All user reviews for the Premier XPK

I bought my 6 Pce XPK in 1996 for about £700 from a dealer in the UK near London.
It is still in immaculate condition.

Versatile kit, reliable hardware (no stripping threads), all designed to last if you are prepared to look after it.

I recently added ISO mounts and had the tom blocks removed,shell holes filled, and bearing edges re-finished. The kit sounds really toneful and fat. It now sounds like iut was always supposed to.

Due to undersizes shells these drums work best with Evans heads, as Remo heads need to sit tighter on the shell.

Evans also remain in tune on this kit better than the Remo I used.

At the time I bought this kit, it was definitely the best kit on the market for the money. The Birch used in the shells is premium Finnish(Finland)Birch and is the same used on the Genista.


Although many new kits have come on to the market in this range, I might get another kit one day, but I will not replace this characterful little set.
If its good enough for Radiohead's drummer its sure good enough for me (his studio kit).
I have also bigged up my bass drum with a new front head (with no hole cut) this gives a nice warm fat wallop.The whole kit has a nice balance to it,including the nice crisp musical snare.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought on ebay several years ago for $585 US. 4 piece no hardware, no snare.

The sound is excellent, especially with aquarian coated studio-x heads. I still have yet to replace the premier resonator heads but they will have to go soon-they are pretty crummy. The finish is beautiful. My kit is a tobacco fade laquer. It is also easier to play (for me) as the sizes are smaller-20" bass drum, 10 and 12" rack toms, and 14" hanging floor tom. I like the hanging floor tom because it gives me a little more versatility in where I can place it, and opens up the sound more. I am also not worried about it tipping over as long as I have it mounted to a boom stand.

At first, I liked the low mass lugs but upon closer inspection and tuning I realized that they seemed to be "buzzing" a bit. I am planning on removing all of the hardware from the shells to isolate the noises and then dampen them so this shouldn't be a problem. I also don't like the tom mount shaft. It is way too long for me and goes down into the bass drum for about a foot. The tom arms are ok, though, with a ball and socket joint to provide the most minute adjustments.

The construction is very good. The XPK's are made up of about 40% birch (outer and inner plies) and about 60% eucalyptus (middle plies). At first this bothered me a little but after doing the research I found that some custom drum makers use eucalyptus as a tone wood and attest to its strength and durability. The construction of the individual plies themselves is also very well done; looking at the drum from the bearing edges and the inside, the drums look and feel very solid. I have no worries about playing this set for a very long time.

This is an excellent kit for the money. Yeah, there are better kits out there, but you might have to sacrafice an arm to get one. If you need to stay within a budget (under 800 used is the current price), Premier is the way to go. I only think they are cheap because not a lot of people know about them and I don't think guitar center carries much premier stuff if any. I see a lot of premier kits on stage as well so I am confident they would hold up to gigging. 4/5 for value, construction, and sound.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I've had my Premier XPK 6 piece kit now for about 7 years and used it regularly now pretty much once or twice a week for rehearsals and gigs. I bought the Rosewood finished kit new from one of the UKs top retailers in the south of England called Poole Percussion. The guys there are fantastic, they're really supportive and have always been helpful when it comes to good honest advice - no pushy sales guys talking the talk thank god.

The drums themselves are a fairly well built semi-pro kit and are ideal for the sort of work I'm doing, my theory is, why spend thousands on equipment at this level when all that happens is that it gets knocked, kicked and scratched by psycho guitar players and pulled and shoved by equally mad soundmen - the drums stand up well to most of it. The 10" tom is great, it's my favourite for tone and sustain - quite slack Remo pinstripe to thank also. The 12" is not so exciting but the 13" and 16" are great for sustain but again the head has to be fairly slack to allow the ring - try not to be tempted to muffel the skins with tape as the projection from the shells is reduced dramatically. It may sound poor from where you're sitting but have faith and take no notice of the sound engineer - you're the drummer - you're the daddy.

The hardware supplied with kit is VERY standard so consider a replacement bass drum pedal straight away and always steer towards double braced hardware (4000 Premier range) although the hi-hat stand is very robust. The double tom holder is way too heafty and very cumbersome - it also lacks in the adjustment area too which can be a real pain to find a nice setup but like the hi-hat is robust.

Firstly, look out for the lacquer finish going milky. This will be a sure sign that the kit's done the rounds and may have had stage lighting placed close to them regularly. Secondly, consider a different snare to the supplied XPK - it's not too bad but lacks power and projection and is difficult to get the tuning right. Thirdly and the most major problem I've had is the lugs on all the shells - due to the poor construction and quality of metal used on the lugs, they're simply popping away from the shell. This is not down to over tension but I'm sure down to the casting and design of the unit although this has only started to happen recently so it could be an age thing... something to be careful of with second hand XPK's?

