Rogers were never the most popular drums but they have always been the BEST drums ever built (excluding after Fullerton) they were also the most expensive of their time which turned some folks away Ludwig was more affordable and every band played them Slingerland and Gretch were right their just a bit less popular but those four companies were the drum industry in the 60's and most of the seventies. Rogers swivo hardware was the first really big inovation in drum hardware and to me still the very best and toughest it only needs very little maintenance. then Rogers invented the memriloc and to this day that is the hardware most drum companies copy so for my money Rogers was the best and yet they were not all that popular but in todays market still demand very high prices compared to the other 3 . the fact that DW copied pretty much how they were made shows their quality..
Most popular drums by decade ? Last viewed: 25 minutes ago
This is what i think60's-Ludwig,Roger's-Gretsch-Camco-Slingerland-Leedy But i will also say the M.I.J,. set's out sold all of these..70's-Ludwig-Roger's-Slingerland-Gretsch-Pearl and agian the M.I.J. set's80's-Ludwig-Pearl-Tama-Yamaha--and the M.I.J./M.I.T. set's90's-Ludwig-O.C.D.P.-Pearl-Tama-Yamaha-and again the M.I.J. and M.I.T set's ...To me the D.W sets from the 90's and the 80's are poorly made set's.The only reason that you seen alot of these set's was that D.W. was pushing them all over the place and had a deal with the G/C....Mikey
I don't know what you mean when you say that in the 60's the MIJ kits outsold all of the major brands. The MIJ drums were junk in the 60's, and only a small amount of them were sold compared to the USA brands. They were usually seen in the Montgomery Ward or Sears catalogs. I don't recall seeing any of them in a music store until the early 70's. The Japan drums did not really start to move until the late 70's. The Tama, Pearl, Yamaha brands weren't really even visible until then.
To the original poster, Kookadams: are you asking what the more popular brands were at the time, by decade? Or are you asking what brands are more sought after now?
Yeah well by decade and in retrospect what's more sought after so I guess both. From what I've read and been told and seen: Rogers (mid 60s-early 70s), and then next I would say Camco and Gretsch. And yeah since DW took from Camco and Rogers that says it all.
Seen from northern Europe, things looks different.
In the fifties, local brands (or from the neighbouring country) seems to have ruled, import restrictions seeing to that. Of the major brands, Premier, John Grey and Sonor probably the most commonly seen.
Sixties - Premier and - ever since the Beatles - Ludwig on the Rockscene, Gretsch and Slingerlands very much on the jazzscene.
Seventies - Ludwig if you had the money, possibly Premier, otherwise MIJ with Pearl being modt seen here in Denmark, and Hoshino for the real cheapos. Some smaller brands too, like a few Rogers kits. Still Gretsch on the Jazzscene.
Eighties - Japanese almost alone. Pearl, but very much Tama and Yamaha too. Sonor popping up again, Ludwig gone.
Nineties - still Japanese brands, cheaper series made in Taiwan, some Sonor, some Premiers. Few DW popping up.
2000 - the beginning of the Custom scene. Keller shells with WHY fittings. Still the japanese brands, now generally made i China, rules.
Now?
Lots of Custom, Lots of chinese. More brands than ever. Vintage is quite big.
Jon
It's an interesting question that opens up a few subcategories.
I think you could parse it both geographically, since--as has been said--Premier had a major hold in UK and parts of Europe.
I also think that if you asked most popular entry level/cheap drums by decade and--as a separate question most popular pro drums by decade, Mikey's point re MIJ's would hold water. Also entry level companies like Kent, Olympic, Beverley (who had a good kick at North America in the late60's) would then enter the sweepstakes.
I noticed that alot,..not all,..but a good many some endorsers had a Sonor kit they kept to themselves !!
