Drummers....the musician with truly ENDLESS choices, options and product(s) to choose from. The question that must be asked is, in this ever growing saturated, competetive market, what exactly is it that makes one manufacturer/company stand out from the next? Where one innovator pops up with a new, impressive technology, rival companies surely follow, manuevering their way around patents to capitalize on the "next big thing". This is where it gets interesting because any successful corporation fully comprehends the importance of consumer satisfaction as it pertains to corporate survival.
Yes, almost every major manufacturer today worth their salt incorporates the use of Keller shells into their enterprise. Custom options regarding size, color, finishes, etc all play their hand. As drummers we witnessed the rise and evolution of a company like DW to the powerhouse of Pearl, who will not be undermined in a market they so proudly own. In a time of economic uncertainty, smaller scaled builders have had to find new and intersting ways to keep their products in the public eye and not deep within the pages of chapter thirteen. So what is "IT" exactly that sets GMS drums apart? At least from the modest opinion of "THIS" drummer? There are a few things.........
One....the shells.....
GMS utilizes 8 ply North American shells without the use reinforcement rings. All things considered, what this does in a nutshell is produce one of the LOUDEST wooden shells you will ever hear. Keller is Keller and they sell to everyone but GMS has their finger on a pulse your average kid at a music shop seeking out a new kit will not understand. The configuration and specifications for GMS shells is what make them so unique. We have seen the fads throught the decades....Thin shells, thicker shells, back to thin shells with isolation mounts.....what comes around goes around again and again. There is no reinventing the wheel folks; just ideas for new spokes to put in. 1987 was an important year for drummers....GMS was born with their 8 ply shell and should you find yourself in an unmic'd situation, fret not because your volume will be there.
Two.....Rob is fighting the world....
Here is a guy no matter how hard the times, continues to kick out new and impressive instruments. This is not a shot at Pearl but do you really think that Gene Okamoto would continue his endeavors if his exposure was as limited as GMS's? I think not. Rob is dedicated to making his thing "WORK" because unlike all the bs marketing schemes you see in the pages of MD, Rob's tenacity is proof. He isn't selling you snakeoil people.....he selling you superior quality percussion instruments. And that's that.
I was a DW guy. A DW guy back when they used Keller shells. Very nice drums that sound exceptional in the studio. Being that I will'ed them to my son, I opted not to take them on the road with me, hence I was in search of a gigging kit that sounded great. I stumbled upon a used GMS kit that was born in 1991 that for the price, I couldn't walk away from. I never in my wildest dreams ever imagined that upon striking these babies (yes, purchased them without even playing them) that I would never WANT to play my DW's again but that is exactly what happened. The drums sound amazing with virtually ANY head you put on them and I definitely cannot say that about DW. The reinforcement rings in the DW's sends vibrations all out of whack thus limiting what type of head you can use to achieve a truly unique and awesome sound. Not so the case with GMS. Tell me that deosn't matter! I like to know that no matter what drumhead I purchase that it will sound good on my kit.
These drums are cannons!
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