Drum deal of the year! (anyone played RMV?)

[Bounce]

I think I just got the sickest deal on drums possibly ever on a Monday :-)

Monday was my birthday and I thought I'd buy myself something gearlike (how vain is that?!)! So, I'm surfing around craigslist Los Angeles and there's an ad with a pic of this 6 piece drumkit with hardware in kind of an odd blue fade oil stain finish with all black hardware (lugs, spurs, suspension mounts, and stands). I look at the price. $stupidcheapridiculousdeal!

Hmmm, interesTING?!

The drums are a brand that I hadn't heard of, RMV, so I check the web to see what the heck that's all about.

Bentley's Drum Shop - RMV Drums - www.bentleysdrumshop.com

Turns out folks seem to be saying these are quality kits so I decide it's probably worth a look-see at least. I e-mail the guy and get a call back.

Turns out he was the LA distributor for RMV who is now pulling their US distribution due to economic issues in Brazil to US currency conversion (no longer cost effective to ship these drums out of South America for the price they'd have to sell for, I believe he said). So, he has this kit that was to be the next series for release here in the States and says it's kind of a prototype. The shells are all Brazilian Maple (Bapeva, I believe) and the kit was a 6 piece- 8,10,12,14 floor, 22 kick, and matching 14 snare. It included 2 boom cymbal stands, a kick pedal, snare stand, and hi hat stand all black powder-coated and they seem sturdy. The lug casings and many other parts are actually some kind of carbon fiber and really light. I must say, these drums ARE light! Geez. When I showed up to check them out, I realized these drums had NEVER been played! There wasn't a single stick mark on any of the heads and there was still plastic on the kick pedal and a couple other things. After reviewing the drums visually and hitting the kick drum with a stick, I decided these were my new drums :-) I took them back to the studio and did a quicky spot tuning (just past the wrinkle) to see what was going on in the bottom department. You know what? These drums may just be killer!
I haven't fully tuned them up yet but will post back an opinion when I get 'em wrangled. The stock heads really aren't bad! When does that ever happen? The kick drum is a beast of a sound! I put a vented (very small holes all around the head) resonant head on the kick I had lying around (DW, no big hole) and the thing really sounds killer with no muffling inside. My initial description of the sound of this kit would be kind of dry but in a focused kind of way with a strong accent on the fundamental (not flat or dead). There is PLENTY of resonance but in a thundering kind of tribal way, not a lot of upper harmonics going on but again, duh, I have them tuned really low ;-) The snare IS tuned up crisp and gives me the same kind of dry but big sound without the out-of-control kind of pinging upper harmonics you can get from some drums. So far I'm really diggin the sound. They're not exactly a color combo/ finish I would pick out for myself (blue stain oil finish with a lighter fade in the middle and all black rims and hardware) but hello, $cheap for this 6 piece kit brand new with hardware? Fahgedabouddit.

Seeing as how I don't really ever see me using the 8 inch tom as a tom, I'm going to buy an 8 inch set of snare wires I saw on the web and make a popcorn snare out of the
tom for the left of hat (without any modification to the drum itself, maybe some well placed tape to the head technique- hee hee).

Anyone played RMV drums? Got any stories or thoughts?

P.S. One problem is that I need more cymbal stands for my other cymbals so I'll need to order a few more of those from somwhere. My OCD won't let me use my other chrome stands now with all the other black hardware! Curses!

Good times

[GravityRobert]

My favorite drum brand. I'm looking into buying one of these kits sooner or later. Its funny, I've been raving about them years ago (2-3) when they still cost 499 USD for a 5 pc kit. Their prices have gone up quick now the buzz has started.

Oh yeah they're the best sounding drums I've heard (and I've heard a LOT )

[RoundBadge]

Awesome they look great..

Congrats,what a deal!thumbsup

[cajonezzz]

yeeeehaw.

pics?

[trevvahhh]

might want to do some research before you turn that tom into a snare, just type "snare bed" into google

sounds like a good deal!

[Bounce]

I appreciate that but I know about snare beds ;-) My design is quite different and will not modify the drum. I have a device that I'm going to get on the market shortly for everyone that I think is super cool :-)


I'll try to post pics after the holidays of the kit. Great deal!

[against88]

the rogers dynasonics didnt have a snare bed.

and actually, there are plenty of tama's from the 80s that i swear don't have a snare bed....

