Need advice on choosing a kit

Prism

Prism

New member
Yo,
I'm looking for an affordable ( preferably under $500 ) drum kit with at least two toms, two cymbals and a hi-hat...pretty basic/standard stuff. Anyway, I've seen some rather affordable kits from a company called TKO, but I am always suspicious of products which have an extraordinarily low price tag. Can anyone recommend TKO drums for me, or are they just trash?
Should I try to get a used kit at a pawn shop? I am in need of advice.

Thanks,
Isaiah
 
hey man,

If you know how to tune a drumset, almost any drumset sounds good. I have a $50 student snare that sounds like its a $1000 one. I also have an $800 yamaha stage custom kit that sound professional. Its all in the way u tune the drums and GET GOOD CYMBALS!!!!

Good luck!:D
 
Along the lines of Daht32,

Good kit under $500? Check out the CB percussion kits, well made, good shells. They come with some shitty hat's, and a crash.

Depends what you plan on using it for. Learning drums, coming up with your own ideas etc.

The cymbals are the weaker link in the cheap drumkits. And, expensive drumkits, don't come with cymbals for a reason.

For good cymbals alone, crash, ride, hats you will be above the $500 in no time.

Not trying to be discouraging, but a good guitar is priced in the $700 and up range.

Check out the CB stuff, it's well made. Dixon also makes some half-decent cheap kits. Replace all the factory heads... but that's gonna cost too - $150 or so for some Evans G2's resonant and batter side.

Maybe get a good cheap kit, and gradually add on to it? Cymbals are an investment for life, so you really can't go wrong taking that approach.

The used route might be good as well, you might find a better kit quality wise, and even some decent cymbals in the $500 dollar range. That would be my first option. Musicians are always needing a quick $ - :)
 
I've never had hands on with a TKO kit, so I can't comment. At $500 it will be hard to find a "good" kit and "good" cymbals". Good heads and good tuning can indeed make a "cheap" set sound good - but cymbals are what they are - you can really "fix" thier sound. As previosuly stated, it is wise to hold out for decent cymbals -if possible, avoid the Sabian B8's, Zildian ZBT's and Paiste 303's.

To get a reasonably good sounding kit new - you should plan to spend $500-$700 for drums and $400-$500 for cymbals, and probably about $100 for new heads (at least for the batter side).

You can find decent used kits, but, if you don't know much about drums, have a drummer check out any used kit to make sure the lugs, bearing edges and all related hardware is in good shape. Check used cymbals for cracks or "keyhole" damage.
 
Prism said:
Yo,
I'm looking for an affordable ( preferably under $500 ) drum kit with at least two toms, two cymbals and a hi-hat...pretty basic/standard stuff. Anyway, I've seen some rather affordable kits from a company called TKO, but I am always suspicious of products which have an extraordinarily low price tag. Can anyone recommend TKO drums for me, or are they just trash?
Should I try to get a used kit at a pawn shop? I am in need of advice.

Thanks,
Isaiah
Click to expand...

Piece of Shit.

Have any friends that play drums?
Ask them to go with you to check out used sets.
You can probably find a decent used kit for about $350-$500.
Check out Pawn shops.

I've seen 7 piece Yamaha Top of the line kits go for $700 locally, and that was with cymbals.
Look and see if there's a local "trading post" type of paper in your area....there's where you will get the best deals.

I'd rather have an old used Ludwig kit that's in okay shape, than a new piece of shit.

1 thing-stay away from old Slingerlands-the Tom mounts sucked then, and you can't get any type of replacement....It would cost you at least $150 bucks to replace the mounting system.

I would say look for name brand kits (Ludwig, Pearl, Yamaha) but find somebody who know what to look for to help you out.



Tim
 
Thanks Tim... that's what my drummer friend has been telling me. (pawn shops, et al.) I took hold of the drumsticks today for the 3rd time and he tells me I'm doing great. It's just that as I improve, it will be important for me to have my own kit so I won't need to use my friends' kits anymore. (Although it IS a good excuse to go hang out with friends...)

Personally, I'm not picky. I don't want to record my drumming (yet) so I would gladly settle for something that a seasoned drummer may consider "inferior". I am a little picky about cymbals...they have very distinct sounds, and I've been able to form preferences based on what I've heard. I personally like the "smash/crash" sound more than the melodic "ding" that seems inescapable with some cymbals, no matter how you hit 'em.

Anyway, I can't afford anything now, but hopefully soon... I'm actually supposed to be buying a guitar soon, but I'll probably save up and get both. :D

Thanks again

Isaiah
 
No TKO!!!!!!!!

I bought one out of desperation it was in my face after my moms home caught fire and my DW was there and we had a show that weekend I even recorded with them on a cd with some freinds that needed me too sit in though I tuned them excellently they are so cheaply built worse than CB perc even(that's bad) they have no power I literally had too stomp the kick too make it work for me(good work out tho). find a used kit somewhere or the pearl export series kits are under $500 and a couple others. A freind has a pearl export and he tuned it so well it sounds better than alot of pricey kits. But don't buy TKO or CB. suck royally IMHO.
 
Well, if you say so... I was sort of steering away from those brands anyway. I will just have to shop around and get more advice. Does anyone know about the brand "Peace"? Someone on eBay sells a lot of their kits and praises them highly over inferior brands like TKO and CB.