Overall, a good kit for the price when new and perhaps underated in some critics eyes. My top tip is to keep skins slack to retain depth from the shells, consider Remo pinstripes (unmuffled) and my best investment yet was replacing the Bass drum heads with the Evans EQ system - it's gone from a flabby thump to a deep rounded thud with a tiny bit of sustain. Don't be afraid to buy but ONLY buy if you feel the price is right - second hand prices should be cheap.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a special edition of maple wood with DC (which I have cast circles) acquired a small shop in Germany zik.
A fusion kit 10 12 14 14 22 I replaced the foot of the tomstoms feet separated by GC because I play rock available ...
(See photo below)

I've had a dozen years now, she knocked bcp (close to 300 concerts, reweighed in cellar, attic ...

Whaooo ... but it sounds the devil, I played on bcp batteries, full of lines and different brands and I have rarely seen kits sound as well,
moreover it is very robust, nothing has changed since I have! The hardware is nickel, no games, which is very unusual after so many years and with my game! chromium is not starting the varnish has not moved and is a tireless!
in fact I still have a lot of the hardware of the time!

In view of what is done today in drumkit in the same price range, I'm really disgusted with having to buy one, but god thank you, considering the quality, it is not ready to let me go!

I have this drumkit for 7 years now and I must say that for an entry level instrument, Prime has many scratching their heads! At the beginning it is not easy to give because of imperfections inherent in this kind of range model, but once the skin has been changed, it sounds! And very well! I particularly like the bass drum, round, ample and generous low frequency, and the snare drum, powerful, incisive. However, it will equip it with a little muted to remove higher harmonics a little nasal. With Remo CS Coated Ambassador and side affects side stamp, ca is the square!

Before that I had a drumkit Maxton "The Baguetterie" and the change was radical. I chose the XPK because I was playing at the Conservatory of APK and already much loved the sound of this one. So if in addition offered a prime painted finish and a wood snare drum, my choice was all done

The price / quality ratio is also very study despite the lack of accessories unlike the APK. Drum circles in wood, quality hardware and especially the quality of the drums are really well above competing models in the same price range! Since times have changed and brands treat their growing drumkit models for ever lower prices but at the time the XPK was, in my opinion, the queen in her category.

In short this drumkit is very pleasant to play, you feel good behind and deliver powerful and accurate. However, it will give the maximum time adjustment and tuning the drums to get the best sound. That said, the sound is a matter of taste but this drumkit has characteristics rather Rock. Add to this the accessories first of the series 5000 and be in possession of an instrument of very good quality for a reasonable price. Although entedu if I had a larger budget I would certainly have taken a drumkit but the Maple XPK seduced me and I look forward to the sound and see what it gives live

I bought a XPK Fusion (20, 10, 12, 14) 1994 1998. It's been 12 years so I play it. Information, the CC was not original (Ludwig maple) and equipped SABIAN AAX (HH, Ride, Crash 2 + Hard-ware and DIXON TAMA).

Previously, I was typing on a Century, so the change was important!
Accuracy, I kept the 16-tom of my old Century, with a skin relaxed and matting, it sends the wood.
- For how long have you been using it?

12. She underwent storage, concerts, removals, ... The varnish is resistant, and chrome did not dive. The tuners hold up. Small flat, fixing ball attachments toms, including rubber aging medium. Mechanics have not taken the game, the buttons are still present, and drums were unchanged.
I play all styles, from jazz to pop, to funk pat, but my favorite field is the metal. This instrument is truly versatile. It changes the DC voltage skins, and here we go again!

- Did you try many other models before getting this one?

At the time, living in a small village where the little music store only offered two brands, Remo and Premier. I played on a Remo Jazz music school, and I tested Pearl Export of friends in concert. Unsatisfactory or too expensive for my purse.
I came across an ad by accident and I called. Successful test!

- What thing do you like most/least about it?

I can not judge the Snare, because I did not.
- Plus: Bass Drum mounted Evans EQ1: A real rocket, not mute inside, very present bass, sustain controlled, a delight. with bats pedal felt or rubber, but happiness.
Toms 10 and 12 provide a good projection (Emperor), and Ambassador blasted gives them a round and warm. These are rather easy to fix.
Design (your honey with visible veins, inner barrels painted black) does not spoil the contrary ...

- The less: Tom 14, which lacks attack and serious. I got the best results with First Pua DS (double-fold with a circle of 1cm wide integrated. An Emperor with a piece of matting reduces sustain, and helps relax the skin to make it more serious (question of taste !)

- # What is your opinion about the value for the price?
# Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? ...

Q / P Excellent (8000 F of the time with CC Ludwig, AAX and in very good condition ...). For the record, the chrome of the CC dive, while those of the drumkit was flat. Withstands careful disassembly, easy to adjust, versatile, good power, Etc ...

Without hesitation, I would do this choice, especially as this model will be a day can be seen collector's Health brand in France ...

I'll maybe buy the New Gretsch Catalina Maple 6 barrels, all maple, but I'll keep my XPK, because I did not hear that on the current industrial production in these price ranges.