When I decided to purchase a new rack system for my V-Drum Pro setup, I decided on the Road Series curved rack system from Gibraltar. "Wait", you ask, "what's wrong with the Roland rack?" Well, nothing's really "wrong" with the stock Roland rack. In my opinion, it serves it's purpose, but that's about it.

The deciding factors behind my move to a new rack system were tri-fold: flexibility, stability, and aesthetics. All three of these factors I found to be lacking in the Roland rack, thus, my search for an alternative. After some basic research, all the roads led to the Gibraltar Road Series rack system.

The system that I chose for my V-Drum setup is made up of two racks. The GRS 350GC and the GRS 100C. The GRS 350GC is a model that can only be found at Guitar Center music stores. There is, however, a similar rack offered by Gibraltar called the GRS 350C. The only difference between the two is that the Guitar Center model includes two rack boom attachments and two cymbal booms. Here are the specs:

GRS-350GC Curved Rack with Left & Right Curved Side. The GRS-350C accommodates up to a 7 pc. kit, 6 cymbals, and fits a bass drum up to 24" in diameter. System includes: (2) GRSTLA leg assemblies; (2) 36" vertical bars; (1) 40" curved horizontal front bar; (2) 24" curved side bars; (4) GRSMC multi clamps; (4) GRSRA right angle clamps; (4) GPRML memory locks; (2) RBA rack boom attachments; (2) 4425B-1 cymbal boom arms; and (1) GPR-Logo.

GRS350C pictured.

GRS 100C Curved Left or Right Side Extension. System includes: (1) GRSTLA T-leg assembly; (1) 36" vertical bar; (1) 46" curved horizontal bar; (1) GRSMC multi clamp; (1) GRSHML hinged memory lock and (2) GRSRA right angle clamps.

For my setup [note: I will upload some pictures of my setup soon], I removed the right 24" curved side bar and replaced it with the GRS 100C. This combination gave me more room to my right to mount the two floor tom V-Drum pads. The smaller 24" side bar to my left is all I really need to mount the TD-10 and one PD-7 that I use as the Hi Hat pad. With the stock components I found that I was one multi clamp short, which I added later. The nice thing about the rack boom attachments are that they saved me from having to buy two more multi-clamps (which are not cheap). The rack boom attachments mount to the top of the two 36" vertical bars and act as cymbal stands for the cymbal booms.

The GRS rack offers greater flexibility for setups than the Roland rack. The GRS, for example, only has one horizontal bar per side. The GRS clamps are easy to use and do not require any special tools. All of the clamps on the rack have a quick release feature that allows half of the clamp to swing away. This makes setup and tear down a cinch (especially once you have set the memory locks to your desired position). The rack also supports up to a 24" acoustic bass drum which is a nice option if you are considering the integration of acoustical drums or Spacemuffin triggers into your setup. The multi-clamps used for the toms and cymbals also allow for larger (diameter) stands if necessary, unlike the Roland clamps that only allow for one size of stand. In addition, Gibraltar offers a wide variety of clamps and accessories for their racks which allows for endless setup combinations. This comes in handy when mounting the TD-10 to the rack. I used the stock TD-10 mounting plate and placed the brain right into one of the multi-clams, no problem.

This Gibraltar rack is rock solid. The rack tubes are made from steel pipes that are incredibly strong. They are also substantially heavier that the aluminum Roland racks which is the only drawback. The GRS rack was designed to support heavier, acoustic drums and cymbals so needless to say, it can handle the V-Drums with ease. Even during heavy playing the rack doesn't move. This is due to rubber footed leg assemblies which also increase the footprint of the rack (but not by much). The multi-clamps are also made of a heavy die cast metal as opposed to the plastic clamps on the Roland rack. Once the GRS clamps are set, they don't move or rotate. This was actually a slight problem with the Roland clamps. I noticed that the Roland clamps would rotate, or slip, during heavy usage. The five tom mounts that I chose were also made by Gibraltar (BALRM), however, any standard 10.5mm L-bar tom mount will do. The longer tom mounts also allow for greater flexibility in setup.

Finally, the rack needed to be aesthetically pleasing. The dark purple/blue of the Roland rack just didn't float my boat. The GRS rack is polished chrome and really makes the rack stand out (especially in a live performance with stage lighting). The cymbal boom attachments also clean up the rack by hiding the boom inside the vertical tubes which also makes for less clutter. One thing that I should mention is that I also have an identical GRS rack for my acoustic drums. This way, when I feel like setting myself up like Neil Peart, the two racks will integrate smoothly and I'll be able to interchange the parts.

Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the GRS rack system and would recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade from the Roland rack. The rack is not cheap (check with your local music dealer for prices), but for the price, you get the flexibility to customize your setup, rock solid strength, and one kick ass looking setup.

Here are some pictures of my GRS Rack and V-Drum setup.

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