Buying Your First Drum Kit

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Buying Your First Drum Kit

I am regularly asked by students and or their parents for advice about buying their first drum kit.
Nowadays both the retail and online markets are stacked with a plethora of deals on a multitude of equipment aimed at the beginner or student which is usually baffling to someone fairly new to the joys of drumming or a confused parent.

Hopefully I can help guide you through the selection process.

Nowadays the benefits of low cost manufacturing in China and Taiwan has enabled a lot of new names to start manufacturing entry level drum kits for the beginners market offering seemingly fantastic prices on complete drum kit packages.

What does this mean?

A basic entry level drum kit will usually comprise:

A bass drum, a snare drum and three tom toms.

The drum hardware, meaning cymbal and snare drum stands, tom holders, bass drum and hi- hat pedals and sometimes a stool.

A crash cymbal and a pair of hi-hat cymbals.

The names on these kits frequently change but some may be CB, Cannon, Diamond, Percussion Plus, Performance Percussion, Pulse, Stagg, Starcaster. Tempo and Thunder.

These packages do represent an extremely economic way of getting a beginner started on a complete kit particularly as you never know if this drumming thing may turn out to be another “five minute wonder” There are however a few potential problems with this concept -

These kits are usually available in what is known as the " rock " configuration of 22” bass drum with 12”and 13” mounted power toms and 16” floor tom. This is nowadays generally considered to be an unbalanced set up with regard to tone and indeed many higher end brands do not even offer such a set up as standard fare nowadays.
Furthermore, in my experience these larger and deeper drums can often present positioning and posture problems for younger players causing difficulties with reaching both the pedals and the toms. The shell construction of these kits is often of a low quality and the durability of the drumheads is often poor causing them to dent easily so don’t expect too much in the sound quality department!

In my experience the durability and reliability of the hardware may also be a cause for concern. I know of many occasions when the progress of an enthusiastic beginner has been held back by the shortcomings of a hi-hat or bass drum pedal. The aspiring drummer will also rapidly grow tired of the disappointing sound and feel of the cymbals and progress may also be frustrating.
The cost of replacing or upgrading pedals, heads or cymbals will quite possibly negate any perceived benefits of buying such a kit in the first place.

In a nutshell, an enthusiastic and improving drummer may become disillusioned and frustrated with this type of drum kit long before they were expecting to look for an upgrade.
My advice is to try out as many of these types of kits as you can as well as asking your drumming friends or fellow students for their experiences with such equipment before you part with any cash.

Alternatively you would do very well to consider the budget ranges of the internationally recognized dedicated drum and cymbal manufacturers. Competition in this sector is fierce as these companies are keen to generate a brand loyalty with beginners in the hope that they will stay with them as their drumming progresses and their equipment demands grow evermore sophisticated. Consequently, there is currently a vast range of high quality name brand equipment at very attractive prices on offer to the beginners market.

The Gretsch “Blackhawk”, "Mapex” OR Pearl “Forum”, Premier “Cabria”, Sonor Force 507, Tama Imperial Star and my personal favourites made by Yamaha the "Rydeen” or "Gigmaker" are current examples of entry level kits from companies that have long been recognized for their superb top of the range drums and hardware encompassing high standards of manufacture and quality control.
The drums themselves usually include features that are similar to those found on the higher range models such as the drum shell size and its method of construction, the style and number of tuning lugs, wooden in place of steel bass drum hoops and frequently a wood shell snare drum which should give a cleaner sound.

The factory supplied heads on these drums will generally be made by Remo and will be the budget equivalent of their legendary Weatherking range and should provide a good tone and level of durability.
The range of coloured plastic wrap finishes available on most of these kits is now more extensive and its application will be to a higher standard than that usually found on the generic models.
Most importantly, in line with the higher end of the market, these kits are now usually offered in the more popular " fusion" sizes of 22” or 20” bass drum with 10” and 12” mounted toms and 14” floor tom which I believe offers a more balanced sound as well as a more compact and reachable set up.

The hardware part of the package is usually a simplified or scaled down version of the high end range and will be equally durable and reliable. Tom holders will offer a flexible range of solid and secure positioning whilst bass drum and hi-hat pedals will be of similar design to their big brothers but probably without any fine adjustment features. Most kit packages only include one cymbal stand so bear this in mind if you want to utilize both ride and crash cymbals in your set up. Surprisingly, a stool is rarely included in the package price so be prepared to pay the extra as the one from the kitchen is unlikely to be the right height!

SUMMARY

In summary, an aspiring drummer looking for their first kit has a fantastic choice of really good quality drum kits produced by many of the household names of drum manufacturing which will give many years of enjoyable and reliable service.
The range and quality of cymbals available at entry level has also vastly improved in recent years as the cymbal companies are just as eager to attract the beginner. The three major manufacturers all offer boxed sets of their entry level ranges usually comprising 20” Ride, 16”Crash and 14” Hi- Hats. These will offer a great improvement both in sound and durability on the generic starter cymbals and enable the beginner to buy into a recognized brand label at an early stage.

It is fair to say you get what you pay for with cymbals as you move up the range but Zildjian Planet Z and ZBT, Sabian Solar and B8 and Paiste 101 and 201 will all perfectly compliment any of the above named drum kits. Stagg and Meinl are two names also now offering a good quality budget line too.

I do advise buying the best cymbals you can afford in order to avoid outgrowing them too soon as they will definitely go a long way towards making you and your kit sound better!
Most dealers offer combined drum and cymbal packages from some or all of the brands detailed here and these deals will inevitably vary so shop around to achieve your preferred set up.

Chris Topple.