Drum Buying Guide

This article was originally written by Rich Ballas for the percussion Usenet newsgroup rec.music.makers.percussion and has been amended and updated annually by me and impartial members of that newsgroup. It is a thorough explanation about the drum set market geared mainly toward first time buyers. It has become very popular because it answers the most common questions that first time buyers have and tries to remain unbiased. It also lists the majority of drumset brands and models available. I welcome any suggestions, revision suggestions and updates.

My name is George Lawrence and I’ve been a professional recording/touring drummer and teacher for four decades including long stints in L.A. and Nashville. My current gig is with a famous old band you may have heard of, Poco. I owned a drum shop in Jackson, Mississippi in the mid eighties and I now own George’s Drum Shop in Northeast Ohio. I have also worked and taught in several other drum shops and have advised thousands of my students and their parents about which instruments to buy. I have always regarded their trust in my advice as a big responsibility which could greatly affect their child's future in drumming and music. I will attempt to give you as many plain unbiased facts as possible here so that you can feel adequately informed before making your purchase.

I will also give you my opinion about what, when, where, and why you should buy. If you have a trustworthy local source like a drum teacher or a local stand-alone drum shop, I suggest you buy there. If you are in the Cleveland/Akron area come by and let me help you in person. If you want to buy “long distance” please call me toll free at 866 565 7365 or email me for advice george @georgesdrumshop.com. My staff and I specialize in this. If you feel comfortable with click and buy, our internet site is secure and we will email you to verify your purchase details to make sure you are getting what you really need. Most of my customers like to talk to a real person before buying, especially the first timers. The drum sets in this article that I sell have clickable links to my shopping cart if you want more details. I am a dealer for about 90% of the brand names on the market. I have also listed the brands I don't sell in this article to be totally fair.

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I'm in a hurry! I need a quick answer and I don't want to read all this stuff!

OK! Here: Ludwig drum set and Zildjian Cymbals

What brand should I buy for a beginner drum set, and how much should I spend for a good quality, durable set? If your drummer is committed to learning and practicing the instrument, my short answer is to spend around a thousand dollars on a Student/Performance level standard five piece drum set with a set of B8 bronze cymbals and a throne like the Ludwig and Zildjian package link above. Street price for the drum set will be around $600 to $1000, the cymbals $220, and the throne about $40. An instrument in this price category will be good enough to last your kid through high school and on into college if he remains a hobbyist. You can't go wrong at this price point and you won't need to trade up and spend more money on another complete set unless your drummer reaches that point where a semi-pro or pro level instrument is necessary or desirable. Here is our best bang for the buck model this year MORE.

If you have a very young drummer who has not made a commitment to studying and learning the instrument then spend $400 to $600 on an Entry Level package with cheap cymbals and throne included and trade it on a better set later if your drummer sticks with it.

If you can stay away from the cheapest sets, $199 to $250 you see online and EBAY, you’ll be doing yourself a favor,

My cynical opinion is that all major brand drum sets are very similar at every price point up to $1000. Even though I would like to tell you that some of the brands I sell are exceedingly better than others, I can't because they are all made very much the same way with similar components, just like DVD players and televisions. Almost all the major brands own or contract foreign factories to produce all but their high end and custom made instruments. The drums are similar because the manufacturers' competitive goal of offering the consumer a certain price point dictates similar quality of wood, metal, features and manufacturing costs. So a Brand X drum set that retails at $1000 has almost exactly the same features as Brand Y's $1000 set. Only the cosmetics and styling are different. There are a few good and bad exceptions. The good ones usually end up on our “best bang for the buck” list at the end of this article.

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Where should I buy? Who should I trust?

Let me start off by saying where you should 'not' buy. I recommend avoiding small music stores that have only one or two brands available, huge composite stores like Wal-Mart and Costco that deal with instruments as a side line only at Christmas, and the musical instrument equivalents of Best Buy like Guitar Center and other 'big box' music stores..

Why? Small music stores like “mom and pops”, mall stores and marching band stores usually charge more for their instruments simply because they sell fewer of them. They often carry only brands that net them the highest profits, and their knowledge is limited to what they carry. Some of the slightly larger music stores will carry many generic “stencil” brands to make it appear that they carry many name brands when actually they are all generic drum sets.

Wal-Mart and Costco sell the cheapest and flimsiest excuse for drums known to man and don’t carry replacement parts. BE VERY AFRAID! We call them “drum set shaped objects”. Parts and repair service at all the sources mentioned above will be limited or non existent.

You should also be very careful about who you buy from online, especially on Ebay. Some Ebay sellers are working out of their garages, taking your order and having the manufacturer drop ship the set. Make sure that you are buying from a real music store who can service the instrument. If you must buy a cheapo set my store sells the same $299 online cheap drum set that everyone else does and we will take care of all warranty, replacement and repair issues.

My Guitar Center Rant: Yes, I am biased against the largest chain in the country, but not because it has hurt me. A Guitar Center, by moving into my area, has actually improved my business. Through voluminous advertising they increase the general interest in drumming, yet their lack of service drives those customers my way.

