written by ancientdrummer on 11/04/2013
I own both a UK made Genista and a Signia kit. Both are very individual and both are hard to beat. I gig mainly with the Genista because its projection and tone is superb. You can really play a wide range of genre. The Signia has much darker and fatter sound as you would expect from maple. I use it in the studio. I wouldn't part with either, and they both represent Premier's peak shortly after Yamaha invested in the Leicester factory.
written by muso7 on 03/09/2012
Owned a late 60's Premier kit for several years and it was awesome. Sold it in mid 90's and since then have been playing Pearl Masters. Just recently I found a Premier Genista 5 piece turquoise lacquer (birch) in awesome condition (made in England) This kit is absolutely mind blowing - the sound is magnificent and right now I am overplaying just so I can constantly hear it ;-) I am just using single ply Aquarians on toms and PS3 on bass - unbelievable So it's "good-bye Pearl masters" and full circle back to Premier (Don't get me wrong, my Pearl Masters was a very nice kit)
written by on 24/04/2011
I'm not sure it's wise to compare genista's with any other drums or really fair. Personally having played lots of acoustic drum sets, Premier Genista
drums are phenominal. In particular when purchased second hand. They sound as good with wire brushes as they do with drum sticks. Have a mess about with the tuning for different genres of music. Little features like the snare mechanism it's so sensitive which is awesome. The craftsmanship involved. If you get the chance to pick up a second hand Genista kit do so.
It's a good investment not only financially but for you the musician.
written by on 19/01/2010
I was out on the look out for premier genista in the right sizes and colour for a long while, I met a guy who had exactly what I wanted... 8, 10, 12, 14, 20,(Undrilled) Terraverde green. All floating toms with original premier rim mounts. I got them for £650 with a few stands knocked in, kit was immaculate condition. Looks Fantastic, Sounds lovely and punchy, Bass drum quality, finish is quality, buffers up really nice. It definately stands it's own agains top proffesional drum kits.
written by on 25/08/2009
I bought a genista kit in colorado in 1994. A 7 piece kit including 8-10-12-13-14-16-22 tom & kick with 5x14 snare. Only played out with it once
then stored except recording. I sold the matching snare b4 moving to Hawaii
in 1998. After moving back to Colorado 10 years later,A good friend of mine,
found it in a pawn shop. It had not been taken care of but cleaned up very
nice & is now home forever. Except for the rubber gaskets inside the lugs,
the drum is in remarkable condition for having been played in (it's hard to say) A heavy metal band. I will never part with it as it will become a classic
one day. I would have sold my black beauty if I were smarter.
written by on 23/07/2009
Did have two premier genista kits in turquoise, which I regret selling, but still have my 22 10 12 14 in Terravada green, which I shall never part with.....Unequalled fabulous sound as previously described in other reviews....only criticism is
the lack of flexibility with the bass drum mount when positioning the 12 inch tom.
written by rdebenport on 29/05/2009
I've been playing my Genistas for about 2 years and LOVE them. I own a 4 piece: 20" bass, 10", 12" and 15" suspended toms. I love the setup and the versatility. I'm currently using Evans coated G2s and have been really happy with the tone and sustain. Oh, and that's my orange Genista on the pic above!
I just found a second Genista kit for sale locally and had to buy them. Now I own two of these excellent kits. This one came with a great 14x7" snare. The sound is excellent!
written by on 30/04/2009
Premier Genista has a great sound, good looking.
It has more than good sound, it has spirit.
written by on 20/04/2009
Premier Genistas rule... (period)
superior sound even with old heads.............
focused birch sound is unmistakable. The round lugs keep shell mass to a minimum and allow resonance.
Focused with tone.
Unbeatable
written by on 09/07/2008
These kits are very pleasant to play and easy to tune. Really good set for recording and touring.
written by bjblom on 17/04/2008
I have a 7 piece kit with a Yamaha snare drum worth $600. The kit is awesome bass drum blew me away. I love it
written by Kellyboy on 21/03/2008
Just brought a silver sparkel genista. 22x16 kick 12" tom and 16" floor tom. I normally use a 22x18 kick but the kick on this kit blew me away!!!!!! Best kit iv owned and will be keeping it for a very long time.
written by on 17/03/2008
I purchased my red sparkle Genista (22x16, 10x8, 12x8, 15x13, 14x14, 16x16, 18x16 + 14x5,5 snare) in 1999 directly from Premier. It still looks as new! there are no pittings on the chroom and the shell tune so easily that is's unbelievable! The snare is a killer! I also own a 14x6,5 Ludwig Black Beauty but I have to say that my Premier is surely as good as the Ludwig - maybe better!!! If you hit it right it sound as if there's already compression and reverb on it.
