About DrumSpy
I test the gear so you don’t have to guess.
DrumSpy is an independent drum gear review site. I buy or borrow the gear, test it in my studio, and score it the same way every time, so you get one honest read on what is actually worth your money.
Why DrumSpy exists
Most reviews are written by people who never played the gear.
You can usually tell. The writeup leans on the manufacturer’s own copy, a couple of stock photos, and a star rating that could apply to anything. Nobody actually sat behind the kit.
I started DrumSpy in 2016 from the back of my band’s van between shows, for a simple reason. Drummers deserve a place to find honest, first-hand information about the gear they are about to spend real money on.
So every product here is one I have actually played. I buy it, or a brand sends it, then it goes through the same testing in my studio and earns the same kind of score as everything else. If it is great, I will tell you. If it falls short, I will tell you that too.
Who’s behind it
Hi, I’m Nick.
I’m a Milwaukee drummer. I have been playing since 1999, toured the country as the drummer for Vinyl Theatre, and studied percussion performance in college. I have been reviewing gear since 2016, and over the last eight years I have put more than fifteen electronic kits through my basement studio.
The YouTube channel grew out of the site and now has more than 19,000 subscribers. Years of touring, teaching, and late nights testing gear taught me what holds up on a real gig and what is just marketing.
What makes it different
How DrumSpy is different.
Plenty of gear “reviews” never touch the product. Some use AI-altered screenshots as fake studio photos, some rewrite the manufacturer’s specs, some are stores steering you toward a sale. Here is what I do instead.
Tested in hand
Every product is physically in my studio. I play it, measure it, and live with it for weeks before I write a word. Nothing here is reviewed from a press release or a YouTube screenshot.
Real measurements
Every kit runs the same battery of tests, so a score here lines up against any other review on the site. The measurements are public, so you can check my work instead of taking my word for it.
No retail agenda
DrumSpy does not sell gear and takes no payment for coverage. My only job is to help you choose well, which is why the verdict never bends to fit a brand.
The honest part
DrumSpy lost its way once.
For a few years, DrumSpy chased clicks. I brought on freelancers, ran sponsored reviews, and tried to be a gear site, a lessons site, and a satire site all at the same time. The writing got thinner and the site lost its identity.
That is over. DrumSpy does one thing now.
Drum gear reviews, done properly. No sponsored content, and no paid reviews. If a brand sends a product, it gets the same testing and the same honest score as everything I buy myself. That focus is the whole reason the site is worth reading again.
How it’s funded
How DrumSpy makes money.
DrumSpy runs on affiliate links. When you buy through a link here, the retailer pays a small commission at no extra cost to you. That is the entire business model, and it pays for the gear I buy and the hours it takes to test it.
It never affects a score or a recommendation. I link to a product because it earned the spot, and I would point you to the same option whether or not there was a commission behind it.
The deal, in short
Have a question about a kit?
Ask me about a review, a recommendation, or anything drum gear related. I read every message that comes in.