[Bounce]

Okay, the honeymoon's over. These RMV's freakin' rule! They're dark but thunderous and resonant. Very tribal sounding with a solid note on each drum. The bass drum sounds thick and huge and the toms are like really good samples :-) The snare is a bit dry but very good for some things and very responsive. These drums have to be one of the better deals out there for a big unique sound. The hardware is super solid and very light. The drums weigh next to nothing because of the thin shells and carbon composite lugs. Super strong. I'm impressed. Very different from all my other kits over the years. I'm not real big on all the tom mounts and floor tom legs using drum keys for tightening the clamps. I like to just reach down and adjust things without digging out a key but it does deter other people from adjusting your kit in the studio ;-)
Very nice drums, highly recommended. It was a major pain to find additional black stands, though and the new ones aren't cheap ($150 per cymbal stand). All the stands for mine are black powder coated. I was demoing drums for another company at NAMM and got to walk around every 45 minutes between sets so I went by the RMV booth and they ended up selling me 3 boom stands and some tom clamps for super cheap on the last day. Score! Now I have 5 black booms and lots of clamp-on tom mounts on my 6 piece kit. I have replaced the resonant kick head with a Remo and put (2) 4" HOLZ in it. The kick drum is unbelievable. Excellent!

[jangoux]

I am brazilian and have a RMV Concept set at my studio, on the following configuration : 10x9,12x10,13x11,16x16,24x18. It's a cool kit, which here is 1/4 the price of a Pearl Master Custom and it's a great value. It's not a top drumset, but for the money, it is great! It rocks with low tuning and sings A LOT.

[Bounce]

Originally Posted by jangoux

I am brazilian and have a RMV Concept set at my studio, on the following configuration : 10x9,12x10,13x11,16x16,24x18. It's a cool kit, which here is 1/4 the price of a Pearl Master Custom and it's a great value. It's not a top drumset, but for the money, it is great! It rocks with low tuning and sings A LOT.

Crazy, but honestly I can't find anything about the sound of this kit that I wouldn't consider a "top drum set." Additionally, even the hardware is solid yet light to carry yet other top brands' hardware that I've tried may surely be better all around (YAMAHA, DW). I've recorded and/or played sooooo many kits for over 20+ years (ouch) and some of them were around $5000 (OCDP, GMS, DW, SPAUN) and I'd honestly put this kit up against any of them. It does sound different from the other kits. It's definitely not bright like the Tama Starclassics (which I do really like the sound of for that sound). It's dark and thunderous but with pleny of attack. Nice :-)

[jangoux]

Originally Posted by Bounce

Crazy, but honestly I can't find anything about the sound of this kit that I wouldn't consider a "top drum set." Additionally, even the hardware is solid yet light to carry yet other top brands' hardware that I've tried may surely be better all around (YAMAHA, DW). I've recorded and/or played sooooo many kits for over 20+ years (ouch) and some of them were around $5000 (OCDP, GMS, DW, SPAUN) and I'd honestly put this kit up against any of them. It does sound different from the other kits. It's definitely not bright like the Tama Starclassics (which I do really like the sound of for that sound). It's dark and thunderous but with pleny of attack. Nice :-)

Well, it's said that some brazilian brands export different stuff (better) than those we have here. I don't know if that's the truth, but anyway....You guys should also try Odery drums. I think they're also available on the USA and they're seen as better drums than RMV. Their snare drums are top notch and the finish is awesome. They're a bit more expensive, but i think its worth!

[Bounce]

Yeah, Odery drums really LOOKED nice at NAMM. I didn't get a chance to play them but they look well made :-) Worth a listen.

[Drumsound]

So, are yours the thin shell with no reinforcing rings then?

[Bounce]

Those would be they :-) I think they are 5mm shells. The blue fade is growing on me...a little...not too much. The sound I'm digging for sure!

[spitfire8898]

How do they sound? They look sick!

[Bounce]

I'm recording someone else playing them tomorrow for the first time. I'll ask them if I can post a sample. I just finished tuning them with new heads. I'm trying Evans G2 clears for this session. I'm actually a fan of ol' trusty pinstripes for recording but will try coated emperors or Evans G2's soon as well on them. It's like a set of tribal timpani :-) Nice sustain (but not too much) and thick low fundamental. I actually took the heads off the 12" tom and wrote the shell's fundamental pitch (F#) on the inside of the shell between the badge screws. Maybe someone else will love or hate that one day ;-) I really dig the sound of these. Nice.

