet samatya starter set?rite now nigel overseas so wont really get a chance to check out the price

 

[PianistDarren]

Hi, thanks for your reply!

What are the cymbal and their inches included in the Meinl HCS pack? Do they sounds good? I am considering getting a Sabian cymbal pack rather than getting a Zildjian thin crash. Haha.

 

[faithsilence]

Hi, thanks for your reply!

Regrading the bass drum pedal, how do you go about choosing the good ones?

Also, since I am thinking of getting a crash cymbal than I might as well get a cymbal package which included the hi-hat, crash and riding cymbal. Do you think there is a need? Currently, I am not liking my stock hi-hat as I find that it has its own limitation. Not sure if it's the stand or the cymbal. (Seen the Zildjian A Custom package selling at $1350!)

Thanks.

Bass drum pedal u have to try it for urself like how do u like the feel of it, is it responsive enough for ur playing etc. So far I tried DW9000 series at my previous drum school, initially i felt it was too heavy but I think after some adjustment, it felt pretty good. Pearl Demon Drive is also not bad, very smooth but feels bit light. It could be just the setting too. Axis pedals are good too IMO but cost more. I also tried Iron Cobra in my church, it was good too but I believe that is one of the older models which are made in Japan (anyway I can't check cos it is simply too cramped there LOL). Currently I am using a Yamaha stock pedal. It is responsive enough for me.

A cymbal set will be good cos it will save u more especially if u are sure u like the sound of all the cymbals in the package. Some people might not and prefer to choose each separately. Especially for Sabian cymbals sets, they are said to match sonically. Or if u dun mind, 2nd hand cymbals are a good choice too. Check out the Classified sections, I do see some good deals. Right now Rudimentaldrummer (Eric) is clearing his drumming stuff, go check out.

@faithsilence
Juz wanna ask u,how much is the istanbul mehmet samatya starter set?rite now nigel overseas so wont really get a chance to check out the price

I got it for S$600+. Not sure of the price now but it should not differ too much.