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Brian likes his Academy Concert Toms tuned down LOW! How do you like yours?  My gig requires a significant amount of flying, often to places that don’t have adequate rental gear so I was in the market for a professional kit that could be easily checked as baggage without incurring significant excess baggage fees. After a quick Google search I found the CS-16 kit from TreeHouse and I was instantly hooked. It had the “everything mounted on the bass drum” concept that I loved from the (discontinued) Yamaha Rick Marotta with professional quality shells and fit in a single 16x16 case. When the drums arrived it took me a minute to figure out how to put it all together, but TreeHouse had me covered with a step by step video to show me how to make it all happen. Once I had the drums set up, I was instantly amazed at how great they sounded. While I expected they would sound nice and compact at mid to high tunings, I was struck at how big they sounded when tuned low and consistently impressed with the snare from its crack at high tunings to spread when tuned low. I had finally found a set of drums that I loved the sound of and would be able to take with me when I flew! Further, TreeHouse’s service before and after the sale was exceptional! I had lots of questions as well as a 14 hour time difference from CST, but Jason was quick to answer each of my e-mails even as our conversation dragged on for weeks (its hard when you only get 1 e-mail per day…). Even after I got the drums, Jason wanted to make sure I was happy and that everything worked out well. I’m already plotting the next TreeHouse kit I’m going to buy. Exceptional drums that fit my needs with a dedication to serving their customers. Can’t ask for more than that! -- Andrew P. Clemenson, Japan   There is now a solid shell Bubinga TreeHouse kit in Israel. How cool!! "Dear Derek, I've received my drumset today the set is A M A Z I N G!! I’ve never heard drums so accurate - absolutely every drummer's sweet dream. I’m glad to be lucky enough to be the owner of this beauty! Thank you for the kind and professional service." - Elad in Israel "Hey Jason, I received the drums safe and sound on Friday. Wow, what can I say? The craftsmanship is outstanding and the hardware is super-high quality. The brackets you recommended are perfect for my stands. Still getting them set up and tuned, but they sound incredible already. You guys make some seriously nice drums. Thanks again for the superb communication, service, and willingness to work with me on exactly what I wanted, and at a great price!" - Greg, North Carolina  I asked Jason about creating a drum that matched the look of my kit, and provides a deep, resonant boom that could approximate an Odaiko/Taiko drum sound in my acoustic kit, without the weight, space and expense of the real thing. We discussed shell diameter, thickness and depth, kit placement, and heads selection to arrive at the design that made most sense.  "TreeHouse Drums made my dream kit a reality!"  "The design/build experience: In late 2019, after years of playing an assortment of digital kits, I started looking for a company that could build what I wanted in a dream acoustic kit, without breaking my budget. In March 2020, my research into drum makers finished, I reached out to my top few picks to discuss what I thought I wanted. In the process of talking with each, I found that Jason at TreeHouse Drums responded with enthusiasm about the project and offered a number of suggestions on how best to proceed. Every step of the way, Jason and the TreeHouse team kept an eye on every detail, offering suggestions where I was uncertain and consistently following up to ensure the best possible outcome. The result was a design that not only met my budget but also exceeded what I had been dreaming for years about creating. I have to add that all of this was going on as the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic was ramping up, with some suppliers shutting down or reducing output (drum head makers, especially). Nevertheless, at each step, Jason and the TreeHouse team set expectations and offered options to meet my needs and stayed in contact on their progress. My place in the build queue secured, and the team keeping me updated on progress, I eagerly anticipated the day my dream kit would arrive. The visual experience: At last, the delivery day arrived: 9 very large boxes packed full of drums and hardware! Each drum is a work of beautiful form and function - stunning craftsmanship! I adore the simple beauty of natural maple and the Hardmatte finish further enhances the beauty, I feel. The set of tube toms look like they were carved out of solid trees - gorgeous! They are matched in beauty by the set of concert toms, the pair of concert bass toms, the 2 snare drums, and the awesome kick drum. I’ve spent a few weeks playing with several configurations - settling on what works best for me: a hybrid of the traditional and symmetrical layout. I will likely continue optimizing the layout by switching to a rack system in a few months - for now the stands work fine. Most importantly: the sonic experience! With 21 drums in this kit, it takes a bit of time to tune the drums, but oh boy!, they reward you for the effort !!! The 24” kick drum has a boom you feel in your chest. The concert bass toms at 18” and 20” provide an impressive compliment to the low end. The set of concert toms have the sharp attack I remember fondly from Kiss in the 70’s and Phil Collins in the 80’s. The set of 8” tube toms provide that unique crack in the attack accompanied by a lovely, warm tone behind it. And those snare drums!!! at 14 and a 12 inches respectively - with snares off they sound like the best timbales I’ve ever owned and with snares on they have a crisp response, clean articulation for jazz, and a mean punch when you lay into them for rock/metal. Using a hybrid symmetrical layout, I have high, mid and low tonal palettes on both right and left sides - opening up new options in rhythmic expression. Bottom line: I am delighted! This was worth every penny, and well worth the effort. The TreeHouse team are awesome at their craft and are so easy to work with. I have some ideas for a few more things I’d like to add to this dream kit in the coming year and I will definitely be working with the TreeHouse team to make it happen. I’ve included 2 pics of the kit in my home studio, all in a big circle with my current digital kit, keyboard, malletKat and effects rack. I love it!" Matt Turner San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA "The drum just arrived and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, well, next to my amazing wife, naturally. The finish and the logo are inspiring. As I was opening the box, my thought was, this is TreeHouse #1 as more will surely follow. Then I saw the package saying, "Welcome to the family." Indeed. I have a problem: I want one snare drum to do it all at one tuning. That's a tall and unreasonable order and completely unfair to the instrument. But after several decades of playing and searching, I've found it. My new solid shell TreeHouse snare. It has presence, sensitivity, clarity, the rim shots are robust and musical, the cross-stick is clear and bright. Tuning to maximize these qualities does not reduce its centered, focused tonality and punch. Indeed, tuning for sensitivity and grace notes accentuates this power pocket ability; an outcome not found in other instruments, in my experience. The drum feels so great to play, as it provides confidence that from a whisper to a thunderclap strike that the drum can perform everything with ease with still room to breathe. It fails to choke at any dynamic level. This drum is changing the way the entire kit sounds. This reality conjures so many intriguing possibilities: What would a TreeHouse solid shell tom sound like, and, oh my, a bass drum? These are questions that I intend to answer with the help of the artisan builders of quality musical instruments at TreeHouse Drums." --Frank, Canada  |
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