What drums should I buy?
So, you're ready to buy your first drum set. There are lots of options! Where do you start?
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This is intended to be a guide to help you start thinking in the right direction. Unlike buying a guitar (where a beginner can pick up a new guitar for less than $200 and use it until he is ready to upgrade to a new guitar), buying drums should be thought of as a progressive purchase. You aren't buying one instrument that you will later trade in for a newer, better instrument. You are buying a platform to upgrade on. As you progress as a drummer you will need higher quality gear. These can be bought as slow, gradual upgrades instead of having to buy them all at once. So, as we begin our journey of what to look for in a drum set, keep in mind that you will be upgrading and adding to this purchase. The goal is to spend the least amount of money for the most amount of drum set so that you have the funds available for upgrades as needed. a
I am not going to tell you what to buy. Everyone is different and budget, personal preference, and needs will change what drum set fits a person the best. If you have a question about a particular drum set that you are looking at, feel free to email me for my opinion on it.
DISCLAIMER: I am a budget shopper. My wife and I look for the best prices on everything we buy. (Check out her couponing and saving website here). I like to find great deals on quality instruments and this affects the way I look at buying gear. So, in the interest of full disclosure, most of these tips are geared towards buying and upgrading used drum sets.
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This is intended to be a guide to help you start thinking in the right direction. Unlike buying a guitar (where a beginner can pick up a new guitar for less than $200 and use it until he is ready to upgrade to a new guitar), buying drums should be thought of as a progressive purchase. You aren't buying one instrument that you will later trade in for a newer, better instrument. You are buying a platform to upgrade on. As you progress as a drummer you will need higher quality gear. These can be bought as slow, gradual upgrades instead of having to buy them all at once. So, as we begin our journey of what to look for in a drum set, keep in mind that you will be upgrading and adding to this purchase. The goal is to spend the least amount of money for the most amount of drum set so that you have the funds available for upgrades as needed. a
I am not going to tell you what to buy. Everyone is different and budget, personal preference, and needs will change what drum set fits a person the best. If you have a question about a particular drum set that you are looking at, feel free to email me for my opinion on it.
DISCLAIMER: I am a budget shopper. My wife and I look for the best prices on everything we buy. (Check out her couponing and saving website here). I like to find great deals on quality instruments and this affects the way I look at buying gear. So, in the interest of full disclosure, most of these tips are geared towards buying and upgrading used drum sets.
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Here are some things to consider when buying a drumset
1) Price: What is your budget?
A good budget for a beginner drumset is $300-$500. Decide what your total budget is and try to find a great drumset under that price. This hopefully leaves remaining money for upgrades. If you buy used, you should be able to get a quality set with double braced hardware and nice, bronze cymbals. If you buy new, you should be able to get a set with standard hardware and brass cymbals. All of these can be upgraded.
2) Expectations: What are you expecting from this set?
Are you looking for a cheap option to gauge if he is interested in drums? Do you expect the set to last him until he has graduated high school? Knowing what you expect from the drums will also determine what type of set you buy. If you are looking to buy it once and not have to buy anything again for a long time be prepared to spend well over $1000 on new gear or find a great deal on a complete used set.
3) What's included?
A standard drum kit will be referred to as a 5 piece. This refers to the drums and not cymbals, hardware, etc. The 5 pieces of a standard drum set are a bass drum, a snare drum, two mounted toms, and a floor tom. Cymbals should include a set of hihats (mounted on a stand with a foot pedal), a ride cymbal, and at least one crash cymbal. Entry level kits will often include a set of hihats and one crash/ride cymbal. Hardware should include tom holders for the mounted toms, hihat stand, cymbal stands, snare stand, bass drum pedal, and a throne.
4) Acoustic or Electric?
It is common to be concerned with the noise of having a drumset in the house. I won't lie..it can be loud! There are ways to quiet the drums while you play them and they are worth looking into if noise is a serious problem. Though there have been great steps made in the electric drum world in the last few years I do not consider them an alternative to the real thing. Nothing will compare to having a live drum set under your sticks.
5) Size: Jr. set? Full Sized set?
With the exception of very young students (6 and younger), I recommend full-sized drums from the beginning. Students will use a full-sized kit in lessons and need to be used to the size. Adjustments can be made to make it more playable for smaller players.
A good budget for a beginner drumset is $300-$500. Decide what your total budget is and try to find a great drumset under that price. This hopefully leaves remaining money for upgrades. If you buy used, you should be able to get a quality set with double braced hardware and nice, bronze cymbals. If you buy new, you should be able to get a set with standard hardware and brass cymbals. All of these can be upgraded.
2) Expectations: What are you expecting from this set?
