Probably not what you're used to... (drum kit suggestions)

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:45 am

recommend me a drum kit shortscale.
b/c my friend's band needs a new drummer in a few months and i am seriously down to play for them.
so, i'd like a cheap drum kit, yet made well (if that makes sense).
and suggestions?

cobascis · Post by **cobascis** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:46 am

cheap like 300$ or cheap like 500$

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:47 am

more like 300-350.
i'm gonna have to sell off most of my gear and stuff.

mickie08 · Post by **mickie08** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:55 am

find a used ludwig set. That is what my last kit was and it was great. It cost me about 400 but only becuase I upgraded the cymbals (bought better used ones of CL and sold the ones I got with it on CL)

pumpkin · Post by **pumpkin** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:38 am

As I understand it, you want to make sure they are made of some real wood, not plywood... at least that is what every drummer I know says.

willlin · Post by **willlin** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:59 am

Go for a Pearl Forum. There are loads of them second hand and they're great for the money.

Either that or try a second hand Yamaha Stage Custom.

cobascis · Post by **cobascis** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:38 pm

My drummer got the 4 pc Gretsch Catalina, and it is great. Cybmals are the trick bit, you can't get away that easyilt with shite ones.

kim · Post by **kim** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:24 pm

gretsch blackhawk kits are fairly cheap and nice.

pearl forums can be wonky, i know they're cheap, but for that price you could be better off buying a better kit secondhand, you just have to know what you're buying secondhand of course, a lot of crap is being sold for stupid prices too. but the pearl forums...you could get like a store's housebrand kit (like those on thomann, i forgot the name) and pay half the price, they won't last long and get on your nerves with stuff breaking but they're cheaper than the forums and they break just as easily. in my previous band the drummer had a pearl export as main kit and a forum as backup. the difference in sturdyness and sound was huge even a drumnoob like me could tell.
not so much with the gretsch blackhawk, i don't know but i've just always liked them.
also look for 80's tama swingstars, nice and affordable kits too. but with both i would look secondhand first. maybe if you go check them take someone who knows about drums with you so you won't get ripped off.

kim · Post by **kim** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:28 pm

also you're in the states, i'm not sure what it's like there but over here you won't find a good ludwig, premier, slingerland, gretsch (the 'vintage' ones) for less than 1500 euro so really not something to consider as a first kit unless you know you're going to keep playing, over here anyway. that's why i think some of the kits from the 80's are good quality but are not in that 'wanted vintage' sort of thing yet so you can still find them fairly cheap.

willlin · Post by **willlin** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:19 pm

kim wrote:in my previous band the drummer had a pearl export as main kit and a forum as backup.

Sorry my mistake, the Export not the Forum

analogsystem · Post by **analogsystem** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:31 pm

Go onto craigslist and look around.
There are lots of great 70s Japanese kits that are kind of ludvig / swingerland copies in sparkly colors. They are decent.

If you are playing rock just find a Tama kit from the 80s. The Swingstars and Rockstars go crazy cheap (like around $300) and if you want to spend a little more ($500 to $1000) find an Artstar which is basically top of the line stuff.

Also remember that 60% of your budget will be cymbals....so don't go to crazy on the drums themselves. Drums can be tuned to sound good, shitty cymbals always sound shit.

kim · Post by **kim** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:40 pm

yeah, i found that the cymbals that actually don't ruin the rest of the sound of a kit are the pricey ones, the shitty cymbals are the ones that totally crush the sound of everything else going on or sound too weird to be used all the time and not get sick of such a specific sound so it really sucks you're gonna have to invest in good cymbals.

maybe not so important if you just wanna rock the fuck out on a budget and get to know the stuff first before you spend more on your gear, in drums it's mostly just the sizes of bassdrums, snares, toms that you can have more interest in, but with cymbals the options really just make you dizzy so much to choose from, adjust it to the sort of band you're in and the genre etc.

i'm not a drummer though i do play them but i'm more a guitarist, i try to force myself to not get too geeky over it and i play my friend's drumkit, he knows his stuff so i just rely on that, otherwise it's just too much right now, the good stuff comes at a price.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:41 pm

I'd personally get some beat up old kit, regardless of name, just check that all the fittings are okay. Then spend the rest of your budget on half decent cymbals and drumheads.

I've heard some dead cheap kits tuned well using good heads sound grrrrrreat.

kim · Post by **kim** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:48 pm

a definite 'don't' : in LE the drummer sometimes used a pearl forum and used a very exspensive, loud and annoying piccolo snare, free floating or whatever shit, it was totally unbalanced. the snare was way too loud compared to the rest of the kit, then he also got a loudass china, so in the end all you heard (especially on the stage during gigs it was really annoying) was the snare and the china cymbal.
balance your kit so it all goes well together.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:01 pm

And more importantly, never own a piccolo snare or china cymbal. They're drum equivalent of Christina Aguilera's vocal wanking after every sustained note.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:02 pm

ITT: Drum Hipster Elitism.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:06 pm

for cymbals i love sabian B8's

they are the cheapest bottom of the line cymbal they make.

i like them because they have the fastest attack and degrade of anything out there.

for example when you wack the fucking thing it goes CRASH not CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAASHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BLUUUUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFFRRRRRRRUUUULLLBBBRINNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG

my dad has this 22" pastie ride cymbal that weighs like 20 pounds and you tap it once and it goes TINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

what the fuck are you supposted to do with that?

also the B8's are cheap to replace because, just like squier guitars, kids are trading them in constantly to upgade thier drumsets as soon as they figure out how to play boom boom tiss boom boom tiss. not bogita ugida bogita

im with doog. buy some thing cheap and shitty, but where doog and i differ is that i think you need to get new drum heads (remo embasidorz with the white coating) as fast as possible. and fucking paint the thing so it doesnt look like shit either while you are at it

kim · Post by **kim** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:10 pm

i don't know shit about brands and rangs and models, i think on the kit i use now it's a zildjian ride and the rest is paiste (hi hate, crash) but i've no idea what range, i should check it, maybe 'rude' or something ? anf something with an 'e' in front of it ?

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:12 pm

I would also say:

Cheap/Old Kit with decent hardware still.
Replace drum heads with decent ones.
Get half decent cymbals - you don't have to spend much (like Â£200) to get some decent hats, a crash and a ride from someone like Sabian for their intermediate packs.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:13 pm

robroe wrote: im with doog. buy some thing cheap and shitty, but where doog and i differ is that i think you need to get new drum heads (remo embasidorz with the white coating) as fast as possible. and fucking paint the thing so it doesnt look like shit either while you are at it

Doog wrote:I'd personally get some beat up old kit, regardless of name, just check that all the fittings are okay. Then spend the rest of your budget on half decent cymbals and drumheads.

Eh?

The only reason my drumheads are old and knackered is that I'm not loaded and that in the lo-fi studio, different rules apply.

Paint them?? Yeah, that'll make them sound gooooooooooooood..