On a tight budget.

[Babui]

Hello, this is my first post, I would like to mention that this is a great forum.

Anyway, starting with a budget of $300 I'm planning to build my kit slowly starting with the set itself. However I'm stuck between these two:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gretsch-Blackhawk-5Piece-Standard-Drum-Set?sku=446746

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Sonor-505-Force-Studio-5Piece-Drum-Set?sku=445714

I'm inexperience when it comes to drum kits (I come from a marching background) and would like some feedback on the merits of these kits. I'm open to other suggestions as well. Thanks in advance.

[Ozzy Biz]

Ok, so you got a tight budget. I'll introduce you you to the to the best two places to find yourself a kit; ebay (www.ebay.com)and craigslist (www.craigslist.com).

Don't buy new. Drums lose 1/3 of their value once they leave the store. If you have to go new, try and look at the Yamaha Rydeen over those two kits you mentioned. Finnhiggins had some pretty good results tuning up a Rydeen with ambassadors.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

I'm with Ozzy..Look for better used if you want better drums. Its nice having new but those two drums sets I am afraid may disappoint you and in less than a year you will be looking again. Some people have sold great stuff cheap just to get rid of it so be patient and look around. And without having seen the kits I am going to guess the stand and pedals are also going to be problems. Those are both great brands in fact my next set will be one of those brands, but they are basic beginner sets.

[Babui]

Thanks! I really appreciate the advice, I'm already looking for kits around my area through craig's lists.

[bighaibigdrums]

I say look for a used set of Exports. Great sounding durable drums that can be found cheap.

[tomtom]

I second the Yamaha Rydeen. One of my students brought a part of his kit with him to a lesson as I was helping him tuning it up and changing heads. I was very impressed. The snare drum (wood) could easily have been mistaken for a much more expencive drum, it sounded that good.

IMO: stay away from Pearl Exports. Again, quite a few students have brought with them toms or snares to class and honestly they are dreadfull drums. I have never in my 30 years of playing come a cross a Export kit that didn´t sound horrible. I´ve never understood their popularity, just dreadfull drums.

[bighaibigdrums]

IMO: stay away from Pearl Exports. Again, quite a few students have brought with them toms or snares to class and honestly they are dreadfull drums. I have never in my 30 years of playing come a cross a Export kit that didn´t sound horrible. I´ve never understood their popularity, just dreadfull drums.

Then you need to teach your students how to tune.

[Babui]

How are the Ludwig Accent CS kits? Pardon me for being brief.

[tomtom]

Then you need to teach your students how to tune.

That´s exactly why they brought´em.

[Drumms]

I have never in my 30 years of playing come a cross a Export kit that didn´t sound horrible. I´ve never understood their popularity, just dreadfull drums.

I think their popularity comes from their extended (for this price range) choice of finishes.

[bighaibigdrums]

That´s exactly why they brought´em.

A good set of heads, and some tuning knowledge you can get a set of Exports to sound quite nice. 80% of a drums sound depends on the head and tuning.

[tomtom]

I think their popularity comes from their extended (for this price range) choice of finishes.

You´ve got a point there, and the hardware is pretty decent.

I have no intention to bash the Exports per se, but I´ve never been able to get even a decent sound out of them, no matter what heads, tuning etc. By comparison, a student brought in a brand new "no name" $200,- kit. I helped him swap heads and we put on some Aquarian Response 2 heads. It tuned up in minutes; nice attack, growling lows, full tone, incredible sound for a very cheap kit. Something I´ve never achieved with the Exports. But the hardware was not in the Export league.

[hanman]

between the two kits, I would go with the Gretsch kit.
The sizes are the best if you ask me, and the price is the best for what you get.
I have never been a fan of Sonor, so my opinion may be bias...

[zidjan]

Hi Babui....from those two...i, infact will get the SONOR ...believe me...because Sonor actually makes one of the best drum in the whole drumming world...their hardwares, wood choices and construction...exceed any other drum manufacturer, the second following that would be Yamaha...but that's besides the point...anyway...the 505 also features Fusion sizes...in which in the future you would prefer to have...fusion sizes also more popular...so if you want to upgrade in the future...you won't have alot of problem doing so....so Sonor is my option.