.....76/#XK9207 Phonic Sound Machine D454/D-505 snares !i
A better way to address the question is to begin with the decades following the invention and acceptance of the drum set - the beginning of the 20th Century. In addition, one must understand that until just recently there was no "globalization" or regional trade treaties as practiced today. Just the opposite was the case - importing and exporting goods required expensive overseas shipping and steep tariffs and taxes were levied by each country to protect their own domestic industries and labor force from foreign competition. Neither "standardization" nor "international size" could be expected in head sizes, thread gauge, etc. if a drummer needed parts or service for equipment made outside their own country. Also factor in that in the 1950's and 1960's China and Taiwan were only beginning to industrialize, Japan was known as a "copycat nation" which exported cheap and shoddy 'knock-offs" of American drums, Germany was split into two separate countries, and most of Europe lay behind a Communist "Iron Curtain" which was in effect sealed off from the West. Forgive me if I seem to be complicating the question, but politics and economics (as today) always played important roles in determining which drums were the most popular. I think it safe to say during the 1960's in the U.S.A. Slingerland and Ludwig always were foremost in popularity and sales among serious drummers, followed by the other American manufacturers like Rogers and Gretsch. The Asian import market was everywhere to be seen but more or less limited to the pawn shop and music store low end retail market. Few today remember when Leedy Drum Company was hugely popular during the 1930's and 1940's. If an American in the U.S.A. prior to the mid-1970's had suggested that Pearl, Tama, and Yamaha would literally "rule" the world of drums in terms of sales and popularity today, or that Communist "Red China" would one day manufacture almost drum bearing the label "Ludwig", "Slingerland", "Gretsch", et al, they would have been considered completely crazy and mocked in derision.Kleening
Ludwig and Slingerland above Rogers and Gretsch???? Thats the first of that Ive ever heard. Rogers and Gretsch and Camco were top of the line. And THE best rock bands in the 60s used Camco and Rogers and Gretsch first. Then Zickos and Yamaha and DW later on.
Seen from northern Europe, things looks different.In the fifties, local brands (or from the neighbouring country) seems to have ruled, import restrictions seeing to that. Of the major brands, Premier, John Grey and Sonor probably the most commonly seen.Sixties - Premier and - ever since the Beatles - Ludwig on the Rockscene, Gretsch and Slingerlands very much on the jazzscene.Seventies - Ludwig if you had the money, possibly Premier, otherwise MIJ with Pearl being modt seen here in Denmark, and Hoshino for the real cheapos. Some smaller brands too, like a few Rogers kits. Still Gretsch on the Jazzscene.Eighties - Japanese almost alone. Pearl, but very much Tama and Yamaha too. Sonor popping up again, Ludwig gone.Nineties - still Japanese brands, cheaper series made in Taiwan, some Sonor, some Premiers. Few DW popping up.2000 - the beginning of the Custom scene. Keller shells with WHY fittings. Still the japanese brands, now generally made i China, rules. Now?Lots of Custom, Lots of chinese. More brands than ever. Vintage is quite big.Jon
"Success of the Beatles" ha- AKA the hijacking of rockNroll AKA a mediocre group of "musicians" that owe their success to one George Martin.
[QUOTE=kookadams;239142]"Success of the Beatles" ha- AKA the hijacking of rockNroll AKA a mediocre group of "musicians" that owe their success to one George Martin.[/QUOTE) Why is it you keep repeating this pattern??? It is funny your immature hatred of the Beatles and your convoluted estimation of what drums Where the top sellers. Ludwig had the best Players roster. In Jazz and in rock. Buddy Rich, John Bonham, Ringo Starr, I could list for days, Gretsch was the top Jazz drum company. Oh the Beatles out sold the Beach boys 10 to 1. But un like you I don't have some axe to grind. I like the Beach Boys also, History has already been written, All your ranting is not gonna change a thing, Rogers and Camco's had a small Players group. Name the most well known drummers on their Rosters?? Once again I like all the drum brands I have mentioned. I just watched the Ed sullivan show last night I saw a ton of Ludwig kits on stage. I saw Charlie Watts and the Rolling Stones they showed them 3 times He was on Ludwig's.
I believe that "marketing" had a direct result on "popularity". When I was coming up in the 50's, I wanted to play the drums that my favorite cats were playing. Krupa endorsed Slingerland, Buddy played WFL in '56, and Bellson played Gretsch. Their pictures were all over the catalogs. I didn't know about Rogers until the 60's. but I'm pretty sure that the big three also dominated that decade with the Beatles and the Gretsch/Blue Note connection. Bellson switched to Rogers in the early 70's along with Buddy for a short time, so Rogers became a player in the big market. I think by this time, the endorsement floodgates were wide open. You didn't have to be a great player to get an endorsement. Mediocre players in rock groups got huge endorsements with the big Four and all kinds of players were signing with foreign drum companies that had money and marketing chops.
This is a great question that leads to many other discussions: Does "most popular" equate to "best quality"?
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