Are you looking for a cheap option to gauge if he is interested in drums? Do you expect the set to last him until he has graduated high school? Knowing what you expect from the drums will also determine what type of set you buy. If you are looking to buy it once and not have to buy anything again for a long time be prepared to spend well over $1000 on new gear or find a great deal on a complete used set.
3) What's included?
A standard drum kit will be referred to as a 5 piece. This refers to the drums and not cymbals, hardware, etc. The 5 pieces of a standard drum set are a bass drum, a snare drum, two mounted toms, and a floor tom. Cymbals should include a set of hihats (mounted on a stand with a foot pedal), a ride cymbal, and at least one crash cymbal. Entry level kits will often include a set of hihats and one crash/ride cymbal. Hardware should include tom holders for the mounted toms, hihat stand, cymbal stands, snare stand, bass drum pedal, and a throne.
4) Acoustic or Electric?
It is common to be concerned with the noise of having a drumset in the house. I won't lie..it can be loud! There are ways to quiet the drums while you play them and they are worth looking into if noise is a serious problem. Though there have been great steps made in the electric drum world in the last few years I do not consider them an alternative to the real thing. Nothing will compare to having a live drum set under your sticks.
5) Size: Jr. set? Full Sized set?
With the exception of very young students (6 and younger), I recommend full-sized drums from the beginning. Students will use a full-sized kit in lessons and need to be used to the size. Adjustments can be made to make it more playable for smaller players.
1. Buy Used
I have spent many hours pouring over drum sets and looking for the best prices on the best gear. Drums are expensive! But there's good news. You can buy used drums for a fraction of the price. and many times they will come complete with better hardware and cymbals than you would find in new starter sets. You can use almost any set of drums as a platform to upgrade. With a new set of drum heads and cymbals you can transform almost any drum set into a quality instrument.
Bottom Line: Buy used!! You'll save money and get MUCH more bang for your buck!
Bottom Line: Buy used!! You'll save money and get MUCH more bang for your buck!
2. Plan to upgrade
Buying drums isn't a one-time and you're done investment. Depending on your budget and the student's interest and ability it is wise to plan simple upgrades that can make vast improvements on the drum set. The great news is this: if you make upgrades to your current set you can move your upgrades when you eventually buy a better set. As drum sets rise in quality they start to sell only the drums (shell packs) instead of selling them as packages with hardware and cymbals. By the time you're ready to spend $500+ on just a set of drums it is assumed that you already have cymbals and hardware that you're bringing to the table.
New drum heads should normally be the first purchase. If you bought a used set the heads are probably worn and if you bought a new set they came with cheap, factory heads. Replacing the batter heads (the ones the sticks hit) will cost $50-$100 and will make a significant improvement in the sound of your drums.
Next on the list will likely be new cymbals. Ultimately you can expect to spend an amount comparable to the price of your drumset on quality cymbals. Most students will do well with beginner cymbal packs like Wuhan, Sabian B8, Zildjian ZBT, and comparable offerings from other manufacturers. These are a huge step up from the brass cymbals that often come with beginner kits without shelling out too much money.
Upgrades can (and probably should) be a slow and steady process. New Cymbals, drum heads, or accessories (more cowbell anyone?) make great Christmas or Birthday presents.
Bottom Line: Buying drums is a journey. Pace yourself!
3. Avoid buying instruments from non-instrument stores
It is becoming much easier to buy instruments these days. Now you can head over to walmart and buy some milk, eggs, a new shirt, and...drums? Yep. You will find drums (and other instruments) at walmart, target, costco, sams, etc. Avoid these. Some are simply toys. Others (though they seem like a deal) are FAR too expensive for the quality of instrument that you buy.
Bottom Line: Leave selling instruments to the professionals.
Bottom Line: Leave selling instruments to the professionals.
4. Don't buy based on looks
Let's be honest. Most drum sets look alike. To the novice the only thing separating the $300 drum set from the $3000 drum set may be that the cheaper one is black and the $3000 kit is a nice shade of blue. Even though it may look like a decent drum set, be sure to give it a nice inspection.
Bottom Line: Even though they both have four wheels and a horn there is a BIG difference between a Kia and a Lexus.
Bottom Line: Even though they both have four wheels and a horn there is a BIG difference between a Kia and a Lexus.
5. Check the quality of the parts
Even if you don't know much about drums, you can tell when something looks cheap.
What to look for:
1. Hardware (stands, pedals, etc. )
Does it look cheap and flimsy? It probably is.
Look for double-braced hardware when possible.
2. Cymbals
Do they look and sound more like pie pans than actual cymbals? Cymbals should have a nice ring and ping to them. If in doubt, head over to Guitar Center or another music store and "test" expensive cymbals vs. cheap cymbals. The difference will be very noticeable, even to a novice.