The average employee turnover at Guitar Center is less than a year and the employees receive no real training. They will ignore you when you walk in and you will have to yell over the din of kids playing guitars and drums at full volume. It’s a zoo. Their employees are typically customers, yes, young customers, whose goal is to make enough money to buy instruments at employee discounts then quit.

Since the bankruptcy of the Mars Music chain store in the nineties, many manufacturers will sell only a few models of their line to the large national chains and some will not sell to them at all. Mapex is not sold at GC. Guitar Center's prices are not very competitive. They do have constant loss leader specials that make it appear that their prices are better but, upon comparison of standard items like drum sets, you can find better prices and service elsewhere. For a good chuckle do a Google search for “Guitar Center horror stories”.

Lessons and repairs are not available at most Guitar Centers. This demonstrates their lack of interest in the future of their customers.

There's more to it. Here is an example of the 'bait and switch' that the Sam Ash chain uses: First they bait you with a low price for a drum set (the bait) and then you find out when you get to the store that it doesn’t include the hardware (the switch)! What should have been listed as a “shell pack” (a kit sold without stands and pedals) is misrepresented as a full 'drum set'. By the time they add the price of the hardware you will have paid more than you would have elsewhere. Heaven forbid you buy it online and it shows up Christmas week without all the parts. I had a customer walk in the other night with a list from Guitar Center that had the Pearl Forum shells and a list of their Percussion Source hardware at a price higher than the Pearl hardware would have been.

Another big chain bamboozle that I don't like are the "extended warranties" that they sell. Folks, insurance is cheap. The big store is charging you $25 to $50 for insurance that they pay $2 to $5 for. Don't buy the insurance. The major brands warranty the stuff already, a good store is going to fix it on the spot for you, and the insurance does not cover the drum heads which are the only thing that is supposed to break.

Where you 'should' buy, whether in person or on line, is from a reputable full line local or regional music store with a well stocked drum dept. or an established independent drum shop. Of course I am biased but there really are more valid reasons to buy at drum shops. Most drum shops carry every brand worth buying and will not favor one brand over another. You will get the best information and advice from experienced drummers who care about you and/or your kid’s musical experience. Most drum shops have the best teachers in your area. Most drum shops are interested in your repeat business. The percussion manufacturers favor drum shops and depend on drum shops to be their best representation, thus giving them the best product info and the pick of the litter on drum sets.

If you decide to buy online make sure that you find out about the store’s location and reputation. Don’t just click and buy. Call the toll free number, talk to a salesperson and judge their service on the phone. Some online stores are just a bank of phone operators like Musician’s Friend which is the online front for, you guessed it, Guitar Center. Don’t read the customer reviews. Most are written in the throes of passion just after they have received the drum set and the problems haven’t surfaced yet. I’ve read great customer reviews of cheapo sets on my site as well. Also, Consumer Reports magazine always gets it wrong on drums. If it looks too good to be true online it usually is. If you see a great picture of a no name drum set for $249 plus free shipping and think it may be as good as the name brand set for $750, guess again. Talk to the pros.

'When' you should buy packaged beginner drum sets for Christmas is by the first week in December. Stores start running out of models, colors and brands around that time. This is not a big industry so don’t depend on an endless supply. Allow for typical UPS holiday delays and ask for full insurance. The best time to buy for price is the week after Christmas but selection is limited. I usually blow out my remaining Christmas inventory for about half price.

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Discounts

List prices on drum sets and cymbals are like list prices on cars; No one pays list price. Discounts on the internet are anywhere from 25 to 40 per cent off of the manufacturer’s suggested list price for brand names. List prices for the cheap stencil sets are always inflated. The good major brands will require dealers to advertise at their Minimum Advertised Price limit (MAP) which is around 35% to 40% off the list price. This keeps dealers from getting into advertising price wars and helps protect dealers from internet low-ballers. Dealers can sell at whatever price they wish in their stores but they usually sell at MAP. Most dealers will require a written or published quote to match prices from other stores. If you see a price much lower than MAP on the net or in print, then something could be wrong; bootlegs, discontinued models, blemished stock, B stock, refurbished, etc.

Discounts on floor models, scratch and dent and old discontinued stock are usually around 50 percent off list price. If you are shopping around I suggest you find five prices and lose the lowest one. Odds are that the lowest bidder will be the worst service; re-boxed kits, delays in shipping, damaged stock, discontinued colors, substitutions, bait and switch, etc. Odds are that three of the other prices will be the same (MAP). We dealers tend to keep a level playing field. Remember the old axiom: price, quality, service: Pick two! :-)

What about used?

Unless you are familiar with drums I recommend against buying used except from trusted friends and trusted dealers. If you are reading this article you most likely do not know what problems to look for in a used set. If you are not familiar with brands or what wear and tear to look for in a used set then your odds are better with a new set. With a used set there is always added expense for broken or soon to be broken parts to replace. There is no warranty. You should find out if the model and color is still in production. This will affect resale, replacement parts and add on drums.

Warranties?