[Ironcobra]

well let me say one thing, and i think most people can agree with this....YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR......to me, i don't think a 300 dollar budget for a kit can get you anything decent......i've worked hard on tuning my used 350 kit, and it still sounds GARBAGE.....try and spend a LITTLE more, like 5 or 6 hundred......you can always change cymbals and pedals, but you can't always change your drums

[max77]

Hi Babui....from those two...i, infact will get the SONOR ...believe me...because Sonor actually makes one of the best drum in the whole drumming world...their hardwares, wood choices and construction...exceed any other drum manufacturer, the second following that would be Yamaha...but that's besides the point...anyway...the 505 also features Fusion sizes...in which in the future you would prefer to have...fusion sizes also more popular...so if you want to upgrade in the future...you won't have alot of problem doing so....so Sonor is my option.

I agree.

But I'll say save a little more money and buy a a Force 1005 or 1007. (Awesome kit for the price). I received one for christmas and I'm not disapointed with the sound and the quality of this serie.

[zidjan]

well let me say one thing, and i think most people can agree with this....YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR......to me, i don't think a 300 dollar budget for a kit can get you anything decent......i've worked hard on tuning my used 350 kit, and it still sounds GARBAGE.....try and spend a LITTLE more, like 5 or 6 hundred......you can always change cymbals and pedals, but you can't always change your drums

Well..he is right...you won't be able to get a good sound out of those drums ...but with good tuning and good heads i am pretty sure you can get a decent sound...something you can live with for a few years...so unles you can wait till you get those extra $300....i'll say buy it.

[Babui]

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'll take the your advices and save up more money. I can afford to be patient.


Looking though ebay I came up with this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3APIC&viewitem=&item=140101702442&rd=1&rd=1

I'm strongly considering this set. Anyone have experienced with this model? I know Ludwig is reputable company.

[zidjan]

A ludwig...well... i guess that's ok...but for that kind of money there are better ones such as these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Drumset-Sonor-2005-5pc-22-Fusion-Black-NEW-Discontind_W0QQitemZ330105576481QQihZ014QQcategory Z38097QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Premier-Cabria-Standard-Series-NEW-5-pc-set-unopened_W0QQitemZ120105065466QQcategoryZ38097QQss PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I guarantee you won't be dissappointed....i'll seriously consider the Sonor.

[bighaibigdrums]

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'll take the your advices and save up more money. I can afford to be patient.


Looking though ebay I came up with this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3APIC&viewitem=&item=140101702442&rd=1&rd=1

I'm strongly considering this set. Anyone have experienced with this model? I know Ludwig is reputable company.

The Luddys would be a good choice.

[Fat Elvis]

A ludwig...well... i guess that's ok...but for that kind of money there are better ones such as these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Drumset-Sonor-2005-5pc-22-Fusion-Black-NEW-Discontind_W0QQitemZ330105576481QQihZ014QQcategory Z38097QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Premier-Cabria-Standard-Series-NEW-5-pc-set-unopened_W0QQitemZ120105065466QQcategoryZ38097QQss PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I guarantee you won't be dissappointed....i'll seriously consider the Sonor.

1000% agree -- the sonor 2005 would be a MUCH better choice over the cheap ludwig. I dont know much about premier kits, so i cant comment on them. I would also stay far away from the exports.

also, look into a used Tama Superstar -- great kit for the money. Also, the sonor for 3003's should be within your budget (if you can find one used).

[mofle]

I would agree on the Sonor. Just keep in mind that you have to use some money on cymbals. That might be expensive.

-Mofle

[furbeedog@gmail.com]

I'd go with the sonor or the ludwig set, they're both pretty good for the money you'd be paying for them. I've played both sets and I can vouch for either of them being pretty good beginner sets, in my opinion. I am partial to the luddys, but you might want to find a local drum store with these sets and test them out to make sure their what you want. Even though $500 or $600 isn't a very large investment set-wise, i'd check them out before I put down dollar one for them.

[drumnhands]

Yamaha Rydeen is a great kit and you can get one for under $500 with hardware. These drums sound great.....Yamaha has a couple of Artists that play them(Zach Danziger says he used one for the soundtrack to Ocean's Twelve).

[Vintagedrummer]

All posts have been good advice. My recommendation are the following:

Yamaha Rydeens
Sonor Force 2005

For a little more you can get

Yamaha Stage Customs ($699)
Sonor Force 3005 ($799)

Both the above kits won't last long at those prices. The Rydeens are a tremendous bargain & well under rated. I have a set along with my Stage Customs & Sonor's. The Rydeens are set up as a 4 piece jazz config & are a blast to play. Good luck & have fun!!

