Beware bad sets...

[SlippersLTG]

when i started about a year and a half ago, i got a cheap set off of ebay called Summit Drum Company, they only sell a red wine colored 5 pc, that sounds like garbage. I put a lot of money into to making it better and it still sucks, so im just giving you guys a tip.

[bonzolead]

when i started about a year and a half ago, i got a cheap set off of ebay called Summit Drum Company, they only sell a red wine colored 5 pc, that sounds like garbage. I put a lot of money into to making it better and it still sucks, so im just giving you guys a tip.
never heard of summit drum company,i'm always leary of a drum company I never heard of.
just a rule of thumb.

Bonzolead

[The popes love child]

What did you spend your money on? You probably just need to get the bearing edges re-cut.

[hawk9290]

What did you spend your money on? You probably just need to get the bearing edges re-cut.

agreed, you can at least get a better sound out of it. still, i always recommend buying at least a cheaper intermediate set to begin with rather than some $350 crap set that will be gone in a year or two.

[BertTheDrummer]

Sounds like those Chinese stencil kits that are sold under many different names only on ebay.... pretty much all are worthless.

[Celereon]

^^I'll say.
I have one :(
Looking to upgrade ASAP. I think it isn't too bad, in fact the crash that came with it was really quite nice. Bass is useable, once you get over the elliptical hoops and splintered areas around the bolts.
Hi-hat stand has threaded and if I push too hard it just goes completely.
Toms sound very nice, in fact. Tuned it, put Rem-O rings or whatever on them and they sound good.

Just now I got a Coated Remo Ambassador for my snare. It's tuned really low because all the lugs are SO TIGHT that I literally can't get it any tighter.

Can't wait til' I have $1000.

[hauk]

What did you spend your money on? You probably just need to get the bearing edges re-cut.

i disagree, rather than sinking more money into a low quality beginner kit that will never be great, i'd just save for a nice intermediate one

[hawk9290]

i disagree, rather than sinking more money into a low quality beginner kit that will never be great, i'd just save for a nice intermediate one

if he has a router table ands a few minutes to google, then he can do it himself though. Otherwise, yes, sending away the shells to have the bearing edges recut for $150 is somewhat a waste.

[crazyhorse]

You guys need to check out his pictures of how he "put a lot of money into his kit" Duct tape on the heads probably has a LOT to do with the crappy sound lol

[rhydianjlewis]

agreed, you can at least get a better sound out of it. still, i always recommend buying at least a cheaper intermediate set to begin with rather than some $350 crap set that will be gone in a year or two.

I dont see what everyone has against begginer kits!

I had my CB drums kit for over 2 years, and upgraded the heads, sounded pretty good. I still use it in my second band practise room, and its still sounding pretty decent, I even took it gigging for a while.

Also, it meant i hadn't spent a stupid amount of cash on a first kit and so, the upgrade to my M-Birch was sensible.

Mabye i just had a lucky break with my CB, they are good 'no-brand' beginner kits.

[hawk9290]

I dont see what everyone has against begginer kits!

I had my CB drums kit for over 2 years, and upgraded the heads, sounded pretty good. I still use it in my second band practise room, and its still sounding pretty decent, I even took it gigging for a while.

Also, it meant i hadn't spent a stupid amount of cash on a first kit and so, the upgrade to my M-Birch was sensible.

Mabye i just had a lucky break with my CB, they are good 'no-brand' beginner kits.
You seem to be an exception to everything I've witnessed and experienced myself. I, and all the guys at my local drum shops, say that it is more sensible (if you are serious about taking up drumming, of course) to buy an Catalina Maple, M-Birch, Sonor 2005/3005, etc as a first kit so that you don't drop $350 on a kit you use for a year or too only to buy a kit like an M-birch. The only time I would buy a cheap kit would be as a practice kit after I have a good one first. I suppose though the quality of the beginner kit does come into play too, though, I've heard of quite a few people getting decent sounds out of CB and Pulse kits.

[Pukeboy]

I dont see what everyone has against begginer kits!

I had my CB drums kit for over 2 years, and upgraded the heads, sounded pretty good. I still use it in my second band practise room, and its still sounding pretty decent, I even took it gigging for a while.

Also, it meant i hadn't spent a stupid amount of cash on a first kit and so, the upgrade to my M-Birch was sensible.

Mabye i just had a lucky break with my CB, they are good 'no-brand' beginner kits.

