where to get cheap drum set

L

L'espion Noir

Member
where can i find some cheap drum set, i mean like a notch above Juniors drum set i don't care for the quality i just want a set to learn

i checking pawn shop but the only one i found has a busted tom, a missing pedal , missing high hat and missing bass head for a $100, but i figured after replacing all these part i would be not to far from a new set

anyway please hit me with some info
 
My friend got a 4-peice set off eBay for $99. He replaced the cymbals and hi-hats immediately and the stands afterwards, but it's a decent set.
 
Ebay

i learned from a $150 set on Ebay. Problem is, it sucks. Now that Ive been playing for 5 months, I realize how f***ing terrible it is, and oen of the toms has already warped up... but its good to start off with before u buy a nice set.
 
If you can't find a complete used decent kit that someone wants to dump cheap, many times it's better to buy the hardware separately. You can actually usually find decent hardware pretty cheap, so get the best you can - because
you can always upgrade the cheap drums later. But if you have crappy hardware to begin with, things will move and slip and be unstable(i.e., suck).
I recommend Pearl 7/8" tubular tom mounts due to their versatility and strength.
Gilbralter also makes a similar type.
I've seen too many people buy the cheap complete drumkit, where the
hardware, especially the HH and BD pedal, sucked so bad, they ended up
buying replacements soon after.
You absolutely "get what you pay for", but if you are a clever shopper, you
can a lot for your money, and avoid paying twice for the same type of item.
 
So far, I'm having pretty good luck with my mass-manufactured Ludwig kit. It's a Ludwig Accent Combo, with various extra cymbal stands, an added 10" tom (Pulse), and a total of 6 cymbals, not counting the hi-hat. All in all, I think I've spent somewhere around $850 (plus shipping for a few of the smaller pieces that I ordered later).

Here are some things I've learned during this experience....

Stands:

1. Don't buy straight stands. You'll only end up adding a grabber arm later....
2. The Pearl PPS31 Cymbal holder (http://www.drumcentral.com/hardwarepics196.htm) is not what you are looking for. Don't even think about it.
3. pdp cymbal stands really, really suck.
4. Some Ludwig cymbal stands also suck---including the one that came with this kit. After adding a $20 boom adapter, it is at least usable, but it feels like it's on the verge of falling over.
5. Apparently, almost all cymbal stands suck... but sandbags help, particularly on carpet. :D
6. A mic stand makes a decent cymbal/drum stand in a pinch; my $40 Tama mic stand is sturdier at holding a 10" tom, a 16" cymbal, and a 10" splash than my double-braced cymbal stands (each holding just a single 16" or 18" cymbal). Sad. Really f***ing sad.


Heads::

1. Factory heads all suck. Well, the snare head was okay. The tom heads weren't horrible, but never sounded that great. I replaced them all with pinstripes anyway, and it made a world of difference. (That, and I spent more time tuning them better, which probably helped a lot....)
2. Factory heads all suck. Particularly Ludwig's bass drum heads. There's nothing quite like having a crease on both heads straight out of the box and having to tune it higher than my lowest tom to get rid of it. I now have a Ludwig head with a port on the front and a Remo ebony pinstripe on the batter side. Much happier.


General::

1. Pulse add-on toms have lousy mounting hardware. They use these rubber grommets to hold the drum in place. It's really hard to get it just right where they stay. Next head replacement, I'm drilling holes in the side and fastening the mounting hardware into the drum.
2. Pulse "Paiste 357" cymbals are really good for the money. I got their cymbal pack at Musician's Friend, and added an 18" crash. I think the 18" is my favorite of the bunch.
3. Pearl: great drums, not great cymbals.... (Though it may have been a bad choice of models, not sure.) Both the 16" crash and 10" splash cymbals I have make me feel like I'm hitting a very smooth trash can lid.... No body to the sound at all.
4. You can never have enough Tama mic stands. I'm up to three so far. Thinking about making it 4.
5. You can never have too few of those $20 Nady stands. Those things barely hold themselves up without a mic. Again, sandbags help.
6. Never understimate the power of string and clothespins for shock-mounting a microphone on the cheap.
 
