Noble and Cooley Review for Jazz Drummers

[@DemetrioAlbidrez]

Beautiful sounding N & C kit ! It's True the Best Brand of Drums will Always Cost more . Great Video 📷📸 !!

[@dancalabrese3523]

Picked up my kit from them in December 2019. CD Maples in Hematite sparkle. Best sounding and looking drums I've ever owned. The response is amazing. Can't say enough about them. I love the color you picked for your kit, besides of course the superb sound. Such a great company!

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

Hey Dan, thanks for the note! Hermatite was my second choice, love the look. Good choice! Thanks for checking out the video.

[@Drumguy48]

My favourite drum maker . The drums are wonderful, well built, hold their tuning incredibly and their finish work is superb. The drums are versatile and have a huge tuning range.

[@Terry-oj2bi]

Beautiful kit, Chris!! They sound Amazing!

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

Thanks Terry

[@michaelcavazuti3270]

Hello Chris I agree with everything you say about the NC's as I have 2 CD maple kits and a few snares! I was just on their web site I think your kit is in Sand sparkle and the Hematite is a more black sparkle! And yes they have best finishes and best sounding drums I ever played and have other great sets! Although I will say my Gretsch USA custom was a jasper shell kit and they sounded beautiful as well!

[@zenghost1]

Great video, review and playing (obviously) - Chris is also a great teacher - I had a couple online lessons with Chris via Skype, and they provided me with plenty of material to digest and a clearer vision of a path forward for development. Highly recommended. Unquestionably, N&C makes absolute top-tier drums with a level of customer service, customization and attention to detail/QC that is not always there with other larger companies (regardless of who is on their endorser roster).

[@davidzygmunt9957]

Hi Chris, are you still happy with the drums? I am looking for a new kit. You and the drums sound very nice.

[@PaulMarangoni]

Nice stuff Chris. Keep up the good work!

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

Thanks Paul!

[@caspercotton]

Awesome lugs!

[@irawong]

I hear you about some of the old Gretsch RB snare drums. When I first got mine in the mail (from Cherie Willoughby’s “Repercussions”), it sounded like a cardboard box! After messing around with different heads and snare wires, and trimming a 1/2” of drum wrap on both sides with no success, I finally gave in and sent the drum to Gary Folchi at Precision Drum to recut the bearing edges and snare bed. It’s now a “player’s grade” drum, but it sounds great!

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

Ira, interesting. I have heard other people who did the same. The wood was good the snare beds not. But boy those old bass drums with Pratt muffler! If you ever get to play one of these Horizon bass drums you'll love them, like wise for the NC snares.

[@irawong]

I don’t play much anymore, but I have loaned out my Gretsch kit to visiting artists including Brian Blade and Marcus Gilmore. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHaQhWRmqc2ffdk

[@irawong]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmjKeaFpmt6fjpo

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

@@irawong These videos are amazing! Beautiful drums played beautifully!

[@irawong]

Here’s one more for you with Gary Novak. Anyway, I really enjoy your KZbin channel. Really great stuff! Aloha. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYfceJitgJ2nbMU

[@michaelcavazuti3270]

I thought the Hermatite were a darker blackish sparkle?

[@ghostandbell2006]

I did not know N & C make plied shells with no reinforcement rings..those sound greaaaat...do u miss diecast rims?... and in many ways I love having vintage spring-based lugs but those brass tube lugs are nice very nice.. still want a noble and Cooley 7 by 14 snare

[@darzil007]

Great on ding drums , t I just wondering why you haven’t tried premier company . Of course the high ends , signia series , I have 52 years drumming under my belt , had a gorgeous N&C . For 5 years while in the meantime. I had Ludwig vista lite 76 , 3 sets of premiers one app 2 signia s ... I,m a jazzmam and lead my own band . The only thing I can hear you loud and clear is the hardwares are nightmare ( specially my age ).

[@JulianFernandez]

those tubs do sing!

[@centrojazz]

is a beuty¡ what do you use to record the audio ?

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

Just an old Audio Technica Stereo mic with an 1/8 audio jack. You can find them used on ebay for not much $. I bought mine way back to use it with a minidisc player, so that tells you how long ago that way! :-)

[@Music-qz3qz]

♥Chris Smith Jazz Drums

[@cymbaljunkie]

Hi Chris. Thanks for making this. I'm looking at getting an NC SS snare. My concern is the NC throw. It looks very well made and like it would never disengage etc. But in videos I've seen the NC throw looks like it takes a large hand movement and a length of time to engage or throw off. I throw my snares on and off a LOT during a gig (or even during one tune) and need something light, fast, and silent. How do you find the NC in this regard?

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

Well, that is my one complaint. The throw off is made like a tank, but it does rattle when the snares are off...so recording with mallets with snares off is not cool. Now I will say that after 1 year the throw off is much much easier than it was and they told me it would loosen over time, but one hand quick throws are still not comfortable. Not sure what I will do in the future, but I do miss my trick throw off. That might be the move if you can talk N&C into it! Let me know what happens. The drum is completely worth it though!

[@cymbaljunkie]

@@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang Thanks very much for your quick and frank reply. I’m really trying to find something in stock rather than a custom order for now, so getting another throw fitted isn’t an option. Most drum makers these days seem to make their snares with the throws primarily designed to withstand any beating and not disengage, rather than for quick and fast on and off changes. It’s understandable as us jazzers are in the minority! I think that’s where horizontal actions like Trick’s score highly as they are good for both. Out of the vertical ones I personally love the Dunnett / Gibraltar beer tap throw as it’s so simple, light and fast. But I hear people complaining it drops on them. I’ve had a number of George Way snares with this throw (and had it fitted to two custom drums) and never once had that problem. It just goes to show how differently we all play and how different all our requirements are. It must be a nightmare for drum makers in the design stage. Anyway thanks again for the honest reply, but that issue rules out the NC for me for now at least. Great sounding drums and nice playing by you. Cheers.

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

@@cymbaljunkie Completely understand, and I need to check out the Dunnett Gibraltar beer tap....haven't checked one out. I was selling a Ludwig Copper with a Trick through Maxwells and it just sold, otherwise I would have highly recommended that drum. It was a killer!

[@cymbaljunkie]

@@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang Thanks. I’ve had a few Luddys. Turns out I’m more of a wood shell snare guy. I’ve been using Craviotto snares very happily for a few years now, but was just looking at some alternatives. A friend mentioned the NCs and I liked the sound of what I heard.

[@jordanzimmerman7590]

Great video - hey - what are those earphones you're wearing? What's the story?

[@ChrisSmithJazzDrumHang]

Hey Jordan! Thanks for checking out the video. Hope all is well with you. I was just wearing my custom molded earplugs when I shot that video. I never do that and it was purely an accident but I do practice with them nearly every I sit down. I got them in college nearly 17 years ago at this point. They have different db filters that help cut down sound without changing the natural eq. I never wear them on gigs though, because I feel like I cant truly hear with them in. I honestly would rather lose some hearing rather than not truly communicate on the bandstand, just me! 😁

[@michaelcavazuti3270]

Sorry I stand corrected it was not your kit!!