Taye Drums

I purchased my kit after trying a set of TAYES at a local rehearsal studio in Vancouver. Killer sound and quality. I was sold after finding out the price. I payed $2000 (CDN) for a 5 piece set of Studio Maples from TOM LEE MUSIC. I like the construction and quality of wood. Well cut bearing edges. The “ball & clamp” tom mounts are nice for easy adjusting in any direction. RIMS-type mounting system is great. I really liked the fact that TAYE answered my e-mail question within an hour. From RAY AYOTTE!! I’m not too sure about the hardware. It doesn’t look bad, it’s just not time-tested. I’ll write another review strictly on the hardware after a 2-6 months of good gigging. The foot pedal has a different feel to it. Great quality wood. Nicely cut bearing edges. Nice and even finish. Hardware is a medium weight and unknown to the riggors of gigging. A great sounding kit. Looks good and was an excellent deal. Even if the hardware doesn't do the job I can buy a new set with the money I saved. This company is working hard to compete with the “big boys” and doing a great job doing it. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Taye Drums Hardware Pack Z is a decent combination of 2 cymbal stands, a hi-hat stand, a bass drum pedal, and a snare drum stand. Most hardware packs of this level have the same contents. This came with my Taye Studio maple kit when I first bought it. The drum set was used, but the hardware in the Z pack was new. I wasn't in need of any extra hardware because I had a set of very heavy duty TAMA hardware that I was happy with, as well as my own set of pedals. However, I wasn't about to turn down the chance to try a new set of hardware for free, and I am glad I got the chance because the Taye Z Pack was actually very good. All of these stands are double braced, which is one of the most important things to look for in hardware. They are billed as being not too heavy, but they are definitely solid. Both the crash/ride stands also have 3 points of adjustment along their body, which adds some ease and variability of adjustment. Many lower end cymbal stands only have 2 points of adjustment, and this can be a real pain. The snare stand is really convenient because of the bend it has at the neck. It is easier to raise or lower the snare head because of this and it is possible to tilt the snare at more unique angles. The hi-hat stand is pretty sturdy and the pedal is reasonable responsive. The top hi hat attachment stays in place for as long as it needs to. The only piece I wasn't totally satisfied with was the bass drum pedal, because it felt a bit clunky to play. It was slow to respond and difficult to adjust. I didn't expect much from a Taye bass pedal because that isn't their specialty. Considering that I have played extremely cheap pedals that feel better than this, it was a bit of a disappointment. Overall, this is a good hardware pack. I wouldn’t go out of my way for it, but if it comes with a purchase I recommend it.

What thing do you like most/least about it? The tom drums have a very rich and adaptable sound. You can tune them to respond however you want very easily. Also, the bass drum has a very deep and punchy sound, more than most higher end birch drumkits I am familiar with. The only minor problem with the Taye kits is that their hardware (tom mounts especially) are reasonably lightweight and weak. It has never been a problem for me, but sometimes the toms move around during play regardless of how tight they are screwed in. Also, while you can arrange them in multiple positions, it takes a while to mount and dismount the drums in travel. Did you try many other models before getting this one? Of the taye kits I used of this level, I have tried the studio maple with 22'' bass and 4 toms (10'' to 16'') and the studiobirch with 22'' bass drum and 3 toms (12'' to 16''). I have also played the taye go kit, but it has a very different sound altogether. I prefer the studiomaple slightly, especially when playing live. However, the birch is obviously a good choice, probably better in the studio if birch wood is desirable. What is your opinion about the value for the price? These Taye kits can be compared in performance to the other high end kits from more familiar names such as yamaha or sonor, but their (taye) price is much lower. If someone is looking for a professional sound for a reasonable price, this is definitely the best value around. Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?... I have owned a taye studio kit for about 3 years now, and I am very glad of how I made my choice. I got such a great deal on this kit I couldnt pass it up. However, regardless of the price, the sound and quality is reason enough to purchase one. Precision and quality of the sound? Like I said earlier, the hardware is sort of shakey. The sound is almost perfect. The toms and bass a rich and deep, and the snare is out of this world. Taye was known for making snares for a long time before they started selling kits like this, so it is no surprise that the snare is excellent. This kit is good for most kinds of music and recording situations.