Warranties range from one to three years on shells, parts and defects, none on replaceable parts like heads. Cymbals are usually warrantied for a year. Most of the companies are very good about replacement. Most drum shops are more likely prepared to make immediate warranty replacements and repairs from their stock while full line music stores are less likely to have these parts in stock.

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"BUT, Daddy! Mama! Drummer X from (insert your kid's favorite rock band here) says "ACME" drums are the best and his are purple sparkle! I saw it in "Modern Drummer Magazine"!

Yes, advertisements featuring paid/compensated endorsers can be the big influence on a young drummer's buying decision. Disregard the ads because drummer x is playing the pro custom stuff, not the student level drums. It's just an ad. Again, they are all similar at the lower price points until you get to the pro stuff. If the right color and the kid's favorite famous drummer's brand motivates him to practice and improve, great! But he will do just as well with any name brand. The most important thing is getting him started with a good private instructor. He’ll get over the brand difference in about 24 hours once his friends drool over his shiny new set. I started out on a no name Japanese set in the sixties, a cheap set made by Pearl that my parents bought me one drum at a time. To me it was the best drum set on the planet and I took pride in my possession. Buy the best drum set you can afford

for your child because there is value and gratification in the more expensive instruments, but if you can only afford the cheaper stuff, remember that it will not hamper your child’s progress if he has talent, commitment and a good teacher.

"Does Rogers still make the best drums?"

You will probably get some advice from adult friends who "used to play the drums". From the thirties to the sixties the American drum market was dominated by the American drum companies; Ludwig, Slingerland, Leedy, Rogers, and Gretsch. Ludwig was the leader in the sixties and seventies because of their leading spokesperson, Ringo Starr of the Beatles. Leedy makes only snare drums now. Slingerland is now owned by Gibson and their drums are not very prevalent but are still made well. Rogers was recently bought and revived by Yamaha and they just introduced two beginner type kits which I sell and I think are very good. Ludwig still makes great drums. Their Supraphonic 400 and Black Beauty snare drums are still benchmarks. They also import inexpensive low end Taiwanese drums which are very, very good. Gretsch's revered Custom line is made just about the same as their 60's drums. Gretsch has recently partnered with the parent company of CB 700 drums and Gibraltar hardware and is importing drums from Taiwan also; the Catalina, Renown and New Classic lines. Great drums! Japanese postwar industry took over the market in the late seventies with names like Pearl, Tama and Yamaha dominating. Now Chinese drums are following suit. All of the major brands make very good instruments at all the price points and most everything that sells for $2500 or less is made offshore now.

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What are the brand names? They all look alike!

Looking at drum sets in stores can be very confusing for the first time buyer because the inexpensive sets and the expensive ones look very similar. Whether you are buying a cheap set or putting a bit of money into a set, a good idea to cut through some of the confusion is to stick with brand names. They are no more expensive than the off brands and will have higher resale and trade in value. The major brand names of drum sets that have been around for a while and proven themselves are Ayotte, Cannon-JAMM, CB, Fibes, Gretsch, Drum Workshop/Pacific, GMS, Ludwig, Mapex, Noble and Cooley, Peace, Pearl, Pork Pie, Premier, Remo, Rogers, Slingerland, Sonor/Rockwood, Spaun, Tama, Taye, Trick, Pork Pie, Yamaha. If one of these names is not on the drum set then it is most likely a generic stencil set or a relatively new company or a high end custom shop name.

The major brands were mostly American, Japanese and European, but recently lots of Chinese and Taiwanese sub contracting source factories like Taye, Peace and Mapex established brand names in the west. This is how the dominant Japanese drum companies like Pearl, Tama and Yamaha started in the nineteen seventies. The musical instrument market may be dominated by the Chinese very soon and third world countries are starting to enter the American market as well. But they all sell the same basic products. Pick up a copy of Modern Drummer magazine at a book store to see who buys the biggest ads. Those are the major brands.

I called my first drum teacher, trumpeter Sonny Hill, for advice about buying my 11 year old daughter's first cornet for elementary band (of course, she's a drummer now). He said that any major brand would be good enough for a beginner and that she would be most motivated to play by a shiny new one. The same applies to drums. A beginning drummer will not make a $3000 pro level maple shell drum set sound any better than a $700 Pearl Export poplar wood drum set. But you and he WILL be able to tell the difference between the $750 Pearl set and a $269 no name set with free shipping (hint, the shipping isn't really free, you're paying for it).

The main differences between price points are:

Craftsmanship. A hand made drum set will cost twenty times as much as a cheap set cranked out in a factory in Taiwan. There are no cheap sets made in the states anymore.
Wood quality. The more expensive the wood, the more expensive the drums. Luan, which is also called Philippine mahogany, is a common wood in the low end sets. Hollow core doors are made of Luan. It is not a finish grade wood. Intermediate woods are birch and basswood. The most popular wood for professional drums is Canadian maple. Other pro woods are beech, oak, and African mahogany. Some drums are now being made of “Chinese Maple”, whatever that is. If it's a cheaper maple set it's most likely "Chinese Maple."
Metal quality. I hate to say this, but almost all metal parts, stands and pedals on a drum set are made in China now . The thickness and strength of the metal and the quality of the chrome goes up as the drum set price goes up. We are starting to see a lot of ABS plastic parts being used for lugs and other parts.
Brand Name: The older and more established the name, the more the value and resale value of the drum. Some of the bigger brand names are introducing secondary names to sell at lower price points like Pacific by DW.

