I've stated for a couple years now that one of the companies to watch is Simmons (Guitar Center owned brand). It looks like something may be happening. Simmons current top of the line kit is the SD1500. It's a great kit for the price (I own one), but it would seem that it is no longer available to purchase. Not only that, but the Hex rack that came with the SD1500 could be bought separately. It is now on
"Clearance". These two things can only mean the SD1500 kit is being discontinued (or has been discontinued). The bigger question is, what is Simmons going to replace it with or are they replacing it?
Keep in mind Simmons/Guitar Center don't do NAMM shows, so the only way to know what's happing is to check Guitar Centers catalog every once in a while. I have a good feeling about this.