3. Overall look and feel of the drums
Are there major defects on any of the drums?
Bottom Line: If it looks, feels, and sounds cheap...it is.
What to look for:
1. Hardware (stands, pedals, etc. )
Does it look cheap and flimsy? It probably is.
Look for double-braced hardware when possible.
2. Cymbals
Do they look and sound more like pie pans than actual cymbals? Cymbals should have a nice ring and ping to them. If in doubt, head over to Guitar Center or another music store and "test" expensive cymbals vs. cheap cymbals. The difference will be very noticeable, even to a novice.
3. Overall look and feel of the drums
Are there major defects on any of the drums?
Bottom Line: If it looks, feels, and sounds cheap...it is.
6. any set is a good set if the price is right
My contention with buying new gear has nothing to do with the gear itself, but the price of the gear. As a beginner (especially a young beginner), it will probably be quite a few years before you have to worry about gigging and having professional quality gear. I recommend starting out with whatever you can afford and upgrading as you begin to understand what you need.
I have played on pro-level kits that felt and sounded terrible because they weren't tuned or set up properly and played on cheap, generic kits that had a surprisingly great feel and sound because they were tuned well and included a few cheap and easy upgrades.
I can understand the idea behind wanting to spend money once and be done with it, but unless you plan to drop well over $1000, buying and building a quality drum set is something that develops over time.
Bottom Line: Try not to spend too much at the beginning. Leave yourself room to grow and expand.
I have played on pro-level kits that felt and sounded terrible because they weren't tuned or set up properly and played on cheap, generic kits that had a surprisingly great feel and sound because they were tuned well and included a few cheap and easy upgrades.
I can understand the idea behind wanting to spend money once and be done with it, but unless you plan to drop well over $1000, buying and building a quality drum set is something that develops over time.
Bottom Line: Try not to spend too much at the beginning. Leave yourself room to grow and expand.
closing thoughts
Drums
Most drums (the actual drums: bass, snare, and toms) are fine for beginners. With the right set of drum heads and proper tuning, most drums will sound great. Without getting too much into the type of woods that make up drums, try to stay away from drums that are made of basswood, hardwood, and brands that don't tell you what type of wood they are made from. Good woods for drums include maple, birch, ash, and even poplar.
Hardware
The stands and hardware are a very overlooked part of the drum set. Your stands hold up and support your drums and cymbals. Do you really want to put your gear on stands that are subpar and may fall over? Better hardware will also enable you to position your drums or cymbals in more comfortable and ergonomic positions. Try to buy double-braced stands when possible. Good upgrades in the future include a new bass drum pedal and a new hihat stand.
Cymbals
For budget cymbals, I really like Wuhan. As the price range goes up, I recommend the Sabian B8. After that ($400+) it really becomes a matter of preference and you should be developed enough as a player to know what sound you are looking for before you drop that much money on cymbals.
Drum Heads
Again, this is an area of opinion and preference. For batter heads (the ones you hit), I like Evans G2s on the toms and Evans Emad2 on the kick. For resonant heads (the ones on the bottom), I like Evans G1s on the toms and Evans EQ3 on the kick drum. Remo Pinstripes are also quite nice as are the Aquarian Performance II and Superkick II. Make sure that you know the size of your drums before you buy drum heads. Heads often come in pre-packs, which can save you money.
Most drums (the actual drums: bass, snare, and toms) are fine for beginners. With the right set of drum heads and proper tuning, most drums will sound great. Without getting too much into the type of woods that make up drums, try to stay away from drums that are made of basswood, hardwood, and brands that don't tell you what type of wood they are made from. Good woods for drums include maple, birch, ash, and even poplar.
Hardware
The stands and hardware are a very overlooked part of the drum set. Your stands hold up and support your drums and cymbals. Do you really want to put your gear on stands that are subpar and may fall over? Better hardware will also enable you to position your drums or cymbals in more comfortable and ergonomic positions. Try to buy double-braced stands when possible. Good upgrades in the future include a new bass drum pedal and a new hihat stand.
Cymbals
For budget cymbals, I really like Wuhan. As the price range goes up, I recommend the Sabian B8. After that ($400+) it really becomes a matter of preference and you should be developed enough as a player to know what sound you are looking for before you drop that much money on cymbals.
Drum Heads
Again, this is an area of opinion and preference. For batter heads (the ones you hit), I like Evans G2s on the toms and Evans Emad2 on the kick. For resonant heads (the ones on the bottom), I like Evans G1s on the toms and Evans EQ3 on the kick drum. Remo Pinstripes are also quite nice as are the Aquarian Performance II and Superkick II. Make sure that you know the size of your drums before you buy drum heads. Heads often come in pre-packs, which can save you money.