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The standard "five piece" drum set or drum "kit" (a British term).

The number always refers to the number of drums only and does not count cymbals, stands and hardware. The standard five piece drum set of any quality level consists of five drums of different sizes, and the associated metal stands and pedals

One 20” or 22" diameter bass drum (also called kick drum) with spurs (legs) and a metal bracket on top for mounting tom toms on top of the bass drum. Depths of bass drums can vary, from 14" to 18", but 16" and 18” are now the most common. For a beginner the sizes are not critical.
One small mounted tom tom 10" or 12" in diameter, also called 1st tom, shell tom and rack tom.
One large mounted tom tom 12" or 13" in diameter, also called middle or 2nd tom, shell tom and rack tom.
One floor tom tom 14" or 16" in diameter, also called 3rd tom.
The two mounted toms are attached to the top of the bass drum with a metal bracket and arm apparatus called a tom holder. The floor tom has three adjustable legs attached to its shell. The old standard sizes for toms are 12”, 13”, and 16” and the more prevalent new standard is 10”, 12”, 14”. Either will do for a beginner. Depths vary and are not critical for beginners.
One 14" diameter snare drum. Depths vary from 5" to 6.5 inches. It's called a snare drum because a set of "snares" (coiled wires) are held in place against the thin bottom head to cause a high pitched short snappy sound.

Hardware:
Bass drum pedal (foot operated device for striking the bass drum).
Hi-hat stands (the pedal for the foot operated cymbals).
Snare drum stand which cradles the snare drum.
One or two cymbal stands. The sub entry and entry level kits usually have only one. Student/Performance level sets and up will have two.
Two adjustable mounting arms to attach the mounted tom toms' brackets to the bracket on top of the bass drum.
Usually a drum tuning key and drumsticks are included. What is normally NOT included is a throne (stool) or cymbals, though cheap thrones and cymbals are sometimes bundled into the price of lower priced Christmas packages.

Here is an entry level five piece standard drum set with one cymbal stand.

Options:

It may be worth mentioning that although a 5 piece set is a standard configuration, a new student doesn't necessarily need to buy 5 drums. There is a lot to be said about starting on a smaller four piece kit; bass, snare, mounted tom, floor tom. This is the standard jazz set up and was the rock standard up until 5 pc. kits emerged in the sixties. If you can learn and articulate your musical creativity on 4 drums you'll most certainly be able to do it later on 5, 6, 8 or 12 tubs. It may be worth saving on the cost of the drums by going to a 4 pc. kit instead of 5, and have a bit more money available for better cymbals or bass drum pedal, and hi-hat stand. A few drum companies offer 4 pc. kits in their entry level sets. I started on a three pc. kit in the sixties; bass, snare and one mounted tom but that configuration is rarely offered as a package kit now. You will not save a significant amount of money buying one less drum. (I recommend that my students start on a five piece kit). Although they are part of the entry level packages, snares are the most important drum in the set and the snare drum quality suffers more than the other drums in the sub entry and entry level. They are the primary voice of the instrument and used more than any other drum in the set. A number of pro, semi-pro and student kits have snare options (wood, metal and varying depths with different prices of course). You will see metal and wood snare drums in the lower priced kits. I prefer the metal drums over the wood ones in the lower price range. It is worth talking to the dealer to see if the snare drum can be upgraded in the package entry level deal especially if your child is using the drum in school band where a certain brand or type of snare drum may be required. You may also want to consider two snare drums if cartage to school and back is a problem.

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What is a drum made of?

A drum is a deceptively simple instrument. Generally, it consists of a wooden cylinder called the "shell" usually made of about six plies of hardwood about a quarter to half inch thick that is formed in a mold with glue, moisture, heat and pressure. This cylinder will either be painted or stained and sealed with a clear lacquer or, less expensively, covered with a plastic (PVC) colored wrap that is glued to the shell. The edges of the cylinder are supposed to be cut, trued and beveled to a narrow rounded point so that the drum head has a thin level "bearing edge" to sit on. This bearing edge serves the same purpose as the bridge of a guitar or violin, transmitting the energy and vibrations of the tightened drum head to the shell so it can resonate and amplify the sound. The drum heads are made of polyester plastic (DuPont’s trade name is Mylar) mounted into a metal rim and a head must sit evenly on this bearing edge to vibrate correctly. The head is held in place on the drum by a metal hoop and square head bolts which are threaded into brackets (lugs) mounted on the side of the shell. You turn these tension rods with a special square head tuning key to tighten and tune the head. There are metal brackets attached to the mounted toms for attaching them to the bass drum, and similar brackets attached to the floor tom for its legs. There is also usually a small air hole cut in the shell and fitted with a metal grommet. Most of the metal parts are white metal or zinc that have been chromed. In more expensive drums, brass and die cast parts may be used.

