The Two Most Magnificent Joyful Noise Drum Sets Ever Made

What is up, drum fans? As you all know — we have reviewed and demo-ed tons of crazy drum setups here at the Drum Center of Portsmouth. That’s right! It gets crazier every year and hey, we’re all down for even more. So today, we’ll be talking about what I think is the CRAZIEST of them all. Are you ready for this? Oh, I sure hope you are!

Now in this article, we’ll be featuring two (2), super high-end, solid-ply, steam-bent Joyful Noise Drum Sets and get this — each one comes with a 26” bass drum! Oh yes you read that right, 26 inches indeed. Well, one of the most amazing privileges of working here at DCP is that we get to actually play some of the most ridiculous super high-end drum sets in the market.

Frankly speaking, I think most of us can’t afford these two Joyful Noise drum sets we’re about to review. But that’s the beauty of it, right? We’re absolutely lucky to even have the chance to play them, hear them, and see them up close. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!

You can expect that it would be an event here at DCP when it’s time to unbox new JNDC instruments. All high-end Joyful Noise drum sets and snare drums are carefully unboxed, set up, and reviewed here at the store. Then, we do our absolute best to produce comprehensive reviews together with high-quality content to give you, our drum fans, an all-around drumming experience!

Joyful Noise produces world-class legacy musical instruments and specialize in making seamless, metal snare drums and steam-bent, wooden drums. They are dedicated to providing exceptionally-sounding instruments and superior customer service. The goal of Joyful Noise is to revitalize the “Made in USA” standard of quality and create a legacy that would last for more generations of drummers.

You can really see that these Joyful Noise drum sets are part of the next generation of drum design and performance. Something that JNDC is heavily dedicated to advancing with science, vibrant tone and results! For the drums, we have a 14x10 rack tom, 16x16 and 18x16 floor toms, and a monstrous 26x16 bass drum—a drum fan even denoted that the kick drum is the average size of a New York apartment and much cheaper. Can’t say he’s wrong though!

Firstly, this American Legacy Series kit’s drum shell isn’t made of just any ordinary wood out there. Nope. It’s made from what we call “Timeless Timbers” or as Joyful Noise calls them, “Legacy Timbers”. These are reclaimed submerged timbers from the Great Lakes and are known to possess extraordinary sonic properties such as greater density and lower mass. This allows energy to transfer more efficiently and therefore lets the drums of this Joyful Noise drum set resonate more vibrantly.

Oh, and another thing is that this Joyful Noise drum set features steam bent shells and proprietary JNDC hardware design which focuses on low mass and minimal contact technology. This enables the drum to elegantly provide strength and reliability while still being capable of the greatest vibrance.

On the other hand, the proprietary JNDC bearing edge design of this Joyful Noise drum set offers greater tuning range and resonance. Something I know that a lot of drum enthusiasts out there would absolutely fall in love with.

The American Legacy Series Joyful Noise drum set is also equipped with Corder solid brass full length tube lugs, cast bronze bass drum bass drum claw hooks, solid nickel over brass 2.5mm hoops, custom low mass 90° floor tom legs, low mass floor tom leg mounts, nodal point vent holes, and minimal contact bass drum spurs. Talk about an insane setup, huh?

Lastly, this Joyful Noise drum set has been finished to a high gloss and then sealed in pure Tung Oil. It doesn’t stop there because it’s also waxed and hand polished with Carnauba Wax. Beautiful, isn’t it? But aside from its mesmerizing finish, it also has a practical purpose allowing the wood to breathe and age sonically over time, like a fine violin.

The flaming on this “Quilted Maple” solid ply, steam bent Joyful Noise drum set looks heavenly. At first, you’d think that it’s a drum with exotic veneer. But eventually, when you take the drum heads off, you will realize that it’s actually a solid ply of an exotic solid wood—absolutely special.

The American Custom Series Joyful Noise Drum Sets are designed to leverage the highest quality custom components and figured new growth timber. In this case, the American Northwestern Quilted Maple. Oh, and just like the Legacy Series earlier, these Joyful Noise drum sets are also finished to a high gloss and then sealed in pure Tung Oil. And of course, waxed and hand polished with Carnauba Wax allowing the wood to breathe and age perfectly over time.

Just like the Legacy Series earlier, the Custom Series Joyful Noise drum set is also fitted with the same nickel-plated hardware and Corder solid brass full-length lugs. Along with these are Corder solid brass full length tube lugs, cast bronze bass drum claw hooks, solid nickel over brass 2.5mm hoops, custom low mass 90° floor tom legs, low mass floor tom leg mounts, nodal point vent holes and minimal contact bass drum spurs.

The bass drum on this Custom Series Joyful Noise drum set is a little bit shallower at 26x14 compared to the Legacy Series’ 26x16. Because of that, it sounds absolutely huge and gives you a bit more ‘smack’ while playing.