How to pick the best drum set
Getting your own drum set doesn’t have to be a chore, although the variety of choices out there is massive. Having a realistic idea about what you need from your new instrument will improve your chances of finding what you are searching for. With that in mind, look around for a kit that suits the style or music genre you typically play, and search for attributes and set-ups that are going to fit the way you perform.
Level of the player
When it comes to buying a drum set, how advanced your drumming technique is can be the ideal basis for forming your decisions. If you’re a superior drummer, you will very likely want to consider only the quality of shells ignoring all the included cymbals and hardware that will be replaced immediately. That’s why you might prefer looking for shells only packages.
The same is true about advanced musicians who sometimes develop keen preferences for equipment items from different makers and often want to retain some parts from an older kit when upgrading to a new one. What it boils down to is that advanced musicians are making different decisions compared to novice players when they’re buying equipment. Finding the best beginner or intermediate drum set when you’re a relative novice requires a different approach to that of the experienced drummer when searching for the best sounding drum set to use in the studio or at a gig. The ddrum Hybrid 6 Kit is a very illustrative example of what some advanced players are looking for. Depending on whether they’re session drummers – often needing to be set up for studio work or an all-out gigging musician, they’ll need to consider many facets when buying a new kit.
In some ways, for the novices out there, finding the ideal set is simply a case of keeping it sensible and searching for drum sets that include hardware and cymbals.
Number of pieces
As we’ve already touched on, everyone is looking for a different set-up. If you’re a beginner, you really only need a basic five-piece set-up, with a hi-hat, crash, and a ride cymbal, plus a floor tom and two additional toms, a bass drum, and a snare drum. Those drums will enable you to practice everything you’ll need to learn the basics of drumming – and if it came down to it, you could play a gig with almost any band in the world just with that basic kit. Check the Ludwig Accent Drive if you’re a novice player looking to start playing right away.
For the guys and gals out there who play massive drum sets, you’ll already know that there is basically no limit to what you can hit and make a noise. Even then, however, some of the seven and five-piece drum sets are where the journey begins, and let’s face it, most drummers start with a small van and end up needing a bigger one.
The best thing about drumming is the scope it presents to experiment and expand your kit.
Shell material
Drum set shells are the round, vertical sections of drums. On the bass drum, the shell sits horizontally. On most acoustic drum sets, the shells are constructed from wood. As it is often the case with furniture, when wood needs to be formed into a relatively tightly bent shape, the craftsman will turn to a technique which involves laminating (layering) several thin slices of wood together in order to make the material more bendable. Each layer in the finished product is called a ply – if you look at the end of a sheet of plywood, you’ll see several layers of (usually hardwood) glued together so that the grain runs opposite ways in each layer. This makes for a very strong final product with rich and deep sound.
Color
It can be argued that when it comes to the drum set, visuals are almost as crucial on the stage as the sound the drums make. The drum sets tend to attract a lot of attention, and there is no reason why the percussion section should not look great.
While it probably isn’t the best advice to tell anyone to pick a drum set based on how it looks, that’s not to say you shouldn’t give it some serious consideration.
The drum sets out there with absolutely killer paint jobs and finishes can cost a small fortune. However, it’s possible to gain the admiring looks of an audience and really make a visual statement by merely choosing an option finished in a bold color – and there are plenty out there at an affordable price, such as the excellent and striking PDP Concept Maple -5-Piece Kit, which comes in a range of stunning colors.
Hardware
Hardware is an important consideration for two main reasons. First, if it’s included, you don’t have to spend more money and time on that, so you can start playing right away. Second, if it’s of high quality, you will less likely want to replace it soon. Hardware is what takes a lot of the force you exert when you play the drums, so it’s essential the materials used are up to the job. Look at the girth of stands and the size of the moving parts. The last thing you want, if you’ve managed to find a kit that includes hardware, is to have to go out and upgrade it anyway because it can’t withstand a journey or a heavy jamming session.
For instance, the Pearl EXX725S kit is an excellent piece of percussion equipment that comes with a pedal and all the stands that have a high quality build and will last you longer.
Cymbals
Cymbals are one of the parts of a drum set that can make or break it. Partially, that is so because they are made to a very broad range of standards. One cymbal may sound almost infinitely better than another, even if very similar materials and processes have gone into the construction.
Much as with hardware, firstly, it’s wise to check if cymbals have been included – as that’s not always the case. Some kits on our list will require you to fork out extra cash for cymbals.
Secondly, if the kit you’re looking at does include cymbals, make sure they’re of a decent quality.
For example, the Pearl EXX725S offers you an option with wonderful Sabian cymbals that many professionals use for their live performances.
Other important features
When it comes to your own drum set, what’s included in the package will dictate how much additional cash you’ll need to part with before you can play. Remember to look for what’s in the box. Sometimes, bass drum pedals and thrones (stools) are not part of the deal the maker is offering – and that can be a costly oversight. Some kits include cymbal sets, and some don’t. If you want to get drumming straight out of the box, look for kits that include cymbals, a throne, pedals, and even drum sticks. The Ludwig Accent Drive is an excellent example of a ready-to-play package.
Buying a drum set is always going to involve spending a notable amount of money, and as with any purchase of that type, a strong warranty is going to be a bonus. The peace of mind a warranty provides is all about protection against faulty workmanship or component failure. Remember to check out the type and length of warranty on each drum set you consider. For example, the Pearl Masters Maple Complete is a drum set with an outstanding lifetime warranty.
Prices
As you’ll have seen in our review section, owning one of the modestly priced drum sets, such as the PDP Concept Maple -5-Piece Kit or the Mapex Mars 5-Piece Rock Shell Pack, doesn’t have to set you back a small fortune or make access to your own drum set impossible, and you can get the drums you need for around $600 or $700. If your budget is low, but your desire to play is strong, you can get going straight out of the box for a mere $400 with the excellent Ludwig Accent Drive Five-Piece Drum Set.
There are a couple of premium sets available around the $1000 mark, such as the Tama Superstar Classic CL72S, although a high-quality professional drum set like the Pearl Masters Maple Complete will cost you a lot more. Be careful to check what’s included in the package before you buy, as hardware and cymbals will require some considerable extra budget.