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There are five grades and price ranges of drum sets. Prices are the discounted prices you will see on the internet and at competitive stores.

1. Inexpensive stencil drum sets $200 to $400
2. Entry level/good beginner $400 to $660
3. Student/Performance level $600 to $9000
4. Semi-pro level $900 to $1500
5. Pro $1500 and up

1. Inexpensive drum sets / Stencils (about $200 to $400) See our Christmas specials

Durability: Low
Sound: Mediocre at best.
Resale Value: 20% of retail list price
Add on sizes? Almost always none
Usually only comes with one cymbal stand

These are usually called "stencil sets" in the retail business. They are also called "cheapos", "low end", "store brand" and "no name" sets. They are usually sold as a Christmas package with cheap cymbals and a throne. Foreign factories make these sets and sell them to any drum company, importer, large retail chain and even department stores. The buyer determines the name on the badge (stencil). Usually the only difference between brands is the name on the front and maybe the shape of the lugs. These sets are okay for someone who is not sure of their commitment level or who needs just anything to start on or for very young children. Most undersize children’s sets fall into this category. We do not recommend buying these sets if the next step up is in the budget. Spend just a bit more and buy something with durability, tone and value.

They will not stand up to constant transporting or use outside the practice room. The heads are thin, the shells are the lowest grade wood, the bearing edges are usually poorly cut, the covering material may be taped instead of glued which leads to wrinkling, the chrome is thin and the stands, pedals and other metal parts are flimsy and prone to screws stripping, tubes bending and parts breaking. The pedals can be sluggish, without a good responsive movement to them. You can improve the sound of these sets by replacing the sub par thin heads with good ones, and replacing the sub par pedals and stands with good ones but why not buy the better instrument in the first place? When, not if, a part breaks, matching parts are sometimes hard to find for these drums, especially lugs.

Drum shops do not like to see these kits coming back through the door because they are usually torn up by kids and bottom out in resale value quickly. I would just as soon not sell the very low end but, the internet and Walmart have lowered the bar so I must keep up with what the market will bear. During Christmas my shop sells one or two models of cheapo sets. We choose which brand we sell on how well it is built and how well the manufacturer warranties it, usually Cannon/JAMM. We carry parts for these kits and the customer can call us directly for repairs and warranty issues.

They will work for beginners, but their limitations become apparent very quickly to the student who wants to improve his technique, tone and musicianship. Beware of the stores who try to present these as more than they are. There is a local mom and pop store in my area that sells their cheap drums by telling the customer they are made by a “sister” company of Pearl Drums, a tall tale. Guitar Center calls one of their stencil kits, a “maple” kit when in fact, there is just a maple veneer finish on a cheaper luan shell. So beware. If you need verification of the quality level of any of these stencil kits, please call or email me.

Typical brands are (listed alphabetically):

Atomic
Adam
Cannon MX600
CB700
Coda
DDrum D2
Enforcer
First Act, which are sold at Wal-Mart. Any drums in this price range or lower sold at Costco, Sam’s or any large big box store have no resale value. School band directors warn their students about buying WalMart type instruments because they are so lousy and parts and repair service are not available. Beware! We call these “drum set shaped objects”. Just look at the size of the one box that they come in and you’ll sum it up in one word: Toy. If you buy one of these remember: “We told you so!”
Groove Percussion (Sam Ash's stencil)
Hammer
HB Predator
Hohner Rockwood
Jamm
Maxam
Pacific EZ
Peace Demolition
Peavey
Percussion Plus
Precision Percussion
Pulse (Musician’s Friend)
Sound Percussion (Guitar Center)
Summit
Taye Astro
Titan
TJ Percussion
TKO
Verve Percussion
There are too many to name. New ones pop up constantly. If it is in the $200 to $350 price range it's usually a stencil kit. If it's on Ebay for $199 plus shipping it's a stencil kit. The lower the price the less quality and value.

Children's, Junior, undersized drum sets that use real drum heads and fittings

$70 Cannon 10" snare on stand with cymbal

$169 CD JRX3 three piece set with cymbal

$175 JAMM JR. three piece drum set with cymbal

$250 Ludwig Jr drum set

$269 CB JRX junior drum set w/ three cymbals

Entry Level / Good Beginner drum sets ($400 to $600)

Durability: acceptable to good
Sound: acceptable to good
Resale value: fair
Add on sizes: maybe
Many are short that second cymbal stand
Many come packaged with brass cymbals

