Acclaim 5 Piece Birch Set Reviews 
5 / 5 based on 1 reviewsI came across this set as an auction on EBay. I paid $345.00 for the set plus $89.00 shipping. I decided to upgrade my old CB 6 piece double bass drum set to this set because the acclaim set is Asian birch. On top of that it is a bit smaller set and I needed the extra room.
I love almost everything about this set. I had to do some research to verify that it is actually birch. Most of the acclaim sets aren't but this one was being sold as a birch set. The manufacture is a company out of LA named Zenith. You can find their phone number on any yellow page search. I called the company directly because they don't have a web site and I couldn't find any information on them. They verified, after a few questions about my set, that it is indeed birch. It is Asian birch and I don't know the difference between that and regular American birch, but it is birch. When I got the set the heads on it were factory heads which always sound like crap so I replaced them with Remo Ebony Pinstripes. After tuning them up they sound amazing! I played some Tama and Pearl sets in stores that don't have the warmth in tone these do. The hardware is pretty good. It has double braced hi hat, snare, and cymbal stands. The bass drum legs are very solid and have a retractable spike to keep them in place on carpet. Like I said I was most impressed with the quality of the sound in the drums. It is very warm, not too loud or soft, and no overriding after tones.
There are a few things I don't like about this set. First off the 12 inch tom was damaged from the previous owner. The damage is a small scuff the size of a quarter on the bottom side of the tom. That doesn't reflect badly on anyone but the previous owner though. I also don't like the fact that the toms come in 10, 12, and 14 inch and the 14 inch tom has no floor legs or mounts. It is mounted the same way as the smaller toms with an elbow arm. I had to attach it to my ride cymbal stand to position it where I need it. Also, the Saluda hi hats I bough (see my review on them for more information) are very heavy and the spring in the hi hat stand has a hard time lifting the top hat during play. I think this problem is just due to the heavy weight of the cymbals. The factory heads are also crap, but that is expected from every drum set.
The quality overall is outstanding. I mentioned the hardware already. The drums are 6 ply Asian birch in a natural lacquer color. The drum sizes are 10, 12, and 14 inch toms, 22 inch bass, and 14 inch matching snare. They look and sound outstanding with some basic toning and new heads. The people at Zenith are also very helpful in answering any questions you have about the Acclaim drum sets.
I would recommend this set to anyone trying to upgrade their set on limited cash. Do your research first though! They make sets in other woods. Don't take any seller's word as fact. Find out what you are actually getting. You can call Zenith and they can answer any of your questions regarding the Acclaim sets. I also bought Saluda cymbals to go with the set. See that review for more details on them.
Ryno rated this unit
on
2004-10-08.