[d.c.drummer]

BEWARE OF SHELL PACKS. NO HARDWARE INCLUDED!

[Vintagedrummer]

Good advice from DC. Those prices I quoted above for the Yamaha SC's & Sonor 3005's are the full kit (hardware included). 700 series on the Yamaha & 400 series on the Sonor 3005's.

[ksmontor]

Hi,

The Ludwig Accent CS Customs (satin finish) or Accent CS Custom Elite (laquered finish) sets are all birch,have 10 lugs on each bass drum side, have 10 lug snare drums, rubber protection under claws and very substantial hardware. There is no other set that has the same features for the price( CS Custom $675.00, CS Custom Elite $725.00). At this price you will not get the same number of lugs, hardware, all birch etc. Below is a review that one of the senior members of this forum did on the set you are looking at. The prices have increased since this review was done. Hope this helps.


Ludwig Accent CS Drumkit
Review by J.R. Frondelli

There’s an abundance of decent entry-level and mid-line drums on the market nowadays, unlike when I was a fledgling player many, many moons ago, and your choice was top-of-the-line Ludwig, Slingerland, Gretsch, Rogers, or “Asian Firewood” garbage cans that passed for percussion instruments. Today, you actually have to search for an imported budget kit that is real trash. Over the years, companies like Yamaha, Pearl and Tama, who actually produced most of the early export monstrosities, summarily got their acts together and permanently raised the bar on Asian production standards. It seems that presently, there are an infinite numbers of entry-level and mid-line kits with an endless variety of name brands. With this in mind, I decided to take a close look at an import with a familiar name…Ludwig, “The Most Famous Name On Drums”, thanks in no small part to a little band called The Beatles back in the 60’s.

First Impressions

I’ve been hearing lots of positives comments about the Ludwig Accent Custom CS kit, but, unfortunately, never have seen or played one in any of the music stores or drum shops here in New York. I HAVE seen them at NAMM shows, but trade shows are a poor proving ground for ANY musical instruments. So, I contacted the nice people at Ludwig, who were more than happy to send me a review kit, right to my front door. It was like buying off of eBay, except I didn’t have to pay, and it had to be returned (darn!).

The kit I chose for the review is the Accent Custom CS, model no. LC1325EC36, in a luxurious, silky-smooth and virtually flawless Satin Wine Red finish (see pic), which really must be seen (and felt) up close and personal to be appreciated. It’s a real knockout. The configuration is the ever-popular “Rock” kit,: 18 x 22 bass drum, 10 x 12, 11 x 13, 16 x 16 toms, and a 6-1/2 x 14 matching wood snare drum. In addition, it comes complete with two cymbals stands (one straight, one boom-type), snare stand, hi-hat stand, bass drum pedal, tom holder and even a throne. Just add cymbals.

The kit was packed in three boxes for UPS shipment, meaning that two of the drums (kick and floor tom) were totally disassembled for nesting, which afforded me a great opportunity for internal inspection of the shells and bearing edges. The inside walls of the 100% birch-ply shells were sanded silky smooth. The quality of the wood was about equal to or slightly better than a most kits in this price range. The smooth bearing edges, which I checked for levelness on glass (perfect!) were a standard 45 degree inside-cut, with a slight outside counter cut, facilitating easy seating of the factory-supplied Evans heads. That’s right, Evans heads, folks! All except for the snare-side and front kick heads. The head complement is G2 Clear over G1 Clear on the toms, G1 Coated over a clear snare-side head on the snare, and EQ4 Clear self-muffled kick batter with a solid black front kick head sporting a big, white Ludwig logo. As a bonus, the two mounted toms include “Vibra-Bands”, Ludwig’s version of the RIMS mounting system, which allows the toms to “float” slightly on rubber mounts to gain some extra sustain and resonance. Nice touch. These Ludwig people thought of everything on this one.

Sounds

It was like Christmas in June, and I couldn’t wait to hear how these babies sounded, so I vibed myself up with some Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple tunes while tearing open the boxes and assembling the kit, which took a little over an hour. I then spent some time getting the heads in tune with themselves and stretching them out a bit. Then, it was time to rock & roll!

