Crush drums Limited Reserve Mahogany kit

A first look at a new kit for these shores

Words: nick Carter images: thru-a-lupe Photographic

GEAR REVIEW eXCLUsIVe

n drummer 117 we brought you news that Usbased Crush drums had recently launched their range of high-spec kits in the Uk, courtesy of distributor sound technology. here we have one of the first kits the company has sent over lets have a closer look at this limited reserve series kit

In DeTAIL
this kit looks stunning. the dark-to-light-todark lacquered satin finish shells are beautifully complemented by their satin-finished hardware, and the kit exudes quality. the six-piece configuration features a 22x18 kick drum along with 10x7 and 12x8 rack toms, 14x13 and 16x14 floor toms and a matching 14x6 snare. each drum is adorned with small, mini bridge-style lugs: six per rack tom, eight per floor tom and 10 on both the snare and kick, with the toms sporting

2.3mm triple-flange hoops, matching dark wood hoops on the kick, and reverse-flange hoops on the snare. the snare and toms are all seven-ply hybrid shells featuring african mahogany and birch, whereas the kick is eight-ply, 100 per cent african mahogany. the kit is furnished with Crushbranded, remo-made heads throughout, with the snare and toms sporting coated batter heads coupled with thinner, clear resonant bottoms, with the kick having a clear, single-ply batter (with mue ring) paired with a black front head featuring Crushs logo. the incredible attention to detail that has gone into this kit is most apparent on the kick drum. each of the claws that hold the hoops in place feature rubber cushioning that mean if you lay the drum flat on the ground, the hoops and claws themselves are protected from scratches a small but very

welcome touch. this level of attention to detail continues with the rest of the kit. the tom brackets, while being a fairly standard four-point isolated mounting system, feature large memory locks that form part of the oval-shaped bracket once in place, with the same system used for the chunky floor tom legs. the two rack toms are mounted on cymbals stands via solid ball and socket brackets, with both the toms and kick being undrilled. the kick is held firmly in place via a pair of chunky, dual position spurs with retractable spikes, while the floor tom legs sport fairly small and understated rubber feet, especially considering their chunkiness, but that nonetheless hold everything perfectly in position once set. accompanying the kit on this review but sold separately is a selection of Crushs m4 hardware: snare, hi-hat and boom cymbal stands coupled with

58 DRUMMER September 2013

Crush drums limited reserve mahogany kit

a single kick drum pedal. The kick pedal features a solid baseplate with Velcro strips on the underside, coupled with two spiked spurs. The footboard is attached to the cam via a twin chain drive, with a dual-faced beater and simple yet effective spring mechanism rounding things out. My only criticism is that the screw for tightening the pedal to hoop is directly underneath the footboard and as such slightly tricky to reach, especially as the underside of the footboard feels slightly sharp. No such problems however with the hi-hat stand, which again features a solid baseplate and footboard along with a hard moulded plastic spring tension adjuster, double-braced legs that can swivel to accommodate double pedals, a large memory lock on the top section, and a fairly standard clutch. The snare stand sports a toothless gear tilter, double-braced legs and small, hard plastic claws to grip onto the bottom snare hoop, although these are very small and do take a fair amount of fine-adjustment to get them securely in place. The three-tier boom cymbal stand features a retractable boom arm so that the stand can also be used as a straight stand, the same toothless gear tilter as the snare stand, large rubber feet and chunky memory locks, all of which give you a very robust stand.

In Use
The kick drum sounds deep, full and warm, with quieter notes enticing low, rumbling notes that have more than a hint of sub-bass frequencies, while more full-on, louder playing gives a very definite sound, which couples instant attack with a clear, fat tone. The toms are equally as pleasing, with the two rack toms singing beautifully through the room with a bright, open tone that needs nothing in the way of dampening as the controlled tones they produce have just the right amount of sustain for them to sound very clear and clean. The two floor toms easily bridge the sonic space between the deep kick and singing rack toms, as they rumble nicely with excellent clarity and body. The snare gives a very clear, precise and full tone with excellent attack coupled with good articulation to give a very dynamic response. Rim-shots are well projected, with just the right amount of highpitched, ringing overtone included into the mix to make it loud, controlled and innately musical. The whole kit is a joy play, with each drum responding well to the slightest touch and delivering anything you ask of it with warmth and clarity.

Conclusion
Everything about this kit is superb from the attention to detail, expert construction and stunning looks through to the incredibly warm, musical tones it produces, this kit screams quality. While Crush may be a new name to the UK drum market, on the evidence that this kit provides, it wont be long until they are well-known and held in very high esteem. If you are thinking of investing in a well built, fantastic looking and superb sounding kit, look no further.

September 2013 DRUMMER 59

GEAR REVIEW eXCLUsIVe

CRUsH DRUMs LIMITeD ReseRVe MAHOGAnY KIT

PriCEs: limited reserve mahogany kit: 1999 m4 hardware Pack: 349 ConTACT: sound Technology Ltd. 01462 480000 www.crushdrum.com

sTAnds C3

60 DRUMMER September 2013