These kits are excellent choices for people 8-12 years of age or for those who do not want to spend the money on a better student level or semi-pro kit. The shells are usually made of a non finish grade wood like luan, poplar or basswood, wrapped with a primary color PVC laminate. The single-braced hardware comes pre-packaged and they are found mostly in the standard 5-piece configuration but some manufacturers are now offering optional smaller jazz size entry level kits. Luan shells accentuates the lows and midrange frequencies and is thought to sound best with two ply heads but are usually supplied with single ply heads. Once you go through the stock single ply heads it is advisable to replace them with the two ply for better durability and tone. I started out on a 60's no name set made by Pearl that was in this category and sell a lot of used and refurbished ones at my store. I also use an entry level kit for rehearsals and some softer gigs.
One of the differences between the various entry level kits is often the hardware that is provided along with them. Some companies offer better, sturdier hardware, while others seem to keep their price down by offering smaller gauge hardware. Assuming that the drums are pretty much from the same mold, so to speak, the value of one kit over another is often related to the hardware that is provided. Hardware that is well made and durable will enhance the life of the kit and the enjoyment of the student. For a beginner, having to struggle with cheap bass drum and hi hat pedals is often frustrating. Many entry kits suffer in this category, and in many cases it may be possible at the time of purchase, for an increase in price, to negotiate for a good entry level set of HH stand and BD pedal instead of the ones that come standard with the set. I suggest trying out the pedals and comparing them with a benchmark like the pedals that come with the Pearl Export or a DW7000. Even a non-drummer can tell the difference in workmanship, durability and mechanical functionality. If cymbals do come with the set, they are usually the throw away brass thin ones and I recommend that you buy a brand name heavier brass cymbal or better yet, a sheet metal bronze cymbal set.
The sets below are ranked by street/MAP price, which does not necessarily denote ranking by quality level, but they are close. Some manufacturers price their sets lower to compete in the marketplace. I have noted which sets come with packaged extras like cheap brass cymbals (usually 13" or 14" hi hat cymbals and a 16" crash cymbal), second cymbal stand, or suspension mounts.

Entry Level / Good Beginner drum sets with one cymbal stand

$389 Ludwig Accent CS Combo

$420 Gretsch Nighthawk (includes three brass cymbals)

$440 Tama Stage Star (with 3 brass cymbals)

$440 Mapex Q (includes three brass cymbals)

$450 Rogers Prospector

$489 Sonor Force 507

$499 Gretsch Blackhawk (suspension tom mounts)

$509 Taye Spotlight

$510 Ludwig Accent CS (suspension tom mounts)

$660 Pearl FX Forum *with 3 brass cymbals

Entry level with two cymbal stands:

S450 DDrum Diablo

$499 Mapex QR ($550 for deluxe finishes) ( suspension tom mounts)

http://georgesdrumshop.com/bin/category.asp?category=36

$585 Traps A400 shell-less kit with brass cymbals (though this is not a standard wood drum set, I have included it because we sell a lot of them as a beginner kit)

$599 Sonor 507 Extreme Force 6 pc

Student/Performance level ($600 to $1000 street price)

Durability: Very good
Sound: Very good
Resale value: Very good
Add-on sizes in some brands
Some brands offer shell packs (drums only/ no stands or pedals)

Drum sets in this class make up the majority of drum sets sold. They are good for serious students of all ages and make an excellent choice for adult hobbyists or even as a second kit for pros. The standard 5-piece is most common but jazz size kits (18” bass drum), 4 piece kits (two toms) and 6 piece kits (four toms) are sold in pre-packaged kits as well. This level of drum set is usually not sold as a package with cheap cymbals and throne. It is assumed that you will be selecting bronze cymbals and a throne to go with the set. The quality improvement of these drums over entry-level kits is remarkable and their higher price is justified. They feature sturdier and more durable hardware, suspension tom mounting systems that allow the drums to resonate better, nicer finishes, and better woods such as birch, maple and ash, etc. Some brands offer deluxe models with a deluxe pearl or wood stain finish.

This category is the best value for the money in drums. Some professionals will use these sets as a second instrument and you will see adult amateurs playing them in public. I have taught on this grade drum set for many years. The major manufacturers tend to spend the most advertising dollars on these kits. Some will add a feature normally seen in the more expensive semi-pro kits like suspension tom mounts, better wood in the outer shell ply or composite bass drum hoops instead of metal ones, longer bass drums, double braced stands, etc. These may appeal to the young player, but only the suspension tom mounts actually improve the sound of the drums. Common manufacturer promotions are a “free” addition of an extra small 8” tom, a second floor tom or small auxiliary snare drum. Though the lower priced of these are in the gray area between beginner and performance categories, I had to draw the line somewhere and $600 seems to be that point this year.

Student/Performance level $600 to $900
Links to brands we carry are the most popular size in that particular model.

$599 Premier Cabria

$629 Taye Rock Pro

$680 Tama Imperial Star w/ 3 Meinl brass cymbals

$692 Mapex VX Series

$700 Pacific 805 shell pack (no hardware or pedals)

$700 Pacific FS shell pack (no hardware or pedals) FX is deluxe finish model

$740 Ludwig Accent CS (suspension mounts) ($780 for Elite deluxe finish, $880 for glitter)

$748 DDrum Diatribe

$749 Sonor Force 1007

$763 Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz 4 pc. w/ Gibraltar 4600 hardware pack (shell pack available for $598)

$764 Gretsch Catalina Ash 6 pc./ Gibraltar 4600 hardware pack (shell pack available $599

$780 Pearl Export EX 6 pc.

