good answer my man, good answer.

How about Guitar Center (Sound Percussion) 5A Nylon tip drum sticks.  Have used Vater, and Promark before, and just ran through them because they broke....oh and Yamaha hardware - just love it!

Yah I'm trying to use it to learn how to do it by hear, if that makes any sese. I was really stuck in the idea that all lugs had to be screwed down equally for it to be tuned properly boy was i wrong. In general I think this is going to make me a better tuner. Plus now I know which of my drums are lower quality bearing edges. My pork pies...tune up like a ferrari...my grestch catilina rock...more like a honda.

No I just mean the bearing edges arn't that well done, i love how the kit sounds, the 30 degree bearing edges are so low in sustain and tone that you really can't tell.

Underrated:
Ludwig Speed King pedal
Yamaha Flying Dragon direct drive pedal
Wuhan splashes

Overrated:
Every single sheet-bronze cymbal that was ever made

No, I don't mean they're out of style.  I mean they aren't nearly as good as they were in the '70s and early '80s.  There is a sonic difference.  I've tried dozens of current A crashes and they sound clanky to me, unlike those I bought years ago.

Underrated: Maryland Drum Company

I have been playing MDC's for about 8 years, I now endorse the product proudly, and I DO NOT get free drums in any way shape or form. They are really sweet sounding drums in every way, and they EASILY rivial custom drum companies that make thier own shells like Noble & Cooley in terms of quality and sound.

Overrated: OCDP, and Spaun. We all know why, $200 worth of raw materials doesn't equal a $2000 drum, I don't care how many giant holes you put in them.

Agreed!

I played some tayes today and the bass drum was in the top 5 bass drums i've ever played in my life! Now the thing with OCDP is are those the LIST prices on the website becuase if you order form guitar center they usually cut the list price in almost half. I mean pork pies snares are listed on the website for like 500-1000 bucks but they usually cost half of that when you buy them at guitar center. Im just curious to see if the price on OCDP's website is what they're charging for them at stores. Just curious, one other thing i dislike about OCDP is they don't really say they use Keller shells they act like they're making it all from scratch at the shop when in reality Spaun, Pork Pie, OCDP and Truth are all the same drums at heart...keller, its really just who can finish a bearing edge best and do the best paint job. For that I'll trust Bill Detamore anyday. The staff at OCDP are a bunch of young dudes while DOM and Bill are vetrans in the game. In my oppinion no one finishes a Keller shell better than B. Detamore. On another note Im still convinced yamaha are the best drums on the market, and blow DW and Pearl out of the water. I played another Maple Absolute with that musahi (spelling?) snare and if i wasn't so in love with pork pie i'd be wanting one of those kits mmmmm. Oh i played the hardcore beater.....very comfertable to play, the sound was a bit dry and getting good hard attack out of it wasn't as easy as with the big dw two way better, for fast movment though the super light weight of the hardcore beater was great. I suggest you guys try them if you got 20 bucks or so to spare.

To each his own.  Just for the record, TAYE are not Ayottes  They are designed is theory by the same guy, but the quality in craftmanship is vastly different.  In fact, Ayotte is the Canadian DW while Taye is the Pacific  equivalent.  

If you go to an Ayotte dealer (where kits can be played and are put on display) and do a side by side comparison, you will see a huge difference in the quality of the shell, finish, hardware, everything.  But like I said, to each his own.  I'm older, make good money and appreciate a set of drums as both of means to create and as a piece of craftmanship.  My Ayotte's satisfy my needs and wants in a kit.  Taye don't.