Premier Genista SE | Maple shells, elm veneer

Genista is one of the great Premier names. Back in the 1990s it was the company’s first unsupported birch shell, made in England, and a lot of drummers still talk about theirs like an old friend.

Premier brought it back for its centenary in 2022. Now there’s a new version, the Genista SE, and Premier’s own tagline sums it up: “The Genista you know. Refined.”

So what’s actually changed, and what’s stayed the same? Let’s find out.

What is the Genista SE?

It’s a maple Genista with an elm veneer on the outside. The shells are American maple, and Premier says every ply is picked and checked for grain and tone. The timber is FSC-certified.

Toms and snares are 5.6mm, 7-ply. The bass drum is 7.2mm, 9-ply. Those are the same thicknesses as the existing Genista Maple, so this isn’t a new-sounding shell so much as a new-looking one.

The look is where it’s new. Vertical-grain elm sits under hand-sprayed lacquer, applied in at least ten stages. There are two finishes: Crimson Sky, a red that fades up into deep blue, and Turquoise, which lets the elm grain show right through.

What makes it a Genista?

The things that made the original special are all still here.

Undersized toms. Genista toms are 6mm smaller in diameter than the head. The idea is that the head sits more freely over the shell, which helps the drum resonate.

The lugs. They’re the original Genista design, retooled from the factory drawings. Each one sits on a moulded plinth to keep it off the shell, with self-aligning nuts so nothing rattles.

Bearing edges are cut at 45 degrees, and the hoops are 2.3mm triple-flanged steel.

What else is new?

A few bits of hardware have had a rethink.

Toms hang on a low-profile ISO mount, with memory locks built into the brackets. Tom clamps come in the box, which is a nice touch.

The bass drum gets redesigned die-cast claws with rubber inserts to protect the lacquered hoops, plus telescopic spurs. Floor tom brackets are die-cast too, with vibration isolation and memory locks.

Heads are Remo, from the Pinstripe, UT and P3 ranges.

What kits can I get?

Two shell packs, both available in either finish:

• 20” three-piece (PDGME20-3SP): 12x8 rack tom, 16x16 floor tom and 20x14 bass drum, with a single tom clamp.
• 22” five-piece (PDGME22-5SP): 10x7 and 12x8 rack toms, 14x14 and 16x16 floor toms and a 22x16 bass drum, with two tom clamps.

Snares are sold separately, in 13x6.5 (PDGME1365S), 14x5.5 (PDGME1455S) and 14x7 (PDGME1407S). They use Premier’s quick-release 610 strainer and 20-strand wires.

The three-piece is a smart little setup. One up, one down and a 20” kick is all a lot of players need, and it’s easier to carry around.

How much is it?

We don’t know yet. Premier’s product page was updated on 6 November and lists the kit as in stock, but it doesn’t show a price, and we’re not going to guess one.

We don’t know what “SE” stands for either. It could mean special edition or limited run, but Premier hasn’t said. If you’re after one, keep an eye on stock.

Where can I buy one?

One thing worth knowing: Premier has been owned by Gear4music since 2021, so Gear4music is the obvious place to look in the UK.

The right shop depends on where you are: Guitar Center in the Americas, Gear4music in the UK, or Thomann for Europe and the rest of the world.

Fancy an original 1990s birch Genista instead? They do turn up second-hand, and the Reverb price guide is the best way to see what they actually sell for.

Final thoughts

This is a careful update rather than a reinvention. The shell spec matches the Genista Maple, the lugs and undersized toms are what you’d hope for, and the main news is the elm and those two finishes.

What a pair of finishes, though. Crimson Sky especially. The only downside is the missing price, and until Premier names one it’s hard to say where the SE sits next to the Classic and Maple models.

For more from Britain’s oldest drum company, see our Premier drums news, or read about the Premier kits behind Phil Collins and Zak Starkey.