Buying drums, Tubedude style

[tubedude]

So I want a kit. For like 15 years. Still can't afford one. So I take an odd route, and now I have the start of a kit, cheap. Here is what I did.
I decided on Pacific/DW stuff cause I have found them to sound great and record really well, and are fairly priced.
I go on ebay, bidded on all Pacific stuff, won a snare for $55 shipped, a 12 inch tom with iso-mount for $55 shipped, a 10 inch tom with iso mount for $52. Now, to actually start playing and enhancing my skills, I really only need a snare, but I want a kick and some hats. So I am looking at a used non-Pacific kick of good quality for $100. Everything so far is maple shell, and I can get some used hats and stand for about $60. So I have $322 in a kit, that with one more 14 inch tom (probably about $60 when I find one on ebay that matches) will be complete. The maple Pacifics are about three times that much.
Now, they dont all match, but they DO sound good. So for less than $300 I have somehting I can learn to play on, get good on NOW, sound good enough to record and be happy with, and the biggie, again, is I can play NOW.
When I have my 3rd tom (might get an 8 inch too), I am going to buy a set of drum wraps for about $120 and make them all match. Which will shoot the overall price up, but still to about half of a new kit, and I'll have a custom color. (all 3 pieces so far are new!)
Just an idea.
Peace
Paul

[mikeh]

It sounds like you're well on you're way to a good kit.

Like any e-aby purchase, there is always some risk. I've seen guys get drums with cracked bearing edges, damaged lug casings and bent rims (one guy got rims that did not even fit the shells.

But if you got decent sheels, you are really saving a bundle on the drums. While looking for a kick, keep an eye out for birch (I suspect your hoping for maple) - birch kick drums can provide a very tight, focused attack (I'm a fan of birch).