What guidelines make a drumset "Beginer, intermediate, or pro?"

[capnkid]

I was doing google searches on drumsets and "beginer" sets popped up with stores that sold them, so I clicked on one and The Tama superestar was listed along with the Sonor 3005 These are two of the drumsets I was considering for my home studio, the other being the Mapex pro M. which wasn't listed as beginer.
What confuses me is that the Tama Superstar has birch shells and double braced hardware and is like $799. and the Sonor 3005 is Maple with double braced hardware and like $1099. I thought a beginer set would be more around $399-$699. I am confused.

 

[Tim Brown]

I was doing google searches on drumsets and "beginer" sets popped up with stores that sold them, so I clicked on one and The Tama superestar was listed along with the Sonor 3005 These are two of the drumsets I was considering for my home studio, the other being the Mapex pro M. which wasn't listed as beginer.
What confuses me is that the Tama Superstar has birch shells and double braced hardware and is like $799. and the Sonor 3005 is Maple with double braced hardware and like $1099. I thought a beginer set would be more around $399-$699. I am confused.

Well... consider this - many of the basic "professional" drumsets available are right around $3,000.

Personally, if you are playing in bars all the time, and leaving the kit in these places for several nights at a time - I don't see the point in owning a kit that costs $3,000 just to be left in a bar where it will betorn up, and possibly be stolen.

If I were playing shows where I left a kit over night all the time, I'd be looking at a lower line of shells such as Tama Rockstars or Pearl Exports, with a better grade of hardware.

The sets you mentioned have nothing wrong with them, they just aren't "top of the line" kits.

There are lines that sell for around $400 for a kit, but those are basically children's sets.



Tim

 

[RAMI]

In general, it's the kind of wood used that determines quality. Maple and Birch will obviously sound better and be worth more than press wood, for an exterme example. Also, the hardware and general construction. Then you get into things like whether the finish is laquered or stuck on, etc... Having said that, just like any other piece of equipment, someone that can't tune or play well won't sound better on a good kit than an expert will on a cheap kit.