Tips on fixing up my kit

[Kymera]

I own a Tama Rockstar 5 piece which i bought second hand. As far as i know its about 8 years old...came with cymbals including a zildian crash, pearl hihats and ride another nice brand crash (mind blank on the brand). Either way the guy who had it before me hasn't looked after it very well....he had it sitting in a window for years and is now yellowed on the side of the kick and one tom (the kit is white). I've replaced the snare head sinse that was absolutely pounded. and now the rest of the skins are and need replacing. My question is.....what skins should i put on to get a nice rock/alternative deep sound....and also....sinse the kick pedal is a shocker....what are some low budget quality pedals that would be worth looking at? Also i intend on recovering the kit sinse the guy tried to fix the yellowness by painting over it with house paint. its still a quality kit but i need some tips on fixing it up. cheers

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Heads: on toms (rack and floor), I like Remo Pinstripes on the batter side and Remo Diplomats on the resonant side. The thin Diplomats allow for more resonance, and the Pinstripes have the deep rock sound (when properly tuned). On the snare, I'm currently using a Remo Ambassador on the batter side and a Remo snare side Diplomat on the other. Make sure it's a head made for snare--the tom heads are thicker. I'm not completely satisfied with my snare sound yet, so I may change, but for starting out it's fine. On the kick, I have a Remo Powerstroke III on the back and a Remo Ambassador with a hole cut in it on the front. The Powerstroke III is a great kick head--it has a ring of muffling to help you get the rock 'thud'. Of course, proper tuning is of the utmost importance. I don't have the link handy, but do a Google search for "Professor Sound's Drum Tuning Bible" and you'll be set.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Oh yeah, I forgot. With regard to pedals, I understand the Tama Iron Cobra Jr. is a great mid-priced pedal.