Ok, so in case you didn’t know, Zildjian owns Vic Firth which should now explain why this is a joint review. Now that’s done with, lets look at the new gear…

These are new products the two companies have introduced for 2020. I should note that Zildjian has also released some new in-ear monitors as well, but I’ll be doing a separate piece on those.

Gig Drum Rug (Zildjian)

So, for me, this is almost ‘drum rug lite’. It’s not quite as big or thick/substantial a material as the two other rugs below, but it still seems thick enough. 

Size-wise, this rug is 66” x 54” which means its big enough to manage a four piece kit and some cymbal stands. Certainly, it would be big enough for my own personal set up, and I’d be happy with that.

I liked the bass drum stopper and the reinforced corners too, and the fact it can be folded up into a very manageable size and bag. Obviously, I don’t know how solid the rug would be with continued use but it seemed thick enough to last. The only downside I can think of is that the creases in the material from folding may impair your ability to get it flat until the rug has worn in a bit.

https://zildjian.com/merch/accessories/other-accessories/zildjian-gig-drum-rug.html

Deluxe Drum Rug (Zildjian & Vic Firth)

Ok, so this is the big brother to the previous rug. Bigger in size – 78” x 64” – it has a more substantial top and backing too. The bigger size means you can fit a larger kit onto the rug without spilling over the edges.

This is much more of a pro level drum rug and very much in line with other manufacturers offerings in that regard. 

As noted, it’s designed for bigger kits and more rigorous use. The corners are reinforced (much more so than the smaller model) and it has a built in strap and latch for easy fold-down and transport. The whole thing can fold down into the accompanying nylon bag which ends up being a couple of feet long when all in.

The rug is available in both Zildjian and Vic Firth versions, the latter having bright red corner panels as opposed to the former’s black. Personally, I thought the red/black combo looked great.

https://zildjian.com/merch/accessories/other-accessories/zildjian-deluxe-drum-rug.html &

https://vicfirth.zildjian.com/gear/accessories/other-accessories/vic-firth-drum-rug.html

Vic Firth SBAG3 – Professional Drumstick Bag

This is the biggest, most serious stick bag I think I’ve ever seen. 

It’s designed to carry up to 24 pairs of sticks and features a static carry handle and an adjustable padded shoulder strap. This is the type of strap that will go round your front, rucksack-style, not just over your shoulder like a carry strap. 

The bag has big deep pockets front and back (the length of the entire bag) and an extendable (outwards) front pocket too. Now, the company says these front and back pockets are big enough to take a tablet, and, they are. Several, actually. My iPad Pro went in very easily.

However, what they’re also big enough to take is an [old style] 11” MacBook Air as well, with space to spare. That’s an overall 13.5” body corner to corner so I thought was cool. There’s also a smaller pocket inside which is big enough for a clutch and a few drum keys.

I really like this bag. Ok, it’s a stick bag, there’s not that much to get excited about really, but it looks nice, is quite spacious and holds a lot of sticks and bits. But…

This is labelled as a pro bag and I’d agree in light of the above. Only downside? It has a pro price too and that is possibly going to put many not-pros off it which is a shame.

https://vicfirth.zildjian.com/gear/accessories/stick-mallet-bags/professional-drumstick-bag.html

Zildjian Rolling Cymbal Vault

This is a very heavy duty case. The type of thing you could travel on a plane with and be fairly happy they’ll survive the baggage handlers ( I guess – I’m never going to be flying with my cymbals).

It’s made of heavy duty moulded plastic and there aren’t too many breakable/smashable parts to it which would make it ideal for heavy use. Whilst I didn’t put it to the test – I can’t really give it back all scuffed up etc – I did give it a run around all the same. 

The case is designed to take up to seven cymbals up to 24” in size and comes with four cymbal pads to go between. It features a sturdy retractable handle, and a moulded ergonomic hand grip for easy carrying.

In practice, this case may be a little overkill for the occasional gigging drummer, but for anyone who plays regularly or for a living, this would be well worth the investment.

More over at – www.zildjian.com and https://vicfirth.zildjian.com

David Bateman

March 2020