The kick drum is just AWESOME on this kit! With the supplied heads, it just had this HUGE, yet controlled, thunderous boom, yet still had enough articulation for Bonham-esque double strokes. Truly impressive. Nothing makes you feel in command quite like a huge kick sound, and this one delivered the goods many times over.

Ludwig is noted for their snare drums, and this one is no exception. I applied a standard tuning of medium tension on top and medium tight on the bottom, tensioning the snares just enough to where they weren’t “choking”. Wow, is this drum FAT! Not only does it sound good with rimshots, but it also sounds great with dead-center fatback hits. The snare response was excellent. Most snares can sound good with rimshots, but the dead-center hit is the acid test that separates the men from the boys. Just a real nice, no-frills snare.

The toms spoke clearly and with a decent amount of low end. I was able to get a good spread of tuning, thanks to the Vibra-Band mounts. These type of mounting systems, aside from affording extra resonance, will also allow some extra tuning range, so I was able to get a nice, resonant “pop” out of the 12” tom, a thick, gutsy tone on the 13”, and a nice, almost tympani-like growl out of the 16” floor tom. Cool! I was really diggin’ this.

Hardware

The stands included with the kit are all double-braced with fairly wide bases, yet not so heavy as to be too unwieldy to carry to a gig. Having lived through the “Heavy-Duty 80’s”, I can tell you that these stands will be fairly easy on your back, allowing you to save maximum energy for your performance. The snare and cymbal stands all featured ratchet-gear tilters for stability, while the hi-hat is a well-designed, no-frills affair that operates smoothly. The plating and workmanship on the stands was all top-notch. The single-braced throne, while adequately-built, had a fairly small seat top. While the throne and it’s diminutive seat managed to hold even my own rather corpulent butt, I would have to say that it is constructed only for average-sized players.

The tom holder is a double L-arm type with ball adjustment and memory locks that mate with the tom brackets, plus it has an additional integrated front-mounted clamp to mount an auxiliary boom cymbal arm, should you so desire.

The kick pedal…ahhh, the kick pedal. THIS is a SPECIAL pedal. I REALLY enjoyed playing this pedal. Now, I own a whole slew of kick pedals by such stellar manufacturers as DW, Pearl and Tama, but this pedal smoked everything I have. It is a double chain-driven model with independent adjustments for beater angle and spring tension, plus a side-mounted hoop clamp and a reversible felt/plastic beater. What amazed me was that I was able to attain a combination of speed AND power, with a minimum of adjustments, something that is usually regarded as the Holy Grail with kick pedals, and it was as smooth as a hot knife through butter. My only disappointment was the necessity of a drum key to operate the hoop clamp and beater height adjustments, but that’s minor compared to the blast I had playing this pedal. By the way: I’ve already ordered one for myself. It’s THAT good!

All Together Now

So, what was left to do? Play some tunes, that’s what! I really wanted to put the kit through it’s paces, so I mounted some cymbals on the kit, pulled out a bunch of CD’s from various musical genres, all the way from Acoustic Rock to Zydeco, and flailed away…for hours, halting briefly here and there for a slight retuning as the heads were breaking in, and a “pit stop” (almost forgot about that!). At the end of that first session, I found myself sweaty, exhausted, and loving every minute of playing this kit, and I am positive that anyone else who purchases this kit will agree. What’s more is that the kit took my percussive assault and remained rock-solid throughout. What a rush!

And in the end…

I played with this kit for a solid two weeks and it still never ceases to amaze me how much kit you get for the money. This kit is one of Ludwig’s top sellers, and it’s easy to see why. Fun to play, sounds great, and is easy on the eyes and wallet. Don’t let the price fool you though. This kit is not relegated only to entry-level and amateur players. It will be equally at home with the budget-conscious working drummer. There are many configurations available, as well as add on drums, so that you can build your dream kit affordably. With a street price in the $600.00 range (MSRP $1091.00), it could very well be the most fun you’ll ever have for the money. I’ll tell you what ISN’T fun…sending it back!

[byebyepanda]

Where did you find this review (link please)? I want to send it to a friend.

[ksmontor]

Hi,

I'm not positive, but pretty sure the writer is a frequent contributor to this forum. You should be able to just copy it and paste it into an e-mail to your friend. It was a really good article, and I am probably ordering this set next week.

Keith