Help

[tilinmyowngrave]

OK, ive been playing for 5 months. Problem is, my set was REALLY cheap, made out of ply wood, and its starting to warp (no joke, one of the rack toms is f***ed up already, and the floor tom is starting to sound funny too, and i just tuned it) so I need a set. Here are my preferences:

Maple (or birch, but i prefer maple)
Loud as F*** (Cutting, without having to bust my ass playing hard)
Variety of drum sizes
Easy tuning
Preferably something by Sonor or DW (DW PAcific is OK, as long as its a good set).
Less than $1200

I dont wanna buy anything too high class, since I havent been playing for long... but somehting that will last

 

[rweiss]

So what are you asking us? ...Seems like you've got the whole set picked out.

As for woods, maple will be warmer (the most common), but birch is a bit brighter and will be just a *little* bit louder.

You choice of set isn't going to affect how easy it is to tune them. Of course some sets will sound better than others when tuned correctly (with many other factors considered in the equation), but it's still going to take the same amount of time to tune them the way you want.

I'd recommend DW over Sonor, unless you get a good deal on a real nice Sonor.

You're budget is fine if you're only looking for drums. You can definately get a nice DW set for $1200 - but you won't be getting any cymbals if you don't already have some.

Anyway, I don't think I helped much - just offering my opinion.

 

[tilinmyowngrave]

hm... well, the truth is, i dotn ahve too many specifications . but when you say a DW for under 1200, do you mean DW Pacific, or the custom kind? and thanks, i was kinda torn between Sonor and DW.

 

[DuoToneBand]

good luck finding a collectors or almost any good sonor for that price, even used! I LOVE THEM BOTH

 

[RezN8]

Imho

I love the sound of DWs and Sonor's higher-end kits. However, since you've only been playing for 5 months, I suggest you look into getting a good mid-level kit for about $600 or $700, and spend the rest on cymbals or upgrades.

Have you decided on what sizes and depths the drums are going to be? Many drummers I know bought power toms because they thought that would give them more volume. Almost all had trouble setting up the toms where they wanted, because the power toms sat too high on top of the 22" or 24" bass drums. Maybe something to consider as well.

One of the best values I've found is with Tama's Rockstar kits. The sound is great for the money and most of the hardware is sturdy AND modular, which really helps when you're trying to find the best way to set things up.

Mapex also makes a great sounding kit for the price. So does Gretsch - their birch kit is pretty nice to look and sounds sweet. Many people also like Yamaha's entry level kit (Stage series) - I liked the sound but the hardware wasn't as sturdy as the Tama's. We also seemed to get more volume from the Tama bassdrum then the Yamaha of the same dimensions.

Here's what I suggest. Get a Tama Rockstar, Rockstar custom or a Mapex V-series. I would then upgrade the snare drum and get a better bass drum pedal and more cymbal stands. Then spend the rest of your money on the best cymbals you can find.

This is just my opinion, though. The best thing you can do is define exactly what you need (rather than want) and try to make the most informed decision you can. The more you research what you're looking for, the better your results will be.

Best of luck! Rez

 

[tilinmyowngrave]

one last question (deciding factor)

i checked out some sets... ok, a lot of sets. i dont ahver time to see them all, but i decided a $600-800 price range. so here are a few sets:

Sonor FOrce 2005 (Birch)
DW Pacific LX
Tama Rockstar
Tama SUperstar
Mapex V Series

These are all sets in my price range... which one is the best?