A&F Drum Co. Black Field Series Shell Pack - Drummer's Review

[@giuliocarmassi]

i have a set of A&F mahogany toms with brass kick and snare. I can attest that they do record incredibly well. They sound good in the room, but once you put good mics to it, they sound incredible. In a specific way that i haven't heard from expensive ludwigs/tamas/yamahas/DWs. They don't seem to have "bad resonances" no matter the tuning or setting, they're just balanced and lush. But I'd be terrified of letting them out of the studio for sure. They are the perfect studio magic machine, and well worth the money, if you're after that extra 10-15% in sound bliss. And yes, tuning takes a while, because every small adjustment of one head, affects the other quite drastically, so you constantly have to go back and forth until they settle where you want them. And they don't hold the tunings super well either. But as said in the video, that's the vintage experience. And in modern recreations, C&C sets have the same "problem" really. This is how instruments used to be tho, in the golden age. Handmade, small batches, much more expensive than today's pro average, and the sound lover/nerds still buy them today, 60 years later. Taking the time to go the extra final mile, does take time and time costs money!

[@ctrodrums]

Hi Giulio, I also have the Mahogany kit, and it's true...you have to adjust top and bottom a little bit more, back and forth. But if you have something like a tunebot and a little bit of gaffer....once you record the kit, is something really out of this world.

[@fess749]

I wish we could hear these kits with just room mikes. Much more realistic sound sample of what drums really sound like

[@arthurazoubel5344]

Oh man, thank you for that! I was waiting for a review on A&F stuff for a while, and I knew your opinion would be really honest and sincere. I gotta say, I had a 14x8 white maple field snare for almost a year and it was one of the best snare drums I have ever played in my life. The tuning range of that thing is not from this world. You could just finger tight the tension rods and it was resonating already. Also, you could crank it up and the drum would never choked. The hoops are a little higher than I was expecting, I must admit, but you kinda get used to it after a few gigs. I once dm Ramy about that and he said they could make a shorter hoop if I wanted. But the question is: did it worth the money I paid? That's a subjective answer, it's kinda hard to price things like that because every single detail counts. We as costumers barely know what really takes to make a drum like that, so we always tend to think we're paying more than we should, but sometimes making a drum becomes almost an art work. Anyway, it's not cheap though In the end, what really stands out is how incredibly light these drums are, and that's why I'm getting attracted to them. I can't carry heavy stuff because I have a serious back problem, so A&F drums were perfect for me. I'm planning to get now a hole set of their single tension drums.

[@Nolansparks1244]

Another top notch and Honest review. I’ve had a chance to play a kit similar to this from this manufacturer. I agree whole heartedly with the bit about becoming accustomed to the hoops and playing down on them. Moreover I couldn’t. Sounded fine but for the price I instantly thought I’d rather not get comfortable with this drum set and simply buy something that sounded equally good if not better (to my ears). Nothing wrong with the kit per se’, it simply wasn’t for me. One other thing, kudos for making their own hardware, but I too couldn’t get past the wobble and it just looked weak to me. Blah blah blah.

[@DavidEpstein]

It's a cool kit, but if you're going to go for an A&F kit, their metal drums are where it's at. Their brass and copper drum sets are something truly unique with an incredible sound and look that you really can't replicate with anything else out there.

[@fuzzypoet1018]

Absolutely gorgeous sound and they don't look too shabby ;)

[@freethinksman4393]

This may be the most honest and thoughtful review of any product I have ever seen. Nice job. A&F has a "thing" going on. And whether that "thing" is what you're looking for is found here is for the player to decide. I love the way they look. But I have never played drums with wooden hoops or floor tome with soft legs. There are certainly downsides to owning a unique kit like this, but for every Yang there seems to be a mirrored Yin. I never considered most of the liabilities of a kit like this, judging it with my ears and eyes, but not my hands and feet and lifestyle. All are important. Thanks again for the review. I think I still want one.

[@Rockin_Ross]

They look great and have all the characteristics mentioned here. The kick wobbles a great bit like the floor tom. One thing I absolutely love about these guys is their drum key. Vintage patina with a leather wrap and key ring, it’s a must have for drummers. Great review, Mate!

[@brucedelaney9606]

Fantastic Sound and look. Absolutely LOVE them

[@levinpugsley9256]

I’ve seen so many negative comments here, I wanted to at least defend these guys a little. First off, their hardware is fantastic. I have a snare and cymbal stand, both are infinitely adjustable. The snare stand can get lower than any stand I’ve come across, and can accommodate all my snares ranging from 10-16”. It also converts to a kick drum stand, so I’ve mounted a 18” frame drum and now I have an excellent portable bass drum my 4 year old also loves to play. I love the vintage nickel look too, I’m pretty sure I’m not too hipster, as an grey haired dad, but I appreciate the vibe a little more than the polished chrome. I also have a 16” pancake snare that sounds fantastic, it wasn’t much more than $400, I didn’t find it crazy expensive. You can always build up a kit piecemeal if the cost is too much. I also feel like products made by tradesmen in the US paid a living wage are going to cost more than the wages that are paid to the standard workers made overseas. It is so worth it if this appeals to you, if not, why bash these guys for a product that you might not have tried or just doesn’t appeal to you?

