If there’s one question that seems to come up the most when talking with aspiring drummers and such it’s: “What kind of drum kit would you recommend?”
Well, this is a great question! Whether you’re a brand new drummer, interested in updating your existing kit or simply looking to replace those beat up junkers that you’re playing in your basement, I’ve got some suggestions. Let’s take a look:
Used or Vintage?
Buying that first set can be tricky. Not always, but in my experience it seems that this dilemma is normally geared towards the drum students parents. The very first step in making this purchasing leap is to figure out what your budget is. Second, how serious is the beginner drummer? You want to be sure that you’re not forking over hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on something that will turn into a clothes hanger or coffee table. Regardless, I would begin by looking into classifieds, ebay, craigslist, or your local music store for a decent used set.
Be careful with anything that mentions “vintage”. We’ll get more into vintage kits in a later post, but most vintage kits are nice collector items and can be pricey. Don’t get me wrong, you may get lucky and find a steal, but purchasing a vintage drum kit is like shopping for an antique car – it takes time. The key here is to be sure that it’s been taken care of. You can always replace the heads, but make sure that the shells aren’t cracked or abused.
In my opinion, the number one reason that most drummers starting out become frustrated and discouraged with their playing is because of poor quality in the kit. If you’re a beginner guitarist, my guess is that you won’t have a lot of fun playing a cracked guitar with rusty strings, right? Also, when shopping for that first set, less is more. Find a nice 4 or 5 piece with a couple of cymbals and get to it.
Buying a New Set
If looking for a new set for the beginner drummer, I’m fairly biased to Pearl Drums. The Forum Series by Pearl is one of the best ways, in my opinion, to get started on the kit. Pearl is all about quality and the Forum set is no exception. It comes with rugged hardware, a 5-piece shell pack, high quality cymbals, pair of Vic-Firth drum sticks and a free instructional DVD. Under $1000 for everything is well worth the investment! The Pearl Export Series is also a very popular and wise choice.
In addition to the Pearl Forum series, I’ve narrowed down a few of my favorites below. Staying under $1000, you simply can’t go wrong with these choices:
Recognizing the need to provide the aspiring drummer an easy, economical and complete drum set; the Blackhawk has been updated to include a full hardware pack. This 5-piece fusion kit features basswood/poplar shells that project a full, resonant tone and are neatly finished in gloss wrap.
This Yamaha Stage Custom birch drum shell pack with 22″ x 17″ kick drum is among the most affordable all-birch Yamaha drum shells ever! It is an incredible value due to the legendary tone of Yamaha’s all-birch shells. These drum shells provide low fundamental and warm tones that have made Yamaha’s birch drums a top choice of drummers for over 30 years.
This Tama Rockstar 5-Piece Drum Shell Pack consists of 10″ x 8″ and 12″ x 9″ mounted toms, a 16 x 16″ floor tom, a 22″ x 18″ bass drum, 5-1/2″ x 14″ snare drum, and a Star-Cast mounting system.
The bottom line is to find something that suits your style, taste and budget. I certainly hope this information is helpful! Best of luck!
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