The DW Collectors Series is a dream kit for many drummers around the world. These kits from DW are some of the most high-quality drum sets you can play on. DW put so much effort into these and personalize them for every buyer, making them drums that can be used on the biggest stages in the world.
Not everyone gets the opportunity to play on DW Collectors Series sets thanks to their massive price tags. So, here’s a review to show you just how great these kits are.
The biggest feature of DW Collectors Series kits is how customizable they are. If you buy them straight from the DW factory, you get to choose exactly which wood the kit is made of and how big the shell sizes are.
It’s for this reason that most Collectors Series kits that are out there in the drum world tend to have different sounds and nuances. However, they have a distinct set of construction qualities that are seen on all of them.
Collectors Series kits are made up of several kinds of woods that range from maple to mahogany. They’re often made of very rare woods as well such as Exotic Tasmanian wood. The vast range of woods is often the cause of the large price tag on a Collectors Series drum kit.
The drums have immaculate construction quality and feel extremely solid when they’re set up. The rack toms feel very sturdy and the bass drums are always secure to the floor.
A Collectors Series kit can be instantly recognized thanks to the large circular lugs on all the drums. They’re largest on Collectors kits whereas the other DW kits have smaller lugs.
The drums also have all the classic DW hardware pieces you’d expect such as the MAG throw-off and the True-Pitch tuning rods. Most Collectors Series kits have the rack toms mount on cymbal stands. However, a few have mounts that attach to the bass drum.
As there are so many different Collectors Series configurations, it’s difficult to narrow them down. However, we’re going to mention a select few that fall into a broad range of kits to get. The first is the 4-piece kit.
There are a few 4-piece DW Collectors Series kits that you can get which have the rack toms mounted to the bass drum. This is the perfect setup for people who don’t like mounting the toms onto cymbal stands.
The 5-piece is the standard setup to have and most 5-piece Collectors Series kits fall somewhere between $3500 and $5000. Just note the Collectors Series kits mostly don’t include snare drums when you buy them, meaning the 5-piece refers to two rack toms, two floor toms, and a bass drum.
The snare drum will need to be purchased separately, making the cost a bit higher to have a full Collectors setup!
The 7-piece is the ultimate DW Collectors Series configuration. It’s a giant kit full of beautiful voices with a wide range of sounds. Most 7-piece setups include a third rack tom that is 8”.
If you’ve got the money for it, this is the dream setup to go for.
The DW Collectors Series drum kit is one of the most expensive kits in the world that you can get. While the price is high, the quality you get from these kits is arguably unmatched. No other drum company offers the vast range of woods to choose from, making many of their kits very rare.
The price definitely matches the value. However, there are many kits that sound extremely good that are half the price, meaning the DW Collectors Series isn’t the only option you should go with.
Sonor’s SQ2 Series kits can comfortably compete with the Collectors Series as they offer a similar amount of customization when it comes to shell selection. They’re also in the same price range.
The standout quality of the SQ2 is the sheer beauty of its sound. Not many kits sound better than a well-tuned Sonor SQ2. Similar to the DW, the SQ2 exhibits all the best design qualities that Sonor has on offer.
The Masterworks is the flagship drum kit from Pearl. These kits tend to work best in heavy rock situations, sounding huge in arena settings. The thick maple shells ensure that the drums produce great tones.
The standout quality of Masterworks kits is always the hardware. Pearl is often unmatched when it comes to heavy and solid hardware, and this kit shows off the best they have.
All the Masterworks kits are handmade, explaining their high price tags.
The Tama STAR drums are on the same level as the Collectors Series in terms of quality. However, they don’t have as many options when it comes to shell selection. The best Tama STAR is the Walnut kit.
The walnut shells exhibit a great amount of warmth that supports the attack and make the kit sound big as well as smooth. The STAR kits are beautiful to look at. They sound killer too.
The DW Collectors Series is the top kit that DW has on offer. DW is one of the top drum brands in the world, making the Collectors Series one of the top drum kits. It’s extremely good!
The best DW drums are any of the Collectors Series drum sets that are made from rare woods. They exhibit unique tones that can’t be heard on any other drum kits, making them highly sought after. They’re also the most expensive DW drums, though.
The DW Performance Series is more streamlined. While the customization on the Collectors Series is endless, there are only a select amount of setups you can get the Performance Series in. This makes them a lot cheaper.
Since the Collectors Series kit is one of the best sounding drum sets in the world, it is undoubtedly one of the best studio kits in the world. Depending on what wood the shells are made of, the Collectors Series drums will transfer extremely well through microphones, making the kit easy to mix and EQ.
The kit is versatile as well, meaning you can use it to record drums for several styles of music. It’s the perfect kit to have for any studio producer.
Many drummers prefer to leave their Collectors kits at home and use a secondary kit to play live gigs. They’re worried about the potential for the kit to get damaged. It’s completely understandable when you pay so much money for one drum set.
However, the kit sounds amazing on a live stage. So, you should use it if you can. All the big pop artists often have their drummers playing Collectors Series kits in arenas thanks to their awesome sound.
If you’re looking for a smaller kit that is easier to travel around with, have a look at the DW Design Series Frequent Flyer. It’s a great drum set for playing in tight venues.
If you’re a fan of DW drum sets, the Collectors Series would be the ultimate drum set that you can get. Many drummers who own these kits feel that they never need to buy another drum set again. The quality will last you a lifetime.
There’s a very good reason that the Collectors Series are some of the best drum kits in the world. The amount of customization they offer is almost unrivaled. So, start saving, and maybe one day you could own one of these beauties.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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