$780 Tama Superstar (Superstar Custom (pearl finishes) and Superstar EFX (paint finishes)

$795 Gretsch Catalina Maple 6 pc. w/ Gibraltar 4600 hardware pack (shell pack available for $699)

$800 Pacific CX shell pack (no hardware or pedals) CXR is deluxe finish model

$809 Taye ProX

$818 - $896 Mapex M Birch 6 pc.

$814 Gretsch Catalina Club Mod 4 pc. (Shell pack available for $649)

$839 Pearl VSX Vision (VLX deluxe lacquer finish $900)

$880 Ludwig CS Custom Elite Glitter

$899 Yamaha Stage Custom Nouveau

4. Semi-pro level ($900-$1500)

Durability: as good as pro
Sound: great, pro stage performance quality
Resale Value: great
Additional sizes: yes
You can find these in drums only "shell packs"

The semi-pro levels of drums are the happy medium between pro and student level sets. It is at this level that bearing edges are very good (perfect is a term I'd rather not use), more ornate and superior lugs appear, and more professional wood like Canadian rock maple is used, sometimes "sandwiching" lesser woods. These sets can vary in price from $800 for shell packs to $1600 for complete sets. Pre-packaged sets are available in 4 and 5 piece sets, in standard, jazz, and fusion configurations. The separate components available in this level are greater too, featuring less popular sizes such as 8" and 15" toms. These kits can also come with lacquer or wrapped finishes, suspension mounts, and brass snare drums. These drums will have better high frequency response compared to the less expensive luan shells, providing the player a greater choice of suitable heads and tuning range.

2007 Semi-pro level drum sets

$900 Pacific MX

$929 DDrum Dominion Maple

$929 DDrum Dominion Ash

$945 Gretsch Catalina Maple w/ Gibraltar 5600 hardware w/ dbl pdl

$950 Pacific X7 7 piece set with hardware

$975 Sonor Force 2007

$960 Pearl ECX Export Custom

$1197 Gretsch Catalina Club Mod with Gibraltar 5600 hardware pack w/ double pdl

$1200 Premier Artist shell pack

$1499 Yamaha Tour Custom

5. Pro level ($1500.00 and up... way up!)

A mass manufactured high-grade kit. This type of pro set is mass-produced by one of the large drum makers. Most feature shells made of one tone wood, suspension mounted toms, a choice of wood and metal snare drums, lacquer finishes, and a wide choice of options. Shell kits at this level can start at around $1200 with pre-packaged sets going as high as $4000. The hardware that comes with these kits is top of the line; double-chain drive bass drum pedals, double-braced hardware, and low-mass lugs, among other things. Manufacturers make many different types of pro drums, with the series differing by wood type and shell thickness, among other things. These drums are played by many professional and amateur players, from basements to arenas, and are used by pros in recording studios because of the fullness and brightness of their tone. The player can use any type of heads he wishes but many opt for more "open" sounding heads such as one-ply, dot, and non-dampened two-ply. They make that choice because the overtones produced by these drums are often more pleasing than cheaper drums.

Brands include:

Taye Studio Maple
Premier Artist Maple
Premier Artist Birch
DDrum Dios Exotic and ST
Ddrum Diode
Sonor Force 3007 S-Class, Delite, S Classix , QR2
Premier Premier Series
Ludwig Classic and Legacy Classic Series by Ludwig (USA made)
Ayotte DrumSmith
Yamaha Oak Custom, Absolute Beech, Absolute Birch, Absolute Maple, Maple Custom, Recording Custom
Pearl Masterworks, Masters Premium, Reference Series, MCX
Mapex Pro M, Saturn, Orion
Tamburo (Italian)
Tama Starclassic Maple
Tama Starclassic Performer
Spaun Z Series
Slingerland (USA made)
Gretsch Renown Maple
Gretsch New Classic
Gretsch Custom (USA made)

6. Custom built drum sets:

OK, OK, so there are more than five grades. Drums like these are at the top of their game. The best sound and looks because of the best hardware, the best shells, the best quality, the best attention to detail; these are the things you find in a professional drum set. Many drums in this range can be custom ordered with any wood, finish, any thickness, and any size. The price tag on these complete sets starts at approximately $2000 with the sky as the limit. Are you a drummer who just won the lottery? These are the drums for you.

Spaun Custom, Recording, Vintage
Collector's Series by Drum Workshop
Custom Series by Ayotte
Fibes
Designer Series by Sonor
Masterworks by Pearl
Gretsch Custom
Pork Pie Full Pie
Junior Pie Series
Maryland MAC, MAA and DC Series
Spirit
Brady
Canopus
GMS
Noble & Cooley
MRP
San Francisco (USA made)

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Alternatives: Electronic drums, practice sets, compact sets

I’m not going to go into great detail about these alternatives since the goal of this article is to explain drum sets for the first time buyer and these types of sets do not normally fall into that category, but there are some who need one of these type sets because of noise, space or transportation issues.