I went to a drum store and tried out a set they had there and it included cymbals and I think it might have been on consignment, but it was used and I said, that pedal is a little weird, he goes and pulls out a new one and hooked it up, then I said, the seat is a bit shakey, and out comes a new throne, entry level replacement stuff, but still new and working well. I can't remember exactly how much, and it was over 5 years ago, so I can't help you w/ price, but the same store I go to and see kits all over the place in different completeness. They'll piece it together, i'm sure. Don't know if you have a store like that around you, but that's what i'd do again.

I looked at the entry level new stuff and it all looked really skimpy and had fewer lugs and really light weight stands, and very basic thin heads, and the cymbals were pretty thin, I don't think they sell them separately at all (if you new kit even includes them) so thin, they'd only come w/ a new entry level kit.

So I got stuff that was sturdy, and I can still use it all. Some rust on some parts of some stands, but they are sturdy and still very useable. I actually record this old used kit on my stuff, so you can even hear it if you want.

I haven't looked lately, but I think it's safe to still say that it's probably still true that you can get better quality used than same price or higher but new.
 
You can beat up more people if you have 8 lugs in your gang as opposed to only 6.


Seriously, If a tom has 8 lugs it will be easier to tune and stay in tune better than if it has only six. Not only that, but the pitch will be better because you are able to fine tune it. You don't realize it, but there is a lot of flex in the hoop between lugs. If you have 2 lugs tuned to the exact same pressure on a six lug drum, the point at the center between them will have less. This can cause tuning problems. Its most noticable on snare drums. Most pros will use a 10 lug snare, whereas cheap kits come with an 8 lug snare.
 
$200.00 for a 70s Ludwig rocker at a pawn shop with hardware and a set of Zildjen A series cymbols...they took a loss because there were 5 sets there and they needed the room.
 
PhilGood said:
You can beat up more people if you have 8 lugs in your gang as opposed to only 6.


Seriously, If a tom has 8 lugs it will be easier to tune and stay in tune better than if it has only six. Not only that, but the pitch will be better because you are able to fine tune it. You don't realize it, but there is a lot of flex in the hoop between lugs. If you have 2 lugs tuned to the exact same pressure on a six lug drum, the point at the center between them will have less. This can cause tuning problems. Its most noticable on snare drums. Most pros will use a 10 lug snare, whereas cheap kits come with an 8 lug snare.
Click to expand...

i appreciate the knowledge
 
i'm thinking about getting that used kit from the pawn shop, and replacing the head.

what's the difference between a single head and a double head
 
L'espion Noir said:
i'm thinking about getting that used kit from the pawn shop, and replacing the head.

what's the difference between a single head and a double head
Click to expand...

Do you mean single/double as in only a top head versus a top and bottom, or do you mean as in a single vs. double ply head?

If you mean one head versus two....

With a two-head drum, the two heads interact with each other and with the length of the column of air in-between to produce an effective pitch that, as best I can tell, may not be anywhere close to the fundamental pitch of either head. It's really quite fascinating. I don't understand the physics, but I know enough to know that I don't want to know. :eek: Anyway, depending on how the heads are tuned, you can get some fascinating resonance going on between them that can either add to or detract from the character of the tone....

By contrast, with a drum that only has a batter head, you get the pitch of the upper head, AFAIK. (You probably also end up with some difference tones going on between the harmonics of the head's pitch and the frequency/harmonics of the air column, and lots of other fun stuff, but....)

Short answer... it sounds different. :D

If you mean a single layer head versus a double... dunno. A double can take more abuse, I suppose... but somebody who has actually used a single-ply head could answer better as to the sound difference. I'd sort-of expect a little less resonance to a two-ply, if I were guessing.
 
Listen to any of the early Van Halen albums. I know Alex was furious when he walked in to record the first record and the engineer and producer had taken off all the bottom heads of his kit. They said "No, this will be your signature sound!" or something to that effect.

You get a very throaty sound with alot of ring. Not resonance, but ring! Two heads sounds very warm and full, like you hear the wood in an acoustic guitar. I played single headed drums when I first started out, but after I could afford to have a double headed kit, I never went back.

You'll understand after you try the difference.
 
L'espion Noir said:
thanks, i meant double as in top and bottom

i don't remember if this kit had the bottom skins but is this something i can add or what
Click to expand...

If it has lugs on the bottom, but no hoops, you could order replacements online. Midwest percussion has them, Lone Star Percussion has them. You could do just do a google search.

If there's no lugs, no chance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top