Become a Member
Remove ads, unlock a dark mode theme, and get other perks by upgrading your account. Experience the website the way it's meant to be.

Question for drummers: beginner drum set

Discussion in 'Music Forum' started by Maybevictor, May 23, 2016.

  1. Maybevictor May 23, 2016
    Maybevictor

    @maybevictor Prestigious

    Hey guys, so I know there's a lot of musicians (both professional and hobbyists) in these forums so I figured I would ask here. I am looking to buy my first drum set after years of playing other people's. I have been playing guitar and bass for almost ten years now but I would consider myself an intermediate drummer (I can keep a beat and can play along to a lot of different music but I'm not proficient by any means)

    A lot of people have recommended I look for something used on eBay or Craigslist so that I can get a better set as opposed to buying a new starter set. My budget is anywhere from 300-500, though I'm hoping to spend no more than 450. Is there any specific drum sets you guys recommend or any ad once on what to look for? I'll be playing a little bit of everything though I definitely see myself playing more indie-rock / alternative music and I don't think I'll be playing a lot of super heavy music.

    Any advice is welcome. This is one of the options I found on Craigslist:
    Yamaha Stage Custom Intermediate Drumset
     
  2. Phillip May 24, 2016
    Phillip

    BOO

    Used is probably the way to go. You should also check out some used drums in a Guitar Center/Sam Ash/Whatever music store by you. Yamaha, Tama, Gretsch, PDP, Ludwig, Pearl, Mapex, and a couple more probably all make lower/mid end kits that are probably great nowadays. It's been a really long time since I've looked at kits, though.

    All that said, you should definitely invest in new heads if the ones that come on whatever you get are pretty used. lower end kits aren't going to sound amazing because of the build quality/wood types, but new heads make a huge difference as does proper tuning.

    Then keep cymbals in mind. The listing you posted comes with a couple, but they look like they might be zbt's or something similar, which are older at this point and don't sound great. My current crashes are Wuhans I bought off amazon for like $90 each and they sound infinitely better than the ZBTs I played once upon a time.

    With new heads and other assorted goodies I'm sure that one you posted would be just fine, although I think $450 is steep, but like I said it's been a while since I've looked at drums so maybe that's a good price. This ended up being longer than I expected and probably not helpful, so feel free to ask any questions you think of.