Electronic Drum sets start around $700. The drums themselves, called pads, are made of molded rubber or wood w/mesh plastic heads. They work similarly to the way that electronic keyboards work, except that instead of depressing a key to get a piano sound you hit a drum pad to get a drum sound (usually hundreds of different sounds are selectable). One of the reasons for buying an electronic drum set is that, when used with headphones, they don’t make anywhere near as much noise as a regular drum set, BUT, they are not a drum, only a reasonable facsimile. To learn to play a drum you must practice on a real drum. The really expensive ones are used by pros in performance and on recordings. The two most popular brands are Roland and Yamaha. I am a dealer for both.

Compact sets

Most drum companies make an undersized packaged drum set as well. Gigging drummers will use these kits for lighter jazz and coffeehouse gigs or rehearsals and gigs where volume, space or transportation is a consideration. Most of them come with either standard hardware and some have special space saving hardware. These are a better alternative to the child size drum sets. Since these don’t fit into the standard five piece drum set sizes I am going to list any drum set package or shell pack with an 18” inch or smaller bass drum. I will not list the more expensive pro compact sets here.

Traps A400 Shell-less set
Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz
Mapex Voyager
Sonor Jungle Kit
Taye Go Kit
Yamaha Hip Gig
Yamaha Hip Gig Sr.
Yamaha Hip Gig JR.

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What about cymbals?

This is the short answer: There are three levels of cymbals; Brass, B8 Bronze, and B20 Bronze.

The brass is the cheap stuff. The sound is dull and will suffice only as practice cymbals for uncommitted beginners.

Cymbals should be made of bronze. The B8 (8% tin, 92% copper)alloy bronze cymbals are the good beginner and intermediate quality cymbals and are also called “sheet” cymbals because the cymbals are stamped from sheet metal, a less expensive manufacturing process. Some pro level cymbals are also made from this alloy

The B20 bronze alloy 20% tin, 80% copper) is usually used for the more expensive semi-pro and pro cymbals which are individually cast from this molten metal then lathed. The most expensive cymbals are usually hammered by hand or by machines for even more complex and richer sounds. There are other metals and formulas like Nickel Silver brass and B12 but the above types make up the majority of cymbals sold.

The standard cymbal sizes that come in a beginner pack are a 20” ride cymbal, a 16” crash cymbal, and a pair of 14” hi hat cymbals. The ride cymbal is thickest and used to play rhythms on. The hihat cymbals are played by the foot or hand and sit on a hihat stand with a foot pedal. The crash cymbal is used for an explosive crash accent sound. Any number of crashes can be used with drum sets. Drummers tend to add them for more sound colors.

The major manufacturers are Zildjian (American and manufactured by Turkish descendants), Sabian (Canadian, started by a Zildjian family member), Paiste (Swiss), Camber (German), Meinl (German) and a handful of small Turkish companies like Bosphorus, Istanbul Agop, Mehmet Agop and Anatolian who make the expensive hand hammered pro stuff. The family feuds between the Turkish cymbal makers are legendary. Below are listed popular standard cymbal packages to compliment five piece standard sets.

Our Christmas Cymbal packages 2007

Beginner Brass and Chinese cast bronze: Sub entry level/ cheapos:

Around $75 to $149 for a complete set

No name brass promo cymbals
Zildjian Planet Z
Sabian Solar
Paiste 101 Brass
Meinl Headliner
Wuhan

B8 Bronze:

Entry level and Student Performance packs (20” ride, 16” crash, 14” pair of hats unless noted). At Christmas an extra free cymbal and other goodies are offered in many of these packs.

B20 Bronze: Semi-Pro

Zildjian A
Sabian AA, XS20
Paiste Alpha
Meinl Classic

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Best Values for 2007: Our picks for "Best Bang For the Buck"

("package" = everything you need to start; five piece drum set, cymbals, all hardware, sticks, key, )

$299 GDS Hard Rocker Christmas package

$399 GDS Hard Rocker deluxe Christmas package

$399 Hohner Rockwood package

$585 Traps A400 shell-less kit (though this is not a standard drum set, I have included it because we are selling a lot of them as beginner kit because of reduced volume and less floor space)

$699 Gretsch Black Hawk with Sabian B8 Performance Plus cymbal set, deluxe Christmas package

$609 Rogers Prospector with Paiste 101 cymbal set Christmas package

$599 Sonor 507 Extreme Force 6 pc. drum set.

$764 Gretsch Catalina Ash 6 pc./ Gibraltar 4600 hardware pack (shell pack available $599)

$795 Gretsch Catalina Maple 6 pc. w/ Gibraltar 4600 hardware pack (shell pack available for $699)

$852 Mapex M Birch 6 pc.($899 for deluxe burst finishes)

$899 Yamaha Stage Custom Nouveau

Cymbal Christmas packages:

$219 Sabian B8 Performance Plus

$229 Zildjian ZBT 4 Holiday pack

Gifts

$10 to $100 gift ideas!

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