What should I do? Drumrack or cymbals?

joosti

Member
Here's my problem
I want to buy a drumrack but all the time I think it's a waste of money because I could buy 2 cymbals and the stands for them at the same price.
If I buy the rack I don;t have the money to buy the cymbals.
Otherwise I don't have a rack and I'm buying stands so I will not buy a rack soon either.
My goal is to have a 7pc kit with 3 crashes 1 ride 1 hi-hat 2 splashes and 2 china's
At the moment I'm not even close to that but I don't want to spend money on stands and then buy the rack.

What should I do?

PS If I buy the rack I will buy the cymbals as soon as possible after that.
 
Racks definitely fall into the 'Want' category as opposed to 'Needs'. If you only have the cash for one or the other, it's a no brainer. Buy the pies and stands. It's not just the cost of the rack...it's all the clamps, booms, and secondary hardware you end up needing as well.

Down the road there's also the less-costly clamps and hardware options that allow you you attach more than 1 cymbal per stand, effectively acting as a 'mini-rack'.

Your stands can always go on Ebay or Craigslist if you happen find you don't need them any more, but that will likely never be the case. They're always nice to have if you want to play a smaller setup or need to have a transportation-friendly kit for a smaller gig.

I have a rack and ended up buying a couple more stands for that very reason. If I don't completely tear it down, the rack takes up almost the entire bed of my pickup. Frankly, it's a pain in the you-know-what to haul, although it is definitely a time-saver for setups (provided you have the room).

Cheers!
 
I have spent a lot of $$ on new cymbals, snare stands, pedals, heads. I still do not have a rack. I agree, it becomes a "want" item. They are nice to have and I will get one eventually but decided to invest in other areas first. Just keep asking yourself "what do I NEED next?" That should help you keep focused on making the correct decision for yourself.

For instance: I want a rack also....but I NEED 3 more cymbals. lol
 
This has mainly to do with what you final plan is for the kit. IF your ultimate desire is to have a rack as part of your setup, than you should go for that before you spend more in the end to buy the stands when you're just going to replace them with a rack.

Make some decisions for the long haul and go with that. Don't settle for "upgrades". Save if you need to. Be patient. Get what you want for the final evolution of your dream setup. Spend as necessary.

Just my $.02.

Andy
 
go for the rack you wont regret it. i did it and its just wonderful. they are very conveniant and i had the same idea as you except an 8 peice with 3 crashes 2 splashes 3 chinas and 2 rides and 1 hi-hat.

besides everyone loves a big rack
 
dude forget the rack get the cymbals then when you have everything you want get a rack but i dont think i would ever buy a rack, i could buy more cymbals or upgrade old ones instead of buying a rack.
 
In the end of it all, the goal is an excellent sounding performance. While a rack will allow you to set up/tear down quickly and have a slightly more consistent setup, a good cymbal package will radically improve your sound and your experience.

I thought I was fine with the hodgepodge set of used cymbals I had put together...until my wife went out and bought me an entire collection of Paistes this fall as a late birthday/early Christmas present. These not only fit the sound I had in my head more closely, they also inspire me to play different feels/patterns...not to mention the response I get from other players on the sound I'm putting out.

If you're gonna be gigging, the level of performance with the better cymbals will earn you the money for the rack far more quickly than the consistency of a rack earning you cymbals.
 
For what it's worth:

When I bought my rack, I had only 2 toms, 1 crash, and 1 ride mounted to it.

In my case, though, the double tom stand couldn't place the toms where I wanted them, so the rack was a necessity (and was pretty cheap since I bought it used). If you really want a rack, and would find it hard to play without one, then it might be in your best interest to pick one up first.

If, however, you feel that the cymbals could move you closer to your "dream kit" faster, then go for those first. Buy good quality boom stands, and you can eventually take them out of the tripods to function with your rack. That way, you've got options.

Do whatever will improve your kit the most. For me, being able to get the toms in a playable position was crucial, and I started scoring cymbals shortly after that (I'm now up to 6 crashes, 2 rides, china, splash, and hats). And for what it's worth, I've also stopped using my old rack (with my new kit) and have moved back to just stands. I think I've got all those cymbals plus the three toms mounted on 7 stands. Only one stand carries "only" one cymbal, and that's mainly because I don't have anything else to hang on it yet.
 
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