New to drums - help deciding on which kit

B

bryonwinger

New member
Hello. I'm looking to pick up some drums rather soon, mostly for use in my small home studio, but also as another instrument to play. I play mostly rock. Not looking for anything tailored towards metal or jazz. Just rock plain and simple.

I WAS initially planning on getting a Roland SPD-20 and using that for adding drums to my songs, but am now looking at getting into a house (currently a townhome) and will have more room and volume available. Starting to lean towards a real kit. I've heard to spend big on cymbals, less on the set. Thats fine. I figure I'll have around $700 to start out with, and will spend more later on.

I found a few used kits in my area:

Pearl EXR 5 piece (shell pack)- 10", 12", 14", 22" x 18" kick, 5.5" x 14" wood snare drum - $500 with tom mounting hardware only

Maple Sonor force 3001 - same setup as the Pearl but with a 20" kick. Also comes with cymbal stands, throne, kick pedal, upgraded heads and soft bags. $600

Yamaha Stage Custom 5-piece w/all hardware. $475

I figure it best to go and check em out, but I was wondering if anyone can steer me in the right direction or offer any info I might not think of. If I do go the acoustic route (which I would prefer sound-wise) I think I'd rather spend what I have on the drums now (esp if they're used) and pick up cymbals later.

Thanks for your help,
Bryon
 
Ok..well definatly go and try out all the used kits before you consider buying one.

All of those kits are good choices, and you can't go wrong. Have a listen to them and it can almost be decided by the colour of the kit.

They will all sound pretty much the same.
 
I am not saying get one or the other, because I've only played one, and I own it actually.. The Pearl EXR.. It really sounds great with Evans G2 and G1 on toms, and Power Center and Hazy on snare.. I am not goig to say it sounds as good as a well tuned DW or Pork Pie kit at all ( I have both recorded and played both), but it can sounds great recorded..
 
I agree to go play them and test them out, but also try checking prices on the internet because you may be able to find a good set of new drums for relatively cheap. I personally like playing Mapex, but any of those would sound good. I know Musiciansfriend.com has lots of drumsets and many of the other online stores will too. Good Luck :)
 
How about - What should I look for in a drumset? What makes one kit better or different - obviously wood type & hardware (and heads) - but how do ply count, lugs and bearing edges come into play?


As far as new kits go - I've got my eye on the Gretsch Catilina Brich & Mapex M Birch. Any thoughts on these? Would I be much better off spending a couple hundred more on the kit and waiting a bit longer on cymbals?

Thanks again.
Bryon
 
If you're playing rock, then I suggest at least a 22" kick drum. It's versatile enough for everything. I also think you'd be better off with a floor tom like a 16x16, again a very versatile size drum. 12" 13" 16" toms with the 22" kick are standard and are all good for rock, blues and jazz. I'd avoid the 10" 12" 14" toms unless you're playing fusion or jazz. A 12" 14" 16" or a 12" 13" 16" set up is more suited for rock anyway.

You might look for something used and then get some good cymbals later like you suggested.

Just my 2 cents.
 
LUDWIG has a great and very very affordable set for about $350. theyre called the ACCENT series i believe. ive been playing and recording mine for over a year and theyre wonderful. the day i got them i had a friend come tune them up for me. he had been playing for atleast 5 years and the first word out of his mouth when he played them was ''wow.''

the kit is really nice and sounds great with a little bit of tuning and/or muting in my small room. i record them with a set of SHURE PG mics and they require very little EQ. check the measurements on musiciansfriend.com. you will not be disappointed with these drums, the kick sounds great and the snare is a bit larger than most but sounds bright and loud. all of the toms are great too. i really recommend checking these out because they sound great and theyre much cheaper than youd expect. just a great kit.
 
you can get far better drums for cheap nowadays than you could when i started out in the mid-'80s. for $500 you'll be able to get something very nice sounding, just be patient and try before you buy. check out a bunch of stores and sign up for the mailing list at musician's friend and interstate music (they have a very good drums/percussion catalog) so you'll know what the prices should be before you walk into the music store. whatever you buy, you'll probably need to upgrade the heads and you'll absolutely have to spend time learning how to tune them (it's not hard, but a lot of people never bother to learn).

good luck.
 
Hi Bryon,
I would agree with what you have your eye on. Check the snare closely. The snare reflects the rest of the kit. I never keep factory skins on a new kit for long anyway. And listen to Cobradenim, for he is wise.
And now just a thought: From my personal experience (20+ yrs) it's very difficult to test a set of drums in a music store. They're usually stacked up one on top the other or displayed high up on a shelf. When they are set up on a floor they're rarely tuned and the kick drums are always wide open and boomy. Unless you know exactly what you're looking for you'll just be overwhelmed by "TAAAANG, DOOONG, BOOOOOW!" in the store. Let's not talk about the noise from the other drums store resonating along with you.
My advice = Check the snare closely!!! You may need to take it and a drum key into the cymbal testing room for a while. If you can play it hard and soft without the snare wires choking the drum or rattling away after each hit then you'll probably be ok with rest of the kit. Remember the snare is your primary drum. You play it the most.

Good Luck
Iain
 
I M Green said:
.....And listen to Cobradenim, for he is wise.
Click to expand...
LOL!
I M Green said:
Remember the snare is your primary drum. You play it the most.
Click to expand...
I agree. The snare will change the sound of the whole kit. I wouldn't skimp on the snare. Yamaha makes great snares and you can never go wrong with the ol' reliable Ludwig Acrilite. Great sounding and affordable drum.
 
As a previous poster stated I'd stay away from fusion kits, in fact i have the yamaha you're mentioning and I hate the way it sounds recorded vs. My nearly 20 year old mahogany tama kit which is a standard size rock kit with. In fact last night I was recording some friends and the drummer chose the fusion yamaha and I told him that he may not like the tom sounds recorded, so he hit the toms and said no they're fine. So after he was done I showed him a song with the tama kit recorded and compared the two, we retracked with the tama.
 
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