i am really thinking about this. ill prob make the jump up to someone's highend maple kit come tax return season , although keeping it under $3000 for now. (shells only prob)
i have looked at a lot of brands. i currently have a pearl and they are at the top of my list right now (masters) and they are almost the cheapest too. ive looked at pearl, tama, mapex, premier, (passed over yamaha -trash!!) pork pie, pacific,...i think that is it so far. when it comes down to the drums, do all of these high end sets really sound that different? when i played them, i really couldnt tell the difference. at this point is it safe to say i can base my purchase decision on looks/bang for buck/warranty/etc?
i also am a firm believer that when the sets get to this level, it all comes down to the hardware...what you like best. i like no matter what, i will keep my pearl hardware and rack. nothing beats the unilock stuff. any thoughts on the drums?

I'll second Bill on that - calling Yamaha "trash" only points out your ignorance. They make fine drums, as do all the major manufacturers.

If you've had a bad experience with a Yamaha product, fair enough, but to suggest a brand used by some of the top professionals is "trash" is a very short-sighted oversimplification.

That said, I think the thing to base your decision on is HOW THE DRUMS SOUND. Go play a bunch of them, and buy the ones that sound best. And understand what sounds best to me is not necessarily what will sound best to you. So YOU need to do the legwork.

Make a trip to a drum shop - there are good ones scattered all over the country, within a day's drive of just about anywhere. Play some kits, listen, and make your choice that way.

But don't look for simple answers like Pearl is best, or Yamaha is trash. Both are meaningless.

There are differences in all of them.  But the level of quality will always be high, so as Acro said, it comes to sound.   As well as the looks and features you mentioned.

Gretsch and Fibes use a maple/gum/maple shell, and Gretsch paints the inside of thier shells.  Same shells, different sound.  Plus I think Gretsch uses a fatter edge than Fibes, but since I dont know how Fibes cuts thier edges Im not 100%.

Pearl, Tama, Mapex, etc and others use all maple shells.  But they treat them differently  (laquer vs polyurethane vs raw etc), and may have different bearing edges.  Thus a different sound.  Then theres the issue of ply count and shell thickness (not the same thing).   A 4mm shell with reenforcing rings will sound different than a 6mm shell without.   And an 8mm shell will sound different again.  

Most custom makers use Keller shells.  So again, the differences become a matter of how they treat the shells and how they cut edges.  

Fair enough. So that's one brand you don't need to investigate - they're officially crossed off the list - for YOU.

But what you just wrote is a far more rational explanation than saying Dave Weckl's drums are trash.  

honestly, pearl is at the top b/c it is the cheapest for the drums. BUT tama a mapex are right up there. i would probably get any of the in a heart beat, but i just cant do that!
i do hear differences, but i am not totally sure if that is b/c of how they are tuned/brand and kind of head used/ or the different sizes of the drums. i wish i could just get a bunch lined up with all of the same sizes, heads, etc and play. i guess that is my main question or concern. given these restrictions, how much different would they sound from each other?
(i know they will some...)

One other thing - and I think this is perfectly valid - is the Pitter-Pat Factor (PPF).

Which kit, when you just stand there and LOOK at it, makes your heart go pitter-pat?  

Some brands just don't do that to me, regardless of how nicely built they are. So I don't buy them. If you get to a point where a couple kits are both sounding really good to you, that's when the PPF comes in.

I'm somewhat symathetic to Epiarch.
Let's face it, it's a big investment with lots of ramifications. I for one have never been able to base any decisions on awkwardly demoing a kit in a showroom, with lots of other drums resonating and buzzing in sympathy and the added frustration of the glaring salespeople who either can't wait for you to shut up or who seem to be thinking 'this dude can't play s**t'!
It's like buying a new car based solely on sitting in it in the showroom.
So, like Epiarch, I'd be interested to hear any kit buying strategies or more advice on what people think about various brands.
Having said all that......I'd be looking at the 'boutique' brands. Seems like you get great personal advice and customisation options from the people who actually build drums themselves.
Plus I think the after sales customer service is usually excellent.
I'm thinking, Tempus, Stanbridge, Pork Pie...
chip in anytime you guy's! I'm basically out of touch.

Thanks for your specific concerns about Yamaha. I happen to agree that in my experience the pedals and hihats are OK but not outstanding.

Still don't get the hardware comment though...Mine is easy to set-up and stays in place very well with no slippage. Were you playing the Yamaha sets you've tried or climbing on them?  

Regarding the tom mounts, I like the YESS mounting system but you don't. I'm not convinced the shells would resonate more if the mounts were different but it's clearly a matter of taste. I do like the sleeker/more compact look of them relative to many of the rim-mounted options on other kits.

PS- How long have you lived in Ames? I'm from Iowa originally and went to school @ ISU. Are you associated with the University?

BigBill

My favorite name brands are 1) Tama Starclassic, and 2) Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute.  I'm waiting for my new custom set to ship tomarrow (been on order for 12 weeks!) from MedicineMan Drums (one of those custom shops using Keller shells).

The Ludwig Classic Maple (4pc set) caught my eye recently, but havn't had a chance to check em out yet.  I love the 13" and 16" toms!  Interstate music had a Ringo-looking (black oyster) set for less than $1600 listed in their catalog.

My least favorite are Pearl and DW.  

Three grand?

Yamaha for me- super consistent.  Love the yamaha/ maple sound.  It is what it is, all the time it seems.  Easy to get parts but I have never had anything besides a dfp foot pedal spring break.  I too worked in a drumshop that carried maple customs and the pearl masters- the m/c's were always a more balanced and refined drumset I thought.

The good thing about dw is *at least I think* you can go to any guitar center or sam ash and play at least 3 of them!  Plus they look GREAT!  I had a couple of problems with my dw's but I abused that kit.

I like yamaha hat stands.  I've worn out two dbl pedals from them (foot plate hinges), but they were the dfp models- don't know about that new "dragon thing" out there.

I think the "old" sonor sound is pretty awesome (my fav) but there are problems being a sonor lover.  Even though the high line kits are pricey, the delite kits aren't unreasonable.  I just think they sound (delights and s class) like everything else now *I'm not a maple fan*- parts will be a wait

You have to have the pitter patter effect and usually for me it's the look and the price of the kit.  If I'm lucky enough to get a good sound *let's be real, it takes awhile to get to really know what you kit can and can't do sonically- which drum is the problem child etc.* after a year I'll keep it.  My last 3 or 4 kits were all either used or discontinued ($1000 kits)

I hate the tama starclassic sound- way too hollow for me- just an opinion.  Fantastic drums and hardware, just not my sound.

Gretsch drums I've noticed seem to be on the dry side and a little more retro sounding for my taste.

Nobody has fibes kits around here- so I've never played one; once in awhile a noble and cooley shows up in the drum shop (tons of sustain)

I also like ludwig drums (kinda retro sounding also) cause usually the parts aren't hard to find either.  Plus you get the name everyone seems to identify with.