I totally agree on this one! I've already said it on this forum, and I will say it again: beginner kits aren't that bad!

[hawk9290]

I totally agree on this one! I've already said it on this forum, and I will say it again: beginner kits aren't that bad!

maybe true sometimes, but why spend $300 on a kit and then spend $700 on a kit a year or two later- why not just spend the $700 on a kit to start and get a better sound?

[Drumms]

maybe true sometimes, but why spend $300 on a kit and then spend $700 on a kit a year or two later- why not just spend the $700 on a kit to start and get a better sound?

Maybe because you might not have those $700 when you start, but still wanna drum, or maybe because you have no experience with drums and naively think that a $300 kit (with hardware and real brass cymbals!) will sound good, or maybe because you're not sure that you're going to keep on drumming, or maybe because...

[hawk9290]

Maybe because you might not have those $700 when you start, but still wanna drum, or maybe because you have no experience with drums and naively think that a $300 kit (with hardware and real brass cymbals!) will sound good, or maybe because you're not sure that you're going to keep on drumming, or maybe because...

sensible enough for the money issues, but thats why I said something to the effect of "I always tell drummers (if they are serious about taking up drumming) ...."
The problem is people don't do research- if its a kit for fun, yeah, go ahead and get a beginner set, or if you want something to practice on, they're great and cheap and can be converted to a digital set for about $150 + whatever module you want. If someone is just taking up drums because they want an instrument to play, then no, they shouldn't spend the money on an intermediate or above level kit, but like I said, if they're serious about drumming, they should step up and get something decent (unless it is just going to sit in they're basement). Yes, they are a lot of times when beginner kits are ok, and with a bit of work they can sound fair- but on the whole, a serious beginner drummer should put up the $$$.

[teejcombos]

You seem to be an exception to everything I've witnessed and experienced myself. I, and all the guys at my local drum shops, say that it is more sensible (if you are serious about taking up drumming, of course) to buy an Catalina Maple, M-Birch, Sonor 2005/3005, etc as a first kit so that you don't drop $350 on a kit you use for a year or too only to buy a kit like an M-birch. The only time I would buy a cheap kit would be as a practice kit after I have a good one first. I suppose though the quality of the beginner kit does come into play too, though, I've heard of quite a few people getting decent sounds out of CB and Pulse kits.


i have a beginner kit, still do. been playing it for over 2 years now. i would personally recommend getting a beginner's kit to any beginner above getting a pro/semi-pro kit first. salespeople just prefer to push for a higher figured sale for the now. think about it, a semi-pro/pro kit will eventually be reduced in price over time, much more dramatically than a beginner's kit, because beginner's kits are dirt cheap to begin with. you can only really take 100-200, maybe 300 max off of a 500-600 dollar kit, as opposed to a more expensive kit (for example my local is now selling a yamaha oak custom for 2700 reduced from 4099). lol, you'd make a great drum store salesman, if you're not already one.
i, during my learning stages, hit one of my toms waaaay off centre and hit the bearing edge. there's still an indentation there from when i did it. now if i did that to a kit that cost me 1500 bucks or more (aussie bucks of course) i would be extremely peeved. now don't rag on me for hitting the bearing edge on my tom, because i'm sure you and others have done things just as bad during your very first learning stages. don't lie. in the end even the most serious beginners break stuff and damage stuff.
in the end i guess i'd prefer to have the comfort of knowing i'm not risking damaging an expensive kit whilst learning on it. everyone's different though of course, but i'm still way happy with the fact that i got a beginner's kit before i got a semi-pro kit. i've gigged with it a lot too, and i was totally serious about drumming when i started out. i'll now end this rant on here and continue it in my own head.

[crazyhorse]

lol I keep forgetting that the mindset here is a lot different from ghostnote and the builders sets...

Fact: You can take an OK set and make it sound a LOT better by doing some real common sense things.

1. Put good heads on (this includes resonant side)
2. Learn to tune.
3. Stop putting duct tape on to make up for bad tuning

Now... when you have those heads off you should look at the edge of the wood... If it's flat you have a problem. Find someone that's good with woodworking and look at the bearing edge tutorial on drumfoundry.com. On the snare drum see if it has a snare bed... if not... give it one. You can do this with a good sander.

[Drumms]

in the end i guess i'd prefer to have the comfort of knowing i'm not risking damaging an expensive kit whilst learning on it.

Totally agree with you.

I can beat the crap out of my Noname without remorse!