Isaiah
 
TKO

Too look for some nice used kits goto MusicGoRound.com or GuitarCenter.com or SamAsh.com for starts. Like I said I have a TKO sitting in the corner of my basement. You don't wanna go there with those kits. But hey it's on you buy'em now regret it later.
 
i used to use my friends CB set at band practice and let me tell you...it was one of the worst sounding sets i have ever heard or played...and i've played on a lot of sets. it had good heads and i tuned them and everything...but im sorry...nothing could be done. but i do believe that cheap sets can sound good too...i have a pearl forum which was less than$400 new... got Evans G2 heads on them and a pearl maple shell piccolo. That whole setup is about your price range of $500. I used some really shitty chamber and schmiter cymbals for awhile until i could afford better ones...i eventually spent a small fortune on sabian aax cymbals...they're not great...but i'll eventually sell them or something and get something better. so the whole thing is, i couldnt turn around and sell the pearl for very much...so i would look into getting something like that used. you never know...you might get lucky...one day my friends neighbor put a gretsch drumset out to the curb with his trash for the garbage men to come pick up...can you believe that? and it had some vintage ride cymbal with it and the snare was really nice. that guy must have been stupid. so my friend went and got it...the guy said it took up too much space in his house. go figure...but it happened to be my birthday that day so my friend gave it to me! so i was really lucky...but my luck soon ran out...because then it got stolen...i had it at a friends house where we used to jam and another drummer kept his stuff there too...so one day i showed up and everything was gone...the kid told me that the other drummer told him everything was his...so i went to this guys house and demanded it back but he told me it wasnt mine anymore. i forced my way into his house and i couldnt find it...he told me it was somewhere else and that i'd never see it again. there was nothing i could do so i gave up. thats when i bought another cheap set for 100 bucks off some kid...i dont even know what kind it was...it was black...probably a TKO!...it came with hi-hat cymbals and a crash/ride...someone later stole the crash/ride...come to think of it...i've had a lot of bad luck man...this is bringing up some bad memories...hope all this crap helps you in some way...i can certainly understand why people insure some of their instruments...theres a lot of terrible people out there.
-bluelonestar
 
Hey Prism, these guys are right about the cheapo pawn shop brands. CB, Pulse and TKO are the most un-tunable, hollow sounding junk on the market. But be aware that even the big guys sell some pretty cheesey entry level stuff.

I have a hard time recommending a drum that has mounting hardware going thru it, but for the money you want to spend, I suggest you check ebay and local ads for Pearl's Export kits or Tama Rockstar which is basicaly the same drum with better hardware.

I don't know if they still do, but I know Musician's Friend was running Tama Swingstars with some Paiste cheapies for $569. Beefier shell construction and better material. Make one of these your foundation and spend some money on real heads and good pedals.

Lastly...cheap cymbals will make you cringe every time you hit 'em.
 
There's a guy on eBay that sells "Peace" drums. He says that they're made in the same factory as Pearl kits, and that they're just as good, only less money. In this guy's auctions, he also seems to make an effort to point out the serious faults in brands like CB and TKO, which makes me less skeptical of the drums that he's selling, since his opinions seem to match those of people more experienced than I. Unfortunately, the kits come with generic cymbals, but since they're already so affordable, buying new cymbals would not be too bad. I'll keep looking out, but I'm pretty impressed by the Peace kits, based on what I've heard about them. (and it's none of that marketing salesmanship hype like you find in Musician's Friend catalogs. :p)

Isaiah
 
"Peace" drums???????

Don't fall for that "They're made in the same factory as Pearl crap" that means nothing and it's prob a lie people will say or do anything too make a sell. But dude everyone here has given you good advise thus far why don't you use it or you're gonna be sorry believe that! you have an ok price range why don't you save an extra $100 or $200 and just for now shop I found a Pearl Maple custon 6pc set for $700 so if you shop around you'll get a great kit for little or nothing even about the Tama Rockstar or Pearl Export are not great kits but with good heads e.i. pin stripes, Ambassadors, Emperors or evans you can have a great sounding kit and half assed tuned drums sound good mic'ed up. But if you're not gonna listen or take heed too some of the advice given why keep asking. I got a TKO you can buy for $350 if you want a cheap horrible sounding set :)
 
hey:


You get what you pay for!! I'd stay away from the low priced crap because that's just what you'll get. I noticed that nobody has mentioned hardware yet. You don't want some cheap crap that's gonna strip and wobble or squeek, etc. And for god sakes DON'T buy anything made with white steel!! It's as plyable as lead!! Look for Yamaha(not the POWER V series), Sonor, Ayotte. Stuff like that won't steer you wrong. It also holds it's value pretty well too. Has anybody else here tried or heard Ayotte Drums? Unbelieveable-if you have the bread!!
 
Ayotte Drums......

They're Grrrrrrrrreat :) heh played 'em but I love DW more GMS are sweet also. and the hardware thing is true I have a heavy duty Pearl stand and beleive me they don't make'em like this anymore the stand it self weighs about 50lbs and a few Tama stands that make these stands today look like toys they've lasted years but they're heavy as hell.
 
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