Hands On: Design Series Frequent Flyer Kit

The DW Design Series Frequent Flyer Kit is a super-cool compact drum kit that brings with it all of that great DW construction and sound. It’s perfect for the working drummer who is out playing many different kinds of gigs — from basic cover-band-type situations where you have to play a wide range of musical styles to style-specific gigs such as pop, jazz, or Latin.

This drum kit comes with an 8″ x 12″ rack tom, an 11″ x 14″ floor tom, a 12″ x  20″ kick drum, and a 5″ x 14″ matching snare. The kick drum and toms feature 8-ply construction, while the snare has 10 plies of North American maple; both utilize DW’s HVLT shell construction.

The hardware that comes with the kit is lightweight and easy to use. The DW STM mounting system for the rack tom connects to the ratchet bass drum mount. You also get True-Pitch Tuning rods with mini-turret lugs, low-mass kick drum spurs, and the fantastic MAG throw-off on the snare drum. Add to all of that the great-looking White Onyx finish, and you have one killer, compact drum kit.

The Design Series Frequent Flyer Kit has a very full sound. The snare has a beautiful crack to it while being quite sensitive. I was able to lay into it with loud rimshots and, at the same time, bring in and out buzz and ghost strokes that didn’t get lost in the mix. The toms were easy to get in tune, and have a nice, round tone. I used clear Remo Ambassador heads on the toms, so I got the attack from the stick while hearing definite pitch and a full sound. The kick drum is fantastic; it does not sacrifice big, beefy low end because of its size. It definitely has projection and warmth.

DW had the working drummer in mind when they came up with this drum kit. It will fit in the back of just about any car. So when it comes time for the gig or recording session to start, you can know with confidence that you will have a fantastic drum kit right in front of you that will get the job done.