It is my perfect workhorse. It sounds wonderful and looks stunning!
Indeed, the best kit Premier ever made!!!
written by on 04/03/2008
I bought my Premier Genista kit about 6 months ago. I owned a Tama Granstar kit that I bought new in 1988-always had problems with overtones on that kit.my friend works at a local music store-spotted the kit and basically stashed the kit for me,he called and persuaded me to take a look at the drums after me putting it off for over a week (price was a steal at $1000 canadian). Needless to say I walked out of the store with the drums in tow. After changing the heads (the kit was second hand-played a gig with crappy old single ply heads- I skinned them with remo pinstripes) the drums performed excellent and made me perform better. The toms cut through a lot more evenly (old kit -each drum seemed to have a different volume and tone)and are a lot warmer than what i was using...I agree with the other reviewers by saying i won't part with this kit.
written by AYNSLEY on 12/02/2008
Had my Genista kit (Terraverdi Green) since 1995 & love it! Despite getting an endorsement with Premier last year & also owning a rather fine Premier Series Birch kit (Gunmetal Sparkle),I will NOT part with the Genista! I've lost count of the amount of times I've had sound guys comment on the sound of it.The snare drum is phenomenal! I own a Zildjian/Noble & Cooley snare & a Ahead snare & the Genista out performs both!
Aynsley
www.risetoaddiction.com
written by drumboy on 30/01/2008
I bought a second hand Genista from a shop in Southend on Sea about two weeks ago. A six piece - 10x8 tom, 12x10 tom,14x14 floor tom , 16x16 floor tom, 22x18 bass and a 14x 7 snare. Its got a couple of scratches but other than that its tip top. I don't think I could ever part with it... she's a stunner... can't wait to try her out in live gigs and in a studio sometime.
written by jonnyashworth on 07/12/2007
When buying a Premier Genista try to get one with the ISO mounting system (rims) on the toms as these sound amazing but are a bit more pricey. However you can pick up a flat color one with standard tom mounts for very cheap indeed and these still sound great. Now is the time to buy one of these kits as you can still pick them up in mint condition. They have recently been resurrected by premier as a 75th anniversary special however these are constructed differently (they are easier to tune but have less options) and are about 2/3 times the price.
written by on 05/12/2007
I love Genista's! I got mine second hand a few years back in the hard to find silver sparkle laquer and it has a huge undrilled 24 bass drum. Never played a kit that sounded so big. Got to be one of the best English kits ever made. Wouldn't swap it for anything... Ok maybe a top of the range DW hahaha.
written by ermhello on 16/10/2007
I bought the Premier Genista drum kit for an amazing price of £300, from a friend who had bought it second hand. I have used it at many gigs, and it is also used every day as a practise kit, and it is still in excellent condition! It has outlasted all of the new cymbals and stands that have been bought for it. I use Aquarian Performance 2 heads on it, and it sounds amazing for recording. In my opinion, it is well up there with the likes of the Pearl Masters that I have played. It is such a great kit!!
I have the Fusion version, and when used with 2 ply heads, it gives a stunning sound, and I would not trade it for any other kit. As well as Aquarian Performance 2 heads, I have also used it with Zildjian K customs, Iron Cobra and full vintage premier hardware, and I believe that you really cannot beat this drum kit at all.
It is hard to get hold of add-on drums for it because of its age. I can not fault the kit at all though, and I would recommend it to anyone (if you can find one). You really can't go wrong.
written by noxi on 26/09/2007
I think this the best kit Premier ever made and to still prefer a 10 year old kit to a modern DW or Yamaha is saying something. Alot of drummers use this kit all love it and some pros have used it rather than set their own up for a one nighter and with the kit and the Zildjan Ks and As have been very pleasantly surprised. There aren't many kits that just get better and better as they age. But this 10 year old Genista played by several drummers week in/week out is the best I've played in a long time. It tunes so easily and the blue/green lacquer looks great under stage lights. The hardware has lasted very well. I chose the matching wood snare and that was a good call. The toms are really mellow but with a crisp attack showing that that they respond over a very wide tonal range. My only gripe is that the tuning lugs are starting to slip and we rarely use the 8" tom as that does choke. If you put the wrong heads on such as pinstripes you dull the kit and it can sound 'slappy' through the mikes.
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