Premier Artist Maple (6 Pc) Reviews 
4 / 5 based on 1 reviewsI got this set through a local dealer; it was 1500 for five <8/10/12/14/16", all suspended> toms and the bass drum. A great price considering it included a special ordered suspended 16" tom.
For half or a third the price of a DW set, it is amazing. I have a DW set as well now, and the DW is better, but not even close to $2000 better. For the price there is no better drumset available. They sound better than high end Pearls or Tamas, are hard to tell from from Premier's own high-end Signia series. The toms are very open sounding with Evan's G2 Clear batter, and resonate beautifully for just the right amount of time.
The bass drum is a bit underwhelming. With muffling it had decent punch, but the low-end was disappointing. The RIMS mounts are very bulky, which makes them hard to store in cases. The finish choices are very bland, and aren't especially durable. The custom 16" drum took five months to arrive. They sent me the wrong hoops with the bass drum <Signia series transparent black instead of my ebony black...strange> and still haven't sent the replacements they promised. 10" Tom's mount is coming off the hoop.
They are beautiful, soundwise and for looks. The finish could be more resilient; I'm nice to these drums and there are still signs of wear. But, I've had them for nearly two years and play them a lot, so I guess that's not too bad. I find that drumheads are hard to seat, but tune easily once put on properly.
All my complaints are nitpicky. For 1500, I have a big set that sounds wonderful. I give it a "4" because of the bass drum's lack of depth, but I love these drums. I have a DW set as well, and I haven't sold this one or even considered it.
Andy B rated this unit
on
2002-07-01.