[@hardcoreyorkie]

Not gig friendly but you could heat your home with the warmth of the kit.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Very nice..

[@UPdan]

I liked the look so I bought the PDP maple bop with wood hoops in ebony and love them. My first PDP and am very surprised at the quality. They have come a long way.

[@m.charron]

No mention of sizes or any other gear... that's one way to do a review, I guess?

[@skymuhammad5152]

£3600 for a shell pack that looks and sounds like a wall prop from a chain restaurant? Hard pass.

[@MrBeblis]

Too much money not worth it, we are so gullible as consumers something gets hyped we justify why it's worth that price. PDP concept 3 pc with wood hoops sounds the same and costs under a 1000

[@claystaggs8908]

That's right brother. I'd buy four pdp kits before one bnb of these overpriced pieces of antique furniture lol

[@brianchisnell1548]

My '48 Radio Kings sound better in my opinion. NOB rims.. they have such a warm sound and the 1 ply snare is a killer. Similar to Buddy's last set.

[@NikkeK]

Sweet!

[@21DaHoagie12]

Not a bad kit, but definitely not worth around $4500 dollars..

[@dmitryshkolnik5233]

This is totally boutique/niche product, hipster all the way, as you said. Definitely not my style, also not even remotely within my reach, so.. it all ties in :)

[@rhythmista7707]

Therein you said the magic word. Hipster...

[@j.jester7821]

I guess i dont get it. I can get a better set of new drums for half the price of these kits. I guess the steampunk antique vibe is appealing to some. You would be better off buying a vintage set imo, and as he mentions, a vintage kit would be a better investment if you buy right, whereas this "boutique" kit can only lose value.

[@isihernandez9752]

I don't like the sound (though I don't say it's bad), don't like the look, and definitely, don't like the harware, specially the floor tom legs and the bass drum spurs.

[@betulaobscura]

You are right! These bass drum legs are useless copy of an old-school bass drum legs which were very impractical: it doesn't hold drum well and drum moves towards front while playing. For example: Elvin Jones used to put nails next to these bass drum legs to avoid moving forward. Anyway: not every old-school solution were good.

[@isihernandez9752]

@@betulaobscura Yes. I don't understand that trend in wich it seems that everything that is "vintage" ("old" I call it) is fine. I don't deny that there are some good old shells or cymbals (or modern old-school) out there, but when it comes to hardware, most of them is just crap (I may save the Speed King or the Camco pedals). I just don't see the point to reproduce one of the worst features those old kits had (like those bass drum spurs) just for the look, being so impractical, as you said.

[@betulaobscura]

@@isihernandez9752 I agree!

[@_kontroll]

Given the fact that this kit is inspired by Levon Helm, I expected Nick to start singing every moment... _I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead_

[@davidmartin6959]

hoops are very high :/

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

That’s what I thought. I’d be smacking my sticks on em constantly. Or, at least I’d be worried about doing it. I don’t have enough brain power to both drum AND worry!

[@A_Saints_Justice]

Because It’s called a field kit. Field marching drums were made with larger wood hoops. Hence the name.

[@mschmitz57]

I'm not a fan of the fake patina they apply to these drums, or the single lugs with the long tension rods, or the tall wooden hoops. They sound ok but they're tuned low. The bass drum is jumping around alot. You could buy a nice old Slingerland Radio King set for half the cost of these, and then you'd own a piece of music history.

[@A_Saints_Justice]

lol it’s a real patina..

[@tryharder249]

Taye Studio Maple por favor =).

[@vistalite-ph4zw]

The price, deep hoops, and bass drum is a pass for me. The toms sound great. I agree if I had 3k to spend on a drum set I would shop for something truly vintage or some of the higher end drum sets that have been reviewed 🙁

[@jehouse86]

Agreed! 3k you're getting into some decent Yamaha's, Tama's and Sonor's. Or some vintage Ludwig's!

[@johnbertasius2612]

Whatever floats your boat ..... they don't do it for me that's for sure.

[@downbeat67]

It doesn’t appear to be a very stable kit. Lots of wobble from the toms and kick.

[@claystaggs8908]

For 4,000$ I think I'd rather buy 4 mid-range kits that sound better.

[@davidlanier7006]

Highly over priced! Bad hardware! Good sizes! Simple finish considering the super high price. Tell them to try again.

[@rhythmista7707]

Overpriced, flimsy, and weird. Saw one of these up close., and while they look interesting, and can sound decent, they're not practical. This is more of a novelty drum kit company, and sits well in a studio environment, when a producer, engineer, or vintage drum connaisseur, are looking for that look or vintage, 30's 40's sound vibe. A one trick pony.. Yeah, that's exactly what drummers want. Drums that look decrepit and coroded, yet are priced as if they were brand new. If anyone is considering a kit from this company for purchase, don't, because then you'll be stuck with a pack of raw materials that will have half the resale value of what you would have originally paid for it, if you're lucky..

[@TheZooNinjaS]

Ever owned one yourself?

[@jamessholtz6016]

Grossly overpriced.

[@bubbaconda]

Waste of money IMO. Why in the hell would someone spend that kind of money for crappy hardware where the floor tom and bass drum drop flops around?

[@razgriz380]

Not my personally taste visually, but a great sounding kit.