[jeronimo]

I've recorded a few different RMV kits, from the entry level Road Lacquer series to the Concept with no reinforcement rings.
They all sound great!!!!
I would call them versatile, and I like'em better than Odery (I tracked 2 different Odery kits).
I'm really thinking about getting one of the new Concept ones... just don't have the cash yet, they'll run for around US 2.5K around here.

[rikkizenith]

I've played on RMV kits for over a year now.

I used to play on Tama Starclassic's before.

I will never go back to Tama.
RMV's are the best sounding drums, I ALWAYS get compliments on how freaking thunderous they sound. Especially the bass drum.
I've played on kit's that cost 4000,5000 dollars that don't sound as good.
The best part? They're EXTREMELY light....

Don't take my word for it.
Here are two drum mixes off our new album.

http://www.anezal.com/thebitmix.mp3
http://www.anezal.com/finebunkup.mp3
The drums are my RMV's and the setup below...

Heres a picture of the actual setup.



Steve from Drums4NA is a topnotch guy.


-rikki zenith

[AKCSTUDIO]

All you rmv drum owners that live in the us better keep your rmv's because
there is no longer a us dealer.

[tomc42]

Originally Posted by moseskane.com

All you rmv drum owners that live in the us better keep your rmv's because
there is no longer a us dealer.

I bought a set of RMV drums over 3 years ago when they first came to the states. I basically went buy what I read in MD and info I found on the internet. When I purchased the set from a dealer in Missouri I could not believe how beautiful they looked and how light the drums were. I have the 4mm shells with 2mm reinforcment rings. These drums resonate like maple drums and have the punch like birch drums. I was using Remo Clear Ambassadors on the drums but recently switched to Evans EC2 heads on top and Evans G1 on the bottoms that sound fantastic. The Evans heads really open up the drums even more. I get alot of compliments on thier sound and look. They are a black sparkle wrap with black hardward. Even now after all the gigs I have played over the last 3 years they still look as good as the day I got them.

[happywithRMV]

I took a chance and bought two different RMV sets I found on ebay a couple of years back. There wasn’t a lot of info on them, so I’m glad to have found this thread and I am also really pleased with my purchases. You can find some great deals on these kits used because some people are label hungry, get sponsorship, paid way too much after shipping or maybe don’t understand what they are letting go. I agree with the previous post. If you get your hands on a used one, don’t let it go. Chances are that if RMV can’t figure out a cost effective way to get them to the US but begins selling them here again they will probably have to cut corners on quality. These originals will likely be better than future ones.

After doing a lot of really difficult searching on the company, here’s what I have found and my personal opinion of the two sets I bought. It’s a little long but since info is limited I think it’s worth the read:

RMV is actually the same company as LP. So there is at least some comfort in knowing the history and reputation they have for hand percussion instruments and that these guys didn't just come out of nowhere. In South America they have a higher line of products than just congos and the rest of the stuff we see in the US and have a strong reputation for their drum heads. They also still sell these kits down there with strong poularity. I have heard a few answers as to why the drums are being dropped by US dealers and all had the same theme – they were difficult to import into the US. After the September 11th attack these kits seemed even more difficult to get into the US. I read stories of buyers waiting a year or more on their shipment while others never received them at all.
The drums as a whole offer a huge amount of bang for your buck. There are some things about the kits that make them seem kind of cheap and low quality, but either way, RMV was really on to something with this idea of making the shells as light as possible. What they call composite is actually not much different than most plastics we are used to but it’s light weight and small size definitely allow the shells to do what all drum companies are trying to achive. Combine this with the Bapeva they use for the shells and it is what produces that ‘thunderous’ sound previous posts have mentioned. In the US, we could also make great kits using exotic woods and thin shells, but since most of these woods are native to areas outside the US, the US wouldn’t be able to do it as cost effective as Brazil was doing it and still continues to do it for South America.
Everything you can read on their website about the effort that goes into each shell is true. The bearing edges and quality in the shells rival what you would find on many expensive high end or even hand made kits here in the US. I have the 5-mm X5 kit and the 4mm non-reinforced kit. Since the shells are so thin, I think the bevel is almost negligible but it is set at 45degrees. What is more significant is that the outer diameter of the shell is thinner than the inner diameter of the drum head tension ring to minimize the contact between the head and the shell. The wraps they use seem thinner than what I have seen on US kits and are not bonded to the shell except at the seam of the wrap and obviously where the lugs squeeze the wrap to the shell. This and the light weight of the wrap makes it kind of float on the shell and affect the resonance less than if it were glued to the shell. All of this contributes to make a noticeably more impressive tone. The sound can be a bit punchy but I prefer I prefer it. Personally I think Remo pinstipes really make the toms sing for live setups, but if you prefer a little jazzier sound, coated heads will definitely give it the brighter, dryer tone you are looking for. There does seem to be a sweet spot for tuning. The toms sound good at looser or tighter tensions, but if you hit the sweet spot, the character perks up exponentially.
The snare does have more of a ‘crack’ sound which is not what you would expect from a wood shell snare. The wood is also so hard that it also allows the snare to ring a little. This is not to be compared to a metal snare though. The ring is more focused - think Reggae or Ska. Personally I like the sound it produces and though it isn’t the most versatile snare, you can customize it with different heads, gels or whatever to change the sound a little but not much. Most people already have a preferred snare anyway, so if nothing else, the snare is handy should you ever need that kind of sound or if you ever play outdoors without mics. I see a lot of these used RMV kits being sold without the snare so I guess the snare does have some popularity here.
RMV’s legacy with these sets will undoubtedly be their bass drums. I have both a 22” and 24” I got the 24” first with stock heads and kept getting more of a slap sound you get with big bass drums when you hit them too hard and never could tune it right. I started playing the 22” with an Aquarian Superkick II and Resonator and wow! I realized that it can’t be that much better than the 24” so I threw the same head setup on the on the 24” and finally got the boom I was expecting. Granted those drum heads will make any drum sound amazing, but the same efforts I mentioned that goes into their toms makes amazing resonance in the bass drum and will give you the window rattling boom you expect from a bass drum. This may not be as desireable for a metal or jazz player, but it’s nice to know it’s there. Between the 22” and the 24”, when they are mic’d you can get similar low end so the 22” is more practical. The 24” is a little bit more boomy and will give you added benefit if you are playing without mics, but that should be a given. What has to be the most amazing thing about their bass drums is how much sound you get out of such a light drum. I’m a small guy at 5’6” and I can easily carry the bass drum in one hand and two toms in the other hand when a hand truck or dolly isn’t practical! The old days of giving the bass drum a good heave when picking it up are gone.
The black coated hardware has held up beyond my expectations. After repeated tear down and setup, there are slight scratches in the usual places you expect to see wear but from the audience, the stands still look amazing. The booms arms occasionally loose their position when I hit a cymbal way too hard, but the legs are extremely sturdy and have a wider more stable stance than many stands on the market. The stands also use a medium density rubber material for the cymbal mounts instead of felts. They are two seperate cone shapped pieces that point toward each other so they make minimal contact with the cymbal and do allow the cymbals to sustain a little better. For some cymbals this it is a bit overwhelming, so I simple washer from the home center and flipping the mount over will allow you to switch back to using felts. RMV filed for a US patent for their lug design but I think one of the major US drum companies stole the design before they could get it. This is actually a benefit in a way because if you ever damage a lug, it will be easier to get it from the US company. The hi-hat stand has a lot of adjustability and some nice features built into it that give it a nice feel. There is a special rubber pad that bounces the bottom hi-hat and gives releasing the pedal a nice quick action. I think design might have also been copied and is now available as an accessory at most drum shops. The pedal/footbed of the hit hat swivels so you can move it where you want in case another stand interferes with it’s position or if you have a double bass pedal. The bass drum pedal that comes with the set has a nice feel to it since the footboard is light and made of the same plastic material found elsewhere. It has some options for adjustment, but all in all I think most users will opt for a different pedal. The only area where I have noticed lack of quality is on the clamp mechanism used on the bass drum, tom clamps and floor tom legs. On a few occasions I have over tightened the clamps and pulled the nut through the back of the ‘compostite’ Luckily this hasn’t happened before a show, so with a little epoxy, this was an easy fix. You can get creative and modify the clamp a bit to prevent the problem or if all else fails, you can always just check online for used hardware and switch out the parts with some other brand. Needing a tuning key to adjust the clamps is a little annoying, but you can probably also find replacement wingnut screws online or maybe even at a home center.
The last remaining downfall might not even be worth mentioning since no one else has mentioned any tuning problems. Sometimes it seems that the shells are so thin that it allows their shape to warp enough to affect the tone if they are put under enough stress. This presents itself mainly on the 4mm shells if I strike the rack toms really hard or sometimes my 16” floor tom seems to go out of tune if I pick it up and move it. It could be possible that maybe the tuning problem is a defect in the wood or maybe damage from the previous owner I am not seeing. Either way for tuning alone, I think the 4mm shells are better suited for the studio but the X5 kit has held up great live.
If you find a deal on these drums, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy them. For most used sets they are a steal. Because of the durability issues, I don’t think they can rival that of some of the more expensive kits because some kits like DW are bulletproof enough to last through touring. But these kits weren’t intended to compete in the durability market. RMV wanted to make a great sounding drum set at an affordable price and they exceeded that on their shells alone. If durability is an issue, then keep them as a practice or studio set because they will far outshine your expectations for the price you will likely pay for them. With the exception of the snare, the drums are also more versatile than some reviews give them credit for. I think most company reviews I have read have been on sets out of the box with the stock heads. While the stock heads are better than average, I personally think RMV’s heads leave something to be desired. I’ve used several different head combinations and lug tensions on the toms and bass drum and the drums will accommodate more range of styles based on which heads you choose than many other drums on the market. If American companies can take this design and improve it without sacrificing weight, there will be some great drum kits to come but they probably won’t be as affordable as RMV once made them.

[jeronimo]

Dude,

I gotta keep your writing organized

I didn't finish reading your post 'cause I was geting headaches...

[pasta]

Thanks for the review, Happy. Overall these are amazing drums!
How can you tell the difference between the X5 and the 4mm kit (aside from looking inside)? Is there a different badge or indication?

[nrgcreator]

Up for grabs is my RMV 6 piece drum kit. If your not sure what these are do your self a favor and look them up. 24 inch bass, 8, 10, 12, 16 toms, and 14x6 snare. It goes with a full rack with 14 clmps (drums have their own mounting system). The clamps alone are worth well over $300. there are also at least 5 booms laying around. I will try to get better pics up real soon. The kit is spread around right now as I am rearranging my living room and using most of the hardware on my jazz kit right now. RMV uses Brazilian maple for their shells which produces a dark, tribal sound. This is a very rare professional kit. If i put it on ebay it will be gone in minuets.. Hopefully someone out there knows what these babies are.

I would love to trade for a roland td-8, 10, 12, or 20.

[randdrum]

Hey there ... I just found this post and it's a few months old. Any chance you still have your RMV kit for sale? Thanks

Send me an email to maizland@comcast.net

[Jaxelectric]

Hey guys, awesome site...can't believe I havent found it before. I read every post on RMV drums, and have a chance to get a kit for $1199 (Quartz Grey) is all the info I have at the moment as far as model, but there's als a double 24" kick setup they're selling for $1599. Both come with the hardware, cymbals etc....
..that being said, I have an appt scheduled to go look at an Eames set. Ugh. Both ppl are like "I have alot of ppl that want this kit" And I like both.
Saw that some of the RMV posts were older, and figured I'd just ask what you guys thought. The few times I have been here and read replies in diff threads you were right on....so....HELP!
(eames is 7pcs with cymbals $750)

- Thanks in advance for any help!!

-Jax

[Rolf Fiesel]

great drums ..play us a sample

[Subversounds]

Re-opening this thread as i just bought the top drum from RMV.

It is an amazing drum. I used to have lots of 'againsts' with this brand. It is a brazillian brand since 1975 (i dont know if it has any relation with LP as user above said, i think not). They make from cheap U$250 drums to U$2000 drums of great awesomeness like mine :D. The brand around here gets better reviews than the Odery (local rival and kinda famous internationaly) and many international brands (on a basic level). For the price of a basic Ludwig or DW you can get a way better RMV.

Mine, a Exclusive Custom - hand made, has an amazing sound, strong, loud and clear, surpasses the maple Premier Signia i used to work with. It has very robust black hardware with strong (really strong) plastic supports (my initial fear, when i got these drums were that this plastic support were cheap).

In general my advice is to avoid their cheap stuff and go for the top series (Concept XR7 and above). Their cheap stuff are crap comparing to Ludwig